Words of Grant Wood Ring True

Hello, my name is Brian Chambers. As Holly mentioned in the last newsletter I have been hired as the Media Coordinator for Wapello County to help promote cultural and tourism attractions in Wapello County, of which the American Gothic House is a significant part.

I was drawn to this position in large part to The American Gothic House, The American Gothic House Center and Grant Wood, of whom I am a fan, not only of his arts, but also of some of the things he said. One of Wood’s quotes is, “I had to go to France to appreciate Iowa.” I can relate to this as over the 20 years I spent in the US Army I had the opportunity to travel to many places, and although I enjoyed every trip (this was during peace time, my wife and son, who both served tours in the Mideast, probably can’t say the same) each time I left I gained a greater appreciation for our state.

Another favorite of mine is, “All the good ideas I ever had came to me while milking a cow,” also takes me back to the time I milked for a farmer while in high school. I don’t know if I had any good ideas while milking, but I do remember my mind wandering quite a bit in the cold barn.

Few people capture our state and culture as Grant Wood does and therefore I am looking forward to my time here and please feel free to email me at wapellocountymediacoordinator@gmail.com if you have any questions or ideas. Meanwhile I will be getting acquainted with the workings of the America Gothic House Center and the other cultural and tourism attractions in Wapello County.

Brian Chambers
Media Coordinator
American Gothic House Center
641-652-3352
wapellocountymediacoordinator@gmail.com