Thursday, April 25, 2013

Spring has sprung, the grass riz…

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

              -Robert Frost

One month ago I wrote in this space about spring finally arriving. How foolish. In the past four weeks we have had wind, snow, torrential rains and biting cold worthy of a January morning. So much for spring. But things are finally changing. Maybe.

Frost’s poem is one I recite when spring is noticeable to the eye, which it is now. It is one of two poems that cross my mind this time of year (more about the other one later).

I was introduced to this poem a few years ago and was struck by the paradoxes it presents: “green is gold…leaf’s a flower.” Which is not really a paradox, rather the truth. Some, but not all, trees and shrubs (the forsythia for example) have a show of gold for a short time, or as Frost states, “only so an hour.” Others, such as the magnolia tree, start with a flower which soon turns into a leaf. I find the way Frost captures spring compelling, but it is his parallel to Eden that draws me in.

His reference to Eden sinking in grief intrigues me. Upon study I found Frost was referring to felix culpa, loosely translated as “fortunate fall.” Meaning that an unfortunate event, or a series of them, leads to a better outcome. In Biblical theology the fateful circumstances of Adam in the Garden of Eden in the long run caused good to happen.

Such as with spring. The gold and flowers are pleasing to the eye, but only last a short while as they succumb to the leaf which provides shade for the plant allowing it to live.

The poem also speaks of life. To put this thinking into practice I will use the birth of a child as an example. When born, the child is new and fresh, but, as any parent that has guided a child to adulthood knows, it isn’t for long. It seems this precious time lasts, in Frost’s words, “only so an hour.”

Grief, not as severe as Eden’s perhaps, also exists. Children cause and suffer grief, but, as every parent knows, this heartache, in the form of whatever it may be, also builds character and helps mold and shape the child. Although difficult to navigate at the time this grief results in a “fortunate fall,” eventually leading to a better person and a more-rounded adult. At least that is the hope.

In my interpretation the only line in the poem that does not offer hope, but speaks volumes about life, is the last, “Nothing gold can stay.” Flowers, gold buds and dawn, as well as life, is not forever. In time all come to an end—at least for awhile. Sad, but real. However the poem doesn’t make me sad, rather it provides incentive to pay attention to the early buds and flowers of spring and to drink in life, hug my children and grandchildren, revel in their accomplishments and appreciate what I—they—have been given. Ah, the power of a poem.

To lighten the mood, earlier I mentioned another poem that crosses my mind this time of year. Actually it is not a poem, but rather a ditty. I remember it playing on the radio sometime in the 70s and it has stuck with me since:

“Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, I wonder how my spark plug is?”

I know, silly, and not exactly literary. I believe it was an ad by a spark plug manufacture to prompt homeowners to replace the spark plug on the lawnmower before the mowing season starts. I have no idea how effective it was but it stuck with me. The things one remembers.

Upcoming events:

There will be more on this in later posts but a heads up is in order in case anyone wants to make plans. On Friday, May 24 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. a special exhibit opening is planned for “Parodies of a Portrait: American Gothic’s Place in Society.” As most know. American Gothic continues to be one of the most parodied paintings in the world. “Parodies of a Portrait” explores the history of these parodies and how this iconic painting is interpreted in society.

On June 8 and 9, in conjunction with American Gothic Days in Eldon, the Center will sponsor an art show, a 5k run/walk and a 20-plus mile bicycle ride. Details about that weekend’s activities can be found at the website: www.AmericanGothicHouse.net.

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

The American Gothic House Center strives to become financially independent through gift shop revenue, sponsorships, and by establishing an endowment fund. Funds raised in this campaign will be used to match the Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant and will become endowment funds to support the Center's annual operations. As a subscriber to the weekly newsletter, you have already shown support for the American Gothic House Center. I invite you to strengthen your role in the valuable experience we provide the community by making a contribution to our fund drive. Click here to give your tax deductible gift, or head to our website for more information. Thank you to all who have donated so far!
        Our Mission: Integrating the puzzle pieces of American Gothic
300 American Gothic St | Eldon, IA 52554 | 641-652-3352 | theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Eldon Public Library turns 100

This Saturday, April 20, the Eldon Public Library turns the century mark and it will not go unnoticed by library staff and the city of Eldon.

On Nov. 23, 1912 the cornerstone was laid for the present-day library and on May 9, 1913 a formal dedication was held at the Christian Church to christen the new building and usher in an era of public institutions dedicated to knowledge and learning.

In this day we have a tendency to take the local library for granted, as most have been an institution for well over 100 years. But in the waning years of the 19th century and the early days of the 20th this was not the case, as public libraries were considered an indulgence of sorts the country as a whole had not yet wholly endorsed. But thanks, in part to Andrew Carnegie, libraries were moving from a luxury to necessity.

The legacy of Andrew Carnegie is etched in the public’s mind as the person who decided to use his wealth to benefit the masses. And to do this, he decided to build libraries in towns small and large across the country. Public libraries, free to the citizens of all ranks and social orders, to provide learning opportunities theretofore not readily available.

Nationwide Carnegie contributed funds to build 1,419 libraries for a total cost of $41.5 million. Iowa was an early recipient of the funds with Fairfield receiving the first grant in the state in 1892. This was remarkable as Fairfield was the first town west of Pittsburgh, Penn. to receive such a grant. There were many more to follow.

A total of 101 libraries were built in Iowa using Carnegie funds. Although Iowa wasn’t the leading builder of Carnegie libraries (it ranked sixth nationwide in the total built) it may not have been that high if it wasn’t for the progressive reputation Iowa is known for.

According to the Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project based at the University of Iowa, at that time Iowa had become the 10th state to pass legislation allowing towns to establish and maintain libraries through taxation, a vital measure providing a means to create and sustain libraries.

Another progressive piece of legislation that, according to the project was instrumental in establishing libraries on Iowa, was allowing women to vote on “yes” or “no” issues in 1894—26 years before the 19th Amendment allowed voting rights to all women. This vote was critical in Iowa as women’s organizations often led the movement to establish a library.

To digress. A woman voting is something else we take for granted in society, but in the first 100-plus years of our country it was a revolutionary thought. Somewhat ironic considering all Americans at one time were considered revolutionaries.

Casual research did not reveal if a women’s organization was instrumental in establishing a library in Eldon but, given the evidence that women were prime movers in founding libraries, one can rest assured there were women on the front lines of the movement.

Eldon opened its first library in 1906 and in 1911 the local library association (established in 1908) appealed to Carnegie for funds to help construct a building. In turn he donated $7,500 to the effort and two years later Eldon had the building that has stood for 100 years and has served countless citizens.

 To honor this milestone the Eldon Public Library will hold an open house this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be refreshments available and craft building for the younger patrons is scheduled from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. At 1 p.m. Dr. Shana Stuart, director of the Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project at U of I, will make a presentation to mark the occasion.

In the words of T.S. Elliot, “The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man.” So stop by the library this Saturday and not only wish it a Happy Birthday but celebrate the future of our country. And maybe check out a book.
Brian Chambers
Media Coordinator
American Gothic House Center
641-652-3352
wapellocountymediacoordinator@gmail.com

The American Gothic House Center strives to become financially independent through gift shop revenue, sponsorships, and by establishing an endowment fund. Funds raised in this campaign will be used to match the Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant and will become endowment funds to support the Center's annual operations. As a subscriber to the weekly newsletter, you have already shown support for the American Gothic House Center. I invite you to strengthen your role in the valuable experience we provide the community by making a contribution to our fund drive. Click here to give your tax deductible gift, or head to our website for more information. Thank you to all who have donated so far!
Our Mission: Integratin
300 American Gothic St | Eldon, IA 52554 | 641-652-3352 | theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Where the tall corn grows

“Wood was painting what he longed for, an agrarian paradise where the land took care of her own before the machine came to torment her; further, this was an America without urban centers and thus free of the social complexities of mass unemployment, crowded conditions, factories and industry.”

    -  Going Back to Iowa: The World of Grant Wood
        University of Virginia American Studies Program

Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it? Many would agree; others not so much. A world without malls, convenience stores or McDonald’s? How would we survive? But there was a time when it was quite possible to survive, in fact thrive, without the amenities (and aggravations, I might add) that we have today.

It is obvious when viewing the works of Grant Wood that he lived in a dream world, a world where machinery wasn’t invented yet, smokestacks didn’t line the horizon and societal ills common today were nowhere to be found, and he painted this world in his landscapes.

This Sunday, an opportunity exists to gain a closer look into Wood’s world as Laural Ronk, director of the Bluffs Arts Council, and Dick Miller, chairman of the Bluffs Arts Council Corn Room Restoration Committee, will give a presentation at the Eldon Library Hall from 2 to 3 pm on the efforts to recover what is left of one of three Grant Wood murals.

To provide some history: In 1926 hotelier Eugene Eppley, commissioned Wood to paint four murals in dining rooms of his hotels in Sioux City, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs.

“Three of the murals were `corn murals' (one in each hotel). They were painted to fill the room. The corn murals were supposed to make viewers feel as if they were sitting in an Iowa field with tall stalks of corn, rolling hills and barns dotting the horizon. The mural is a typical example of the kinds of landscape visible in the surrounding countryside.”    - Art Talk

Two of the Corn Murals were in the Sioux City and Cedar Rapids hotels and are preserved in their entirety and on display in Sioux City Art Center and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The third, the mural in Council Bluffs at the Hotel Chieftain, wasn’t as lucky.

In 1970 when the hotel was in the process of being converted into apartments the new owners, upon being told the murals were unsalvageable, allowed anyone to come and take down the murals under the condition they were not sold and the pieces would be restored. Later research revealed segments of the mural were taken down and—for the most part—kept safe and, in some cases, restored.

One might ask why the mural segments, after all these years, are important as there are two other complete murals elsewhere in the state. An answer can be found in an entry concerning the murals from the Traditional Fine Arts Association.

“Grant Wood's Corn Room Mural is historically important because it shows that Wood was developing the ideas and approaches that would become Regionalism several years before he produced his first clearly-Regionalist works and achieved critical success with his invention: Woman with Plants (1929) and American Gothic (1930)... Wood's concerns with landscape, visible in the Corn Room Mural, remain a constant reference point for his Regionalist works: it appears as the background to Woman with Plants and in the famous house seen behind the couple in American Gothic.”

To preserve this history, in 2008 the Bluffs Arts Council began a campaign to raise funds to obtain the remaining pieces of Wood’s Corn Room Mural painted for the Hotel Chieftain and restore them for viewing. Thus far, 27 segments of the mural have been identified and the Bluffs Arts Council has obtained 11 of them, with several displayed in the lobby of the Pottawattamie Courthouse in Council Bluffs.

So this Sunday afternoon, for one hour, make a point to stop by the Library Hall and hear what Ronk and Miller have to say. After all, they are devoting their time and energy to preserve a piece of Grant Wood for future generations. Something that is very dear to anyone associated with the American Gothic House Center.

The presentation is sponsored by the American Gothic House Center and the Ottumwa Area Arts Council. Hope to see you Sunday.

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

The American Gothic House Center strives to become financially independent through gift shop revenue, sponsorships, and by establishing an endowment fund. Funds raised in this campaign will be used to match the Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant and will become endowment funds to support the Center's annual operations. As a subscriber to the weekly newsletter, you have already shown support for the American Gothic House Center. I invite you to strengthen your role in the valuable experience we provide the community by making a contribution to our fund drive. Click here to give your tax deductible gift, or head to our website for more information. Thank you to all who have donated so far!
        Our Mission: Integrating the puzzle pieces of American Gothic
300 American Gothic St | Eldon, IA 52554 | 641-652-3352 | theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Egg Roll inside, but a success

American Gothic House Center

Rain did not deter the planned Easter activities last Friday, as over 175 children took part in the first annual Easter Egg Roll at “our White House.”

Originally planned for the lawn at the American Gothic House Center, steady rainfall forced the activities inside to the Eldon Library Hall, adjacent to the library on the main thoroughfare in town. Although a bit cramped, the kids didn’t seem to mind, as each moved from station to station, all manned by G.A.T.E volunteers and local townspeople.

Donna Jeffries was in charge at the Easter Egg Roll station where lanes were marked with tape on the floor. Each child was issued a large wooden spoon and a hard-boiled egg was placed in the lane in front of them. On the command of “go” the contestants guided the egg—using only the spoon for propulsion and steering—to the finish line where all received a bag of candy. Besides candy, every bag contained an American Gothic House bookmark and pencil.

At the “bunny ear” table Nancy Teubel, Martha Bedford and plenty of parents, helped the children glue and paste ears together. It was a three-step process, with the first step fitting the band to the child’s head. The second step was to glue the parts of the ears together, then lastly staple the ears to the headband. As the afternoon passed the library hall was a sea of bunny ears perched precariously on each child’s head.

Pris Coffman, along with some help, guided the children through making a Peek-A-Boo Chick. This was a rather elaborate creation resulting in a hinged paper egg that, when tilted to one side, revealed a baby chick.

Rumors had it there were Secret Service agents at the hall (the only people in attendance wearing black suits and sunglasses and talking into their lapels) on a special mission from the White House to monitor the Egg Roll and other activities. It is unconfirmed but word has it the Secret Service were so impressed with the Peek-A-Boo Chick creations that arrangements were made to have the same activity on the following Monday at the White House.

No Easter activity would be complete without the Easter Bunny and, sure enough one was one hand. Originally the plan was to have children pose with the Easter Bunny in front of the American Gothic House, but since this wasn’t possible a facsimile of the house was used a backdrop for the photos. Margie Stansberry assisted in taking pictures and everyone received a 4x6 memory of the day. Paige Evans played the role of the Easter Bunny and did it so well perhaps a career in acting is in her future.

At yet another station Cindy Shephard stepped away from her day job as elementary principal and curriculum director at the Cardinal Schools and read to all who gathered around. There was no report back from the children as to how well their principal did, but if asked, I am sure each would have glowing praise. After all, she is the principal.

All total 10 volunteers stepped in to lend a hand at the event, not including those who helped in the pre-party logistics, such as bagging 125 sacks of candy, making 75 commemorative eggs and setting up the hall. From this observer’s vantage point—and the Secret Service agents—G.A.T.E and the staff from the American Gothic House Center can consider the inaugural Egg Roll a success.



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

The American Gothic House Center strives to become financially independent through gift shop revenue, sponsorships, and by establishing an endowment fund. Funds raised in this campaign will be used to match the Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant and will become endowment funds to support the Center's annual operations. As a subscriber to the weekly newsletter, you have already shown support for the American Gothic House Center. I invite you to strengthen your role in the valuable experience we provide the community by making a contribution to our fund drive. Click here to give your tax deductible gift, or head to our website for more information. Thank you to all who have donated so far!
        Our Mission: Integrating the puzzle pieces of American Gothic
300 American Gothic St | Eldon, IA 52554 | 641-652-3352 | theamericangothichouse@gmail.com