The American Gothic House

Center gears up for new exhibit

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

The drums are rolling and the tension is building in preparation for the unveiling of a new exhibit at the American Gothic House Center—“Parodies of a Portrait: An American Icon’s Place in Pop Culture.”

The exhibit will premier from 6 to 7 pm on Friday, May 24, and, of course, will remain on display indefinitely. It proves to be a compelling—and fun—look into contemporary America using American Gothic as the backdrop.

Beginning with Gordon Park’s photograph of Ella Watson, a cleaning woman employed by the Farm Security Administration in 1942, and traveling forward through time, the exhibit will showcase how the iconic image has been used to bring attention to cultural and societal issues.

Many of the parodies will be familiar, such as the 1963 Saturday Evening Post cover featuring Jed Clampett and Granny—aka Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan—of The Beverly Hillbillies. Some might say this parody, along with the shot in the opening credits of Green Acres of Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor (Oliver Douglas and his wife Lisa in the series), was the seminal moment for parodies of American Gothic. From that point on parody became an art form of its own.

Predictably the parodies on display in the new exhibit will feature celebrity-type characters. However, once in a while local (if not to Eldon, then to the area targeted), people will be the characters in the parody.

Such is the case with one particular parody that should hit home to many local Eldon citizens—Tom and Roseanne Arnold pictured near the site of their planned mansion in Eldon.

As anyone who remembers the story knows, this endeavor of Tom and Roseanne’s didn’t fare so well. Steven Biel, in his book, American Gothic, accurately sums up the outcome of the Arnold’s Eldon peccadillo.

“But this gothic house [Tom and Roseanne’s mansion] was never built. Roseanne and Tom split up, the cornfield was leased to a farmer, the ‘loose meat’ restaurant they had opened in Eldon didn’t survive, and the local community college took over the property.”

In case you are not aware of the story, an article in the April 21, 1997 edition of People magazine provides a good overview. To read the article click here.

Tom and Rosanne’s parody reflects all parodies of American Gothic, as it takes a topical issue and satirizes it to drive home a point. In the case of the Arnold’s their excess (the multi-million dollar mansion and their jet-setting style), was in sharp contrast to the modest ways of a small town—and of the characters in the painting. Such is the nature of parody.

This is a taste of what will be in store for visitors at the American Gothic House Center beginning next Friday. It will be worth the trip.

Also, don’t forget about the other upcoming events at the Center during Eldon’s American Gothic Days, the art contest, the 5K walk/run and the 20-mile bike ride. For details on these events click here.

One more thing:

This morning, while reviewing the National Public Radio website (and my kids say I lead a boring life), I ran across an interview and song that I wanted to share.

It is not upbeat, funny, or soul-lifting, but it is a story that any parent who has lost a child carries with them daily. It is about the aftermath. Specifically, it is the story of a soldier and his dad. If you would, take time to listen to the story and the imbedded song, but be warned, it will cause a tear to drop. In my case, it was a flood. Please click here: A Songwriter And An Army Dad Share One Touching Story.

Take care.
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

Some parallels are hard to ignore

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:57:00 +0000

The story of Grant Wood finding the house in American Gothic, as well as the two models, his sister Nan Wood Graham and his dentist Dr. Byron McKeeby, is well known. Especially Nan Wood Graham, as she remained an active promoter of her brother for decades. But how much is known about an equally famous portrait and a woman named Monika Pon-su-san?

I will be the first one to admit until the other day I had no idea who Monika Pon-su-san is, but, upon discovery, the parallels with Nan Wood Graham are too close to dismiss.

Pon-su-san’s story begins two decades later than Wood’s and in a much different location—Cape Town, South Africa, in 1950. Pon-su-san was working in her uncle’s launderette when she was spotted by Russian expat and artist Vladimir Tretchikoff.

Tretchikoff (who I wasn’t much aware of either prior to this research) saw something in the young lady and asked her to model for him. The result was Chinese Girl, one of the highest selling art prints in the 1950s and 60s. Don’t see the connection? Read on.

According to an article in The Huffington Post, “Vladimir Tretchikoff's iconic painting ‘Chinese Girl,’ said to be one of the most reproduced in the world, is coming home to South Africa after more than half a century in a private Chicago collection.”
In a recent interview with BBC News, Pon-Su-San recounted the story of how she came to be a model for the iconic portrait and comments on the final product.

“A lot of people ask me: ‘What is that stern look you had on your face? What were you thinking about?’"

Stern face? This is much like the review Nan Wood Graham received after American Gothic became known, as one person was said to remark, “her face would sour milk.”

Granted, the style of Tretchikoff and Wood differ greatly (Wood, to my knowledge, didn’t paint any green faces) but nonetheless both paintings have been reproduced extensively and found their way into pop culture, with Chinese Girl featured on “mugs, T-shirts, posters and wallpaper,” according to The Huffington Post.

I am not aware of any American Gothic wallpaper out there but it has been plastered on mugs and T-shirts for decades, as well as a host of other venues. Both paintings also hold the title—depending on whom is doing the talking—of the most reproduced painting in the world. In short, both are notable in the own right and are similar in popularity.

There is another parallel between the two artists and their paintings that must be mentioned. Wood, in certain circles, was never considered a serious artist. Early in his career, and for decades after his death, Wood and his work was often labeled “sentimental,” and not worthy of intellectual examination. Evidently, Tretchikoff suffered much of the same criticism, at least for Chinese Girl.

As per The Huffington Post, “’Chinese Girl’ sometimes is called the ‘Mona Lisa of kitsch,’ angering Tretchikoff who insisted he was a serious artist.”

One more parallel: Both artists, regardless of their critics, will live long in the public’s eye. So much for the art critics.

Things to remember

This Sunday, May 12, Orchestra Iowa’s will perform “American Gothic,” an original composition by three-time Grammy Award-Winner Michael Daugherty, at the Bridge View Center at 3 p.m. Admission is free.

On Friday, May 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the American Gothic House Center, a new exhibit, “Parodies of a Portrait: An American Icon’s Place in Pop Culture,” will premier. Stop by and check out how American Gothic has been portrayed in pop culture. Some may even surprise you!

Register and enter the American Gothic Days festivities at the American Gothic Center on June 8-9: the art contest, 5K run/walk and the 20-plus mile bike ride. Click here for more details.

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

American Gothic now set to music

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:07:00 +0000

It was only a matter of time when it would happen. After all, American Gothic has been the focus of numerous parodies, advertising gimmicks and the backdrop for social commentary, so why not set it to music? Composer and Cedar Rapids native Michael Daugherty decided to do just that.

This weekend, May 4 and 5, Iowa Orchestra (formerly the Cedar Rapids Symphony) will give a world premiere performance of Daugherty’s “American Gothic,” a 20-minute tribute to Grant Wood and American Gothic, at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids on May 4 and at West High School in Iowa City on May 5.

A trip to the Iowa City area doesn’t fit into your travel plans? Not to worry as Orchestra Iowa, along with the premier of Daugherty’s “American Gothic,” will be at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa on Sunday, May 12 for a 3 p.m. performance. Cost a concern? Shouldn’t be as admission is free at the Bridge View Center.

According to an article by Diana Nollen in Hooplanow.com, Daugherty composed the arrangement as a “homage to Eastern Iowa’s most famous artist, Grant Wood.”

Shortly after being commissioned by Orchestra Iowa to write the piece, Daugherty, a professor at the University of Michigan and Grammy-award winning composer, took some time off and revisited his roots—Eastern Iowa, what he calls “Grant Wood country.”

According to the article, he also visited the Art Institute of Chicago to view the original painting, which influenced his final composition.

“‘The thing about the painting is that it’s a mystery. No one really knows what it means. People never really understood Grant Wood as an artist either,’” he says. “‘Some people took him seriously, (some critics) thought he was an amateur, partly because he was using the Midwest as his inspiration.

‘I thought it would be interesting to explore, ‘what does it mean to be a composer like myself, coming from Iowa,’ and also, ‘what are some of those hidden secrets in that painting’ — to explore that in a musical way.’”

As reported in the Hooplanow article, the result is a musical rendition of Wood and American Gothic.

“Daugherty’s musical artwork paints sonic images in three movements, beginning with “On a Roll,” which he describes as ‘a rollicking melody with colorful orchestration,’ evoking the rolling hills of Jones County, so prevalent in Wood’s paintings.

The middle section, “Winter Dreams,” is inspired not only by Wood’s black-and-white lithographs, but also by the bleak winters of Willis Daugherty’s rural Iowa youth, marked by soaring snowdrifts. It features the haunting sounds of alto flute and violins.

The final movement, “Pitchfork,” reflects the dour look of the duo in “American Gothic” and Wood’s wit. Daugherty kicks up the tempo with ‘very fast and very, very way-out bluegrass music.’ He calls it ‘a window into my contemporary musical vision of ‘American Gothic.’ ”

To view and listen to Daugherty and violinist Luke Witchger perform a preview of the final movement of the composition click here.

At Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Ottumwa, Orchestra Iowa will also perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “The Rock” and Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7 in D Minor in addition to Daugherty’s “American Gothic.” For ticket and additional information to the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City performances click here. For additional information to the performance at Bridge View Center click here. Remember, the concert at Bridge View is free.

Time to make plans for June at the American Gothic House Center

As mentioned last week, there are three events at the Center that are rapidly approaching.

In conjunction with “American Gothic Days” in Eldon, the American Gothic House Center is holding an art contest, a 5K run/walk and a 20-plus mile bike ride. Registration for the run/walk and bike ride can be done on the day of the event (the run /walk on Saturday, June 8 and the bike ride on Sunday, June 9) but to save a few bucks early registration is in order.

If registered for the 5K run/walk and the 20-mile bike ride by May 24, registration is $15; afterwards the fee is $18. Click on either event for more information and the entry form.

As for the art contest, there is no entry fee but the artwork must be submitted with entry form by Tuesday, June 4. For more information and the entry form click here.

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

Spring has sprung, the grass riz…

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:30:00 +0000

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

Eldon Public Library turns 100

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:31:00 +0000

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

Where the tall corn grows

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:56:00 +0000

“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

Egg Roll inside, but a success

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:09:00 +0000

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

Shades of tan soon to be replaced—we hope

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:06:00 +0000

It appears that spring might well be here. The temperature has become tolerable, there is an absence of chill in the air and the birds have been singing of a morning. It’s about time, after all April is across the street.

Although slow in coming, I prefer a spring such as the one we’ve had. I like to back into the season, having it approach gradually as opposed to a winter coat one day and shorts the next. Last year was a prime example of this and what can happen if spring comes too quickly and early.

As you may recall, last March ushered in 80-plus degree days causing flowers to bloom early, farmers to plant crops weeks before normal and, worst of all, required homeowners such as myself to mow the grass. As far as I am concerned there should be a Congressional mandate prohibiting lawn mowing before April.

Then we all know what happened after the early spring—heat and lots of it. In fact the ensuing summer was one of the hottest on record. The only good that came out of it was the lawn mower went in storage for July, August and most of September. To borrow from a cliché, every cloud does have its silver lining.

Although I favor spring to approach slowly, this year I am particularly looking forward to it as the Center needs color. Over the winter I have been struck with the beauty of the American Gothic House and the adjacent Center covered with a blanket of snow with all color absent. Snow somehow transforms these two buildings into safe, peaceful, and warm places that project an image fit for canvas. However, between snows all that can be observed are shades of tan.

Tan works well in the warm months when it is offset by green grass, vibrant hues from the wildflowers and heavy green leaves on the trees. But after the leaves fall and the wildflowers go dormant all that remain are shades of tan. The buildings are a light tan, the mulch in the wildflower garden is a darker shade of tan, the rocks that surround the Center are varying shades of tan and the grass—also dormant—is yet another shade of tan. Unless you are a fan of khaki clothing this is a lot of tan.

Speaking of khaki, my first dress uniform in the Army was the summer khakis. It remained my favorite uniform long after it was taken out of service in the mid-1980s. What made it appealing wasn’t the khaki coloring itself, it was the way the color of the accompanying accoutrements—medals, the crisp yellow stripes of rank outlined with green, the service medals pinned over the left pocket and the black name tape over the right virtually gleamed against the neutral hue of the uniform. It looked sharp. It reminds me of the house and Center in spring, summer and fall.

In the cold months the buildings are tall soldiers outfitted with crisp, starched uniforms ready for inspection. But as any soldier that has stood an inspection knows, the uniform—sans accoutrements—is like a painting, the blank canvas of which the artist applies the color to make the whole. In the soldier’s case the color is the stripes earned, the ribbons awarded, the unit patch, the shiny black name tag. Once these are applied the uniform—and the soldier—becomes whole.

Such as it is here at the American Gothic House Center, the buildings are the blank canvas. The color is the trees, flowers and visitors with their summer clothing posing in front of the house for a photo in their own period uniforms. It makes the place complete and brings a smile to the observer’s face. It’s a good place to be.

Remember, the first annul Easter Egg Roll at “our White House”—actually tan—will be held Saturday from 1 to 3 pm. In the form of eggs and children the grounds of the Center will come alive with much-needed color. It’s about time.

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

Egg Roll tradition extends to Eldon

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:06:00 +0000

As many know now, Gothic Area Tourism of Eldon and the American Gothic House Center are teaming up for the first-ever Easter Egg Roll here at the Center on Saturday, March 30. Much preparation has been done for the event and volunteers and staff are looking forward to it—and hoping for a bright, sunny day. However, it does call for some reflection. Why roll Easter Eggs?

Since Easter traditionally is a religious holiday, rolling the eggs signifies rolling the stone away from Christ’s tomb. I had no idea of this symbolism and I diligently sat through years of Sunday School classes. I must have missed that somewhere. So it goes with bunnies and eggs in the broader sense as both represent, if not religiosity, a rebirth that accompanies spring. A very brief synopsis concerning the traditional Easter symbols can be found at About.com. Check it out.

All that information aside, the Egg Roll at the Center is modeled after the traditional Egg Roll at the White House, the big one in Washington D.C. Ever wonder how that tradition got started?

Evidently, according to the White House Historical Association, the beginnings are a bit murky as initially, in the 1870s, it was an impromptu affair held on the grounds of the United States Capitol. New landscaping in 1876 prompted Congress to pass a bill prohibiting the activity and President Grant passed it into law in 1876. Needless to say this didn’t set well with area children and adults. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Congress passing a bill that annoys people. Good thing that doesn’t happen today.

In 1877—the first year the ban went into effect—rain cancelled all outdoor activities so it was moot. However, when egg rollers showed up in 1878 they were ejected by Capitol Hill police. Not to be deterred the children made a bee line for the White House in hopes the sitting president—Rutherford B. Hayes—would grant them access. He did and a tradition was born.

Subsequent presidents continued with the tradition with many putting their own spin on the Monday activity. Grover Cleveland invited the egg rollers, with their baskets of hard-boiled eggs, into the East Room for a reception. This turned out to be a bit messy as eggs fell from baskets and were ground into the carpeting thus ruining it. Cleveland wasn’t too upset, however, as when he returned to the White House later for another term he continued the tradition.

President Benjamin Harrison decided the affair needed some music and included the United States Marine Band, known as “The President’s Own,” directed by none other than John Philip Sousa, to perform.

As things go, the egg roll became quite an attraction and eventually measures were taken to limit the number of people on the South Lawn. A one grown child-one grown adults rule was instituted but this also didn’t go as expected and the rule was abused (imagine that). As it turned out kids would charge a fee to adults (unrelated to them) which would allow them through the gates and gain access to the South Lawn. The arrangement got so out of hand in 1939 Secret Service agents were stationed at the White House gates.

First Ladies have always been involved with the Easter Egg Roll, with many putting their own personal touch to it. In 1929, Lou Hoover introduced folk dancing. Pat Nixon introduced an Easter Egg hunt using real eggs, replacing the hard-boiled ones used in previous rolls and hunts. For obvious reasons this was a one-time only endeavor. Nixon also introduced the Easter Bunny to the event and he (or she) has become a fixture since.

First Lady Nixon was also the first to give something to each participant—a certificate of participation. By extension, Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter handed out plastic eggs with personal notes inside. President Reagan and Nancy hosted an egg hunt with wooden eggs inscribed with signatures of notable people. Soon afterwards wooden eggs became the official souvenir of the Egg Roll with each inscribed with the signature of the President and the First Lady.

Since this year is the first year for the Easter Egg Roll at "our White House" there are not any traditions to uphold, rather it is time to make some. Be a part of tradition in the making by coming to the American Gothic House Center on Saturday, March 30 at 1 pm to roll eggs, receive a commemorative egg, play games, win prizes and see the Easter Bunny, just like at the real White House.

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

U of I revives art colony

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Even a casual student of Grant Wood is familiar with the Stone City Art Colony project in the summers of 1932 and 33. It was Wood’s, along with Edward Rowan, dream to bring artists together to learn from established artists, compare notes and develop new works of art in the Regionalism style. The colony only lasted two years but its legacy has survived for decades. It still is considered a ground-breaking endeavor in the art world.

The University of Iowa School of Art and Art History is currently reviving Wood and Rowan’s dream with the creation of the Grant Wood Colony, a place where mid-career and emerging artists can work, live, teach and practice their art in an academic environment. It is becoming one of the most sought-after positions in the world of promising artists.

The idea for the art colony grew from Iowa City attorney Jim Hayes, who has lived in the house Grant Wood occupied from 1935 until his death seven years later. Hayes bought other properties in the neighborhood and approached the U of I about a neighborhood art colony in the area of Wood’s house, of which Hayes has decided to deed to the university upon his death.

One thing led to another and currently the colony consists of one house owned by the university and ano ther h ouse rented by U of I, both in close proximately to Wood’s Iowa City home, with the intention to expand as time progresses. Eventually Wood’s home will be the epicenter of the colony and reserved for visiting guests and meeting space. But that is down the road.

Saffron Henke, assistant director of the Grant Wood Colony, explained where the art colony currently stands.

“Currently we have two fellowships, one in painting and one in printmaking. There is hope there will be another fellow added next year,” she said.

Saffron explained these fellowships are “prestigious” in part due to the close association with Wood. But there are many others reasons the fellowships are in demand. Each fellowship comes with furnished housing, a private studio, an opportunity to teach at the university, a salary and, of course, the distinction of being aligned with the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History. In the emerging art world, given the number of applications received, this is evidently a good deal.

“This year we will receive 225 applications for two positions,” Henke said. “Similar programs at other universities may have 50 applicants.” She added that applications for the Grant Wood Colony fellowships come from all over the United States and the world.

Besides the obvious perks the fellowships offer and the prestige associated with Grant Wood and the University of Iowa Art School, Henke said there is another reason the fellowships are sought, as in the art world there has been a renewed scholarly interest in Wood, due, in part, by the re-establishment of Regionalism and a Wood biography, “Grant Wood: A Life,” by R. Tripp Evans, that has garnered much attention.

Although Regionalism is embraced at the art colony, it shouldn’t be confused with artists attempting to recreate Grant Wood’s style, Henke said. Like Wood’s form of Regionalism it is an effort to take a closer look at the immediate world, only not defined the way Wood and other Regionalism artists defined it in the early 20th Century. “It is a return to finding what is going on closer to home,” she said.

Henke is not a life-long Wood scholar, as she only began studying Wood when she took the assistant director’s position at the colony two years ago. Since that time, however, she has “immersed” herself in Wood to gain clearer insight into the man and his art. She said working at the art colony “feels intently wonderful” and has hopes the colony grows according to plan.

Future plans include the colony having up to seven fellows in various disciplines to include performers, writers and humanists. The art colony area (all house in the neighborhood of Grant Wood’s home now occupied by Hayes) will expand to a total of four houses along with Wood’s home. And there will be sidewalks and gardens linking the houses together creating a place where artists learn from established artists, compare notes and develop new works of art in the Regionalism style.

Sounds a lot like Stone City.

For more information on the Grant Wood Art Colony or to donate to the project, contact Saffron Henke at saffron-henke@uiowa.edu.

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

A little bit of this and a lot of that

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:12:00 +0000

A few years ago I enrolled in a Latin class to satisfy my foreign language requirement for a Bachelors Degree. Out of the choices it appeared most logical believing I would probably forget everything else.

It was a demanding course having to deal with word gender (I didn’t realize some foreign languages assigned male or female to a word), declinations (I am not even going to go down that road) and putting the verb at the end of a sentence (?). I did, however, take away some interesting tidbits of information and some cool-sounding phrases.

One item I have used numerous times is the literal definition (roughly) of exit. It is a Latin word that means “he goes out.” Is that cool or what? In fact many of the words we use in the English language are derivatives of a Latin root.

It may be of some interest that our word “canine” comes from the Latin canis meaning “dog.” Our word “junior” is a direct reflection of the Latin junior which means “younger.” Fell asleep yet? Hold on here’s another one: ante is Latin meaning “before” and bellum is Latin for “war.” Ever here of those old mansions in the South referred to as “antebellum?’ This means they existed before the Civil War, and that concludes the lesson of the day (happy?).

But it does lead into one more Latin phrase I face on an almost daily basis: Tabula Rasa, which means roughly “blank slate.” Which is why you are getting this near-meaningless information, as it is one of those days my mind is a Tabula Rasa. Maybe it’s the time of year or the third moon of Saturn is aligned with the Dog Star, but I fail to posses an original thought as of this writing. When this is the case, I default to upcoming events at the American Gothic House Center—of which there are quite a few.

In a few weeks, on Saturday, March 30, the Center will host the first-ever Easter Egg Roll at "Our White House,” sponsored in conjunction with Gothic Area Tourism of Eldon. Just like the annual event at the “official” White House children will roll eggs across the lawn for candy and prizes. Volunteers will be on hand to help make bunny ears and take pictures in front of “our White House.” The Easter bunny will also make an appearance and every child will receive a special commemorative egg just like at the real White House.

A couple weeks later, on Sunday, April 14, at the Eldon Library Hall, Laural Ronk and Richard Miller of the Bluffs Art Council share the story of Grant Wood’s time in Council Bluffs and his painting of the Pioneer and Corn Room murals in Eugene Eppley’s Chieftan hotel in the late 1920s. The two will describe the importance of these murals and the Bluffs Art Councils efforts to collect and conserve remnants of the Corn Room to exhibit them in their community.

Then on Saturday, April 27, the Grant Wood Bus Trip will hit the road for Ames. This trip was described in detail in an earlier column and the deadline to sign up is April 12.

After that the Center takes a breather for awhile until the American Gothic Days in Eldon are held June 7-9, then it gets busy again.

Besides the festivities in Eldon (of which there are many), the American Gothic House Center is sponsoring a few of its own. On Saturday, June 8, the Center will hold a 5K Walk/Run and on Sunday, June 9, a 20-plus mile bike ride will originate from the Center. In addition, all weekend the Center will display entries for the American Gothic House Art Contest.

To find out more on all the events coming up clink on the underlined links above or go www.AmericanGothicHouse.net.

One more thing. 2012 was an eventful year for the American Gothic House Center as can been seen in the newly-published 2012 Annual Report. Click here to view the report.

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

No ordinary teacher(s)

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Tucked away in a classroom at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School in Eddyville, Iowa is an English teacher, John David Thompson. By day he dispenses typical English class fare: proper use of grammar and syntax, the formatting of an essay, the art of making smooth transitions between paragraphs, an introduction to the classics. To some, exciting stuff, to others drudgery.

Such is the life of an English teacher. But John David Thompson is no ordinary English teacher. He is also a published poet with eight books to his credit. His latest book, Iowa: A Place to Poem, recently hit the bookshelves.

Think about the title for a second. The first thought that comes to mind is the former Iowa tourism slogan, Iowa: A Place to Grow. But Iowa is thought of as a place to do many things: grow corn, raise hogs, manufacture machinery, go to school, but a place to poem? Thompson thinks so.

Two of Thompson’s previous books, the ones I have first-hand knowledge of, also reflect an Iowa theme. 99 Voices, 99 Lives: County Poems of Iowa, published in 2006, includes poems inspired by each of Iowa’s counties. Another, On Holiday, is a Christmas-themed collection of poems written by an Iowan for an Iowan. It was also accepted for review by the Pulitzer Prize Committee in 2007. Not bad for a small town teacher from Iowa. But then again, Thompson is no ordinary English teacher.

Thompson’s latest book is a collection of over 300 poems also reflecting an Iowa theme. In one he writes as a house. See if you can pick up on which one.

Quietly a drifter trips to my yard,
entranced as if in requisite study.
He calls me the backdrop, and it settles hard.
His brush of air, annoys and disturbs me.
Round of spectacles and round at mid-waist.
this Wood-be painter asks for my porch profile.
I may be the house, but he is fresh paint
to ask that I turn my gables, effect a smile.
You’ll need frown’s farmer, and
you’ll need a stern wife.
I advise with my south eye window-arching.
And it’s best to depict me in the dust-white
to convince of regionalism’s aching.
His masterpiece eyes spy a rarity.
I bring’m to size. Wait for the parodies.

Much of what is written about the house in American Gothic is how Grant Wood found the house and what he saw in it. This is the first I have come across from the house’s point of view, and obviously it was a bit annoyed. He calls Wood a “drifter” and takes offense to making him the “backdrop” for the painting instead of front and center. While Wood paints, the brush sounds “annoys and disturbs” him and he belittles Wood by calling him a “Wood-be painter,” which, by the way, is pretty clever. In the end the house accepts its fate and importance and becomes prescient: “Wait for the parodies.”

This is what an artist does; he or she provides us with something not thought of, another point of view. Wood painted familiarity—farms, fields, the product of toil, although not quite with an exactness. Thompson does something similar by humanizing the famous house and its thoughts on the painting. It’s food for thought—and fun—what more could a reader want.

I only know Wood by what I read, and only Thompson enough to feel comfortable saying “Hi, John” when we cross paths, but by reading the introduction poem in 99 Voices, 99 Lives, have come to the conclusion both have much in common.

I am a man for all counties,
and I push a proud pen.
Before most of you met your first morn,
I was born in one of them.
Goldfinch greets me at easterly window.
The rose and I grow in a ditch reserved for the wild.
Among the strongest of vines there,
Iowa’s child.

Besides both being artists with an appreciation for Iowa and Iowans, both were—are—teachers. And no ordinary teachers at that.

Iowa: A Place to Poem is available from Amazon and bookstores throughout Iowa.

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

Get on the GW Bus

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:08:00 +0000

Not all activities concerning the American Gothic House Center are held at the Center or in Eldon. Once in a while, in order to provide a better understanding of Grant Wood’s world, it is necessary to hit the road and explore other venues.

This is what will happen on Saturday, April 27 as the Center will host a day-long field trip to Ames, Iowa to see first-hand some of Wood’s most famous creations and what farm life was like in Iowa during the 1800s. But that’s not all. Before the day is over a walk through Reiman Gardens, one of the largest public gardens in the state, is on the agenda and an evening meal at another popular attraction—Prairie Meadows.

First stop will be the Iowa State University Library, not to check out a book but to check out the Grant Wood Heritage Area. This area consists of murals designed by Wood while he headed the Public Works of Art Project for Iowa in the 1930s and painted by various artists from Iowa.

The murals are arranged on the walls of the stairway leading to the upper lobby of the original library and are designed to reflect a quote by Daniel Webster in 1840 at the Boston State House: “When tillage begins, other arts follow.” Webster believed that farmers are the founders of human civilization, thus all advancement by civilization were born of farmers.

After the ooohing and aaahing is done at the library, the next stop is the Farm House Museum at the center of the ISU campus. The Farm House carries the distinction of being the first building on campus and was built in 1860, just shortly after the university was founded in 1858.

The Farm House has served many functions during its life, two of which were housing college presidents and the epicenter of a working farm. For many years college students were hired to help with the chores around the farm and in the 1940s it was a practice home for young women in the Home Economics Department. In the late 1970s the Farm House became a public museum where visitors can experience 19th Century farm life.

Before leaving campus a stop at Reiman Gardens will reveal a host of garden designs and arrangements, a conservatory featuring a lush, tropical collection of colorful, rare plant, seasonal displays and a 2,500 square foot indoor butterfly garden. The gardens also boast a children’s garden containing elements of an Iowa farm, and a town and country garden exhibit that demonstrate design solutions for the home landscapes.

April 27 will also mark the premier of “Iowa Naturally: Garden Inspired Sculpture by Iowa Artists.” The exhibit runs through Oct. 30 and feature sculptures, designed by Iowans, nestled in the landscape creating inspiring displays. In the mood to spend some money? All sculptures are for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Gardens.

On the return trip a stop is scheduled at the Triple Crown Eatery at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. The restaurant will be a fitting end to a day of sights and sounds of Grant Wood and Iowa. The eatery’s menu boasts a wide range of offerings and daily specials with all-you-can-eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets.

Cost for the day-long trip is $69.50 per person and covers transportation, dinner and admission. The tour begins in Fairfield at 8:30 a.m. with departure on the east side of the Jefferson County Health Center parking lot at 2000 South Main St. Pick up points enroute to Ames will be the American Gothic House Center in Eldon at 9 a.m. and Ottumwa at 9:30 a.m. on the west side of Great Prairie AEA parking lot at 2814 North Court with arrival in Ames at 11:45 a.m. The bus will return the same day to Ottumwa, Eldon and Fairfield at 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively.

Reservations for the trip can be made by calling Holly Berg at 641-652-3352 or email at TheAmericanGothicHouse@gmail.com. Reservations will be accepted as long as space allows. There must be a minimum of 32 people for the trip or it will be cancelled. Deadline for sign-up is Friday, April 12.

Hope to see you on April 27!
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

Birthday party a huge success

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:44:00 +0000

Yesterday, Feb. 13, would have been Grant Wood’s 122nd birthday. There is little information out there as to how he celebrated when alive, but the American Gothic House Center and volunteers did him justice last Saturday with their tribute at the KD Center in Eldon.

Close to 75 Grant Wood supporters and enthusiasts stopped by the KD Center to sample one (or more) of 10 delicious soups made by volunteers. Along with soup, there was homemade bread, a host of desserts also made by volunteers and iced tea, lemonade or coffee. (Yum! Yum! As the cast of Hee Haw would say when Grandpa Jones announced the menu.)

To feed the birthday party revelers (this may be too strong of word as most in attendance were on their best behavior) volunteers were kept busy serving up soup, keeping the dessert table stocked and pouring drinks. At times all the tables in the Center were full with people sitting around visiting and sharing personal stories about Grant Wood. (I might be stretching the truth on this last comment, but they were doing quite a bit of talking.)

For entertainment the Indian Hills Community College Chamber Singers were on hand and gave a fine performance sans “Happy Birthday To You.” True to the nature of college students never passing up a free meal they all stuck around for a bowl of soup and dessert. Thanks to Laura Wiebe, director of the IHCC Chamber Singers, for making arrangements to bring her students to Eldon for the party.

Throughout the afternoon door prizes were awarded picked via an elaborate system of playing cards. The door prizes were donated by local businesses: Chommy’s, Ostrander Flowers and Greenhouses, The Lucky Rooster Coffee House, D’s Eldon Y Company and Red Rooster Collectibles.

The party ended with a drawing for the framed American Gothic House print by local photographer Chris Abigt. This unique print of American Gothic was framed by M&J Art and Frame Gallery with reclaimed wood and glass from the American Gothic House. Dave C. of Ottumwa was the winner of the print. He bought the ticket when attending the Eagle Watch at Bridge View Center in January.

Besides good food and conversation the event was productive in the fiscal department as over $1,000 was raised between the raffle tickets for the American Gothic House print and free will donations. Money raised from the raffle will be put toward the American Gothic House Center Endowment Fund, while the money raised from donations will be used to buy supplies for the Easter Egg Roll on March 30, as well as the Halloween Party and Gingerbread House building later in the year.

Next week: Look to this space for information on the upcoming Grant Wood Bus Trip on Saturday, April 27.

Till next time.
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

It’s birthday party time at the American Gothic House

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:59:00 +0000

In case anyone missed the numerous blog notes, Facebook posts or, for those who live close to Eldon, the posters, this Saturday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the American Gothic House Center is hosting a birthday party for Grant Wood—what would have been his 122nd—perhaps the only one of its kind anywhere. It will be held at the KD Center in Eldon.

Grant DeVolson Wood was born on a farm four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa on Feb. 13, 1891. It was a Friday. He was the second child of four of Francis Maryville and Hattie DeEtte Weaver Wood and joined his brother Fran
k who was born in 1887. Another brother, John, was born in 1893 and then a sister, Nan, (short for Nancy) came along in 1899. Given the time and place—an Iowa farmstead in the late 19th century—it was a tight fit for the six of them but as most did in rural Iowa the family made do.

As with any month in any given year there are notable dates—many involving a "first" of some sort—and February of 1891 is no different. Besides Wood's birth (a first, especially for Grant Wood), there were others, some noteworthy, others not so much, unless you are partial to vegetables and buffalo.

Earlier that month and a half of continent away, on Feb. 6, the now-famous Dalton Gang perhaps should have taken a hint when their first train robbery, near Alila, Calif., went awry and three of the brothers, Bob, Grat, and Bill rode off empty handed. Evidently their luck picked up later—at least for a while.

A couple days after Wood was born, on Feb. 15, was another notable, to some anyway, occasion as the first shipment of asparagus arrived in San Francisco (I have no idea from where). Young children have been ecstatic ever since.

Later in the month and also in San Francisco, on Feb. 26, the first buffalo was purchased for the Golden Gate Park. And for those who follow such things on the 28th Oscar Grunden set the world ice skating record in the 500m (50.8 seconds).
In a nod to custom, for those who were at least one-year-old on that day, or any day in 1891, “Happy Birthday” wasn't sung around the table, as the now-traditional song was written in 1893. The melody and lyrics were written by two sisters - Mildred J. Hill (born 1859) and Patty Smith Hill (born 1868). The melody was composed by Mildred and the lyrics were written by Patty, but it was originally for a classroom greeting song titled "Good Morning to All." It wasn’t until the 1920s the lyrics were changed to what we know today. Given that, Wood could have been in his mid-30s before anyone sang it in his honor.
There is no guarantee it will be sung this Saturday but Wood would overlook it given the soups (after all it isn't called the Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasbord for nothing) that will be served up. Minestrone, chicken and wild rice, cheddar potato, seafood gumbo, bean soup, chili, vegetable beef, taco and beef tortellini, all prepared by volunteers, will grace the table. Alongside the soups will be fresh bread and numerous cakes with plenty of coffee, iced tea, lemonade and water to wash it all down with. All this for only a donation. What a deal.

“Happy Birthday” might not be heard but there will no shortage of music as the Indian Hills Community College Chamber Singers will perform in concert at noon. As with any performance by the superb vocalists from IHCC, it will be one not to miss.

To wind up the party, at 1 p.m., there will be a drawing for the American Gothic House Print by local photographer Chris Abigt. This unique print of the American Gothic House is framed by M&J Art and Frame Gallery in Ottumwa with reclaimed wood and glass from the porch. Ticket prices for the print are $1 or six for $5 and can be purchased at the center, online until 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8 at www.AmericanGothicHouse.net or in person at the birthday party on Saturday.

So if you have some free time on Saturday swing by the KD Center—located just east of the railroad depot—for some good food, music and a chance to win a one of a kind framed print. Hope to see you there.

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

American Gothic couple is ‘Iowa Stubborn’

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:56:00 +0000

As mentioned here before, Steven Biel, in his book "American Gothic" hints the first exposure for many of a certain age to American Gothic was in a parody, specifically the ending credits in Green Acres when Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert) sang to his wife, Lisa (Eva Gabor), “You are my wife.” To which she responds, “Goodbye city life.” If not that scene then it was the image of the stoic pair on a on a box of cornflakes that graced many tables in the 1960s.

Now I am of the age to remember that scene, as well as the corn flake box, and after reading Biel’s book, I had to agree one of the two many have been my first exposure also. But upon further reflection, my first time, or at least the most memorable, may have been in the 1962 movie the Music Man starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.

If anyone remembers, in the opening scene Prof. Harold Hill (Preston) comes to River City, Iowa and starts asking questions about the town in general, what townsfolk do for fun, etc. Hill is met with less than outstretched arms, as all are a bit way of a stranger asking questions. Finally, after continuously being met with indifference, the townsfolk break into song (after all it is a musical) in an attempt to explain to Hill their unresponsive attitude. The song is “Iowa Stubborn.”

The lyrics explain that Iowans, by nature, have a “chip-on-the-shoulder attitude/ we’ve never been without/ that we recall” and that Iowans are so “by gone stubborn/ we could stand touchin’ noses/ for a week at a time/ and never see eye-to-eye.” The song attest to Iowan’s stoic and indifferent demeanor but also hints at something beneath the flinty exterior, of an empathy lying hidden to the outsider: “but we’ll give you are shirt/ and a back to go with it/ if you crops should happen to die.” Which does sum up Iowans quite well: stoic, uncaring and cold, unless you are having a rough patch and then they (we) are more than willing to pitch in and help.

In the final scene of the number workmen are carrying the frame from the shipping box the town’s first pool table arrived in and ironically frames a couple resembling the man and woman in American Gothic. The farmer and his wife sum up how the townspeople, and by extension all Iowans, feel toward strangers: “so, what the heck, you’re welcome/ glad to have you with us/ even though we may not ever mention it again.” In other words, you are here but not that important, so get over it.

Whoever thought to parody American Gothic for this scene obviously spent some time studying the painting, as the man and wife appear to embody this attitude, as opposed to earlier interpretations that portrayed the couple as resolute, determined folks that embodied Iowa spirit and values. Which I am sure is accurate but indifference, stubbornness, wariness of strangers or anything new can also be seen in their faces—as in many Iowans. In classic parody fashion something familiar is bent just a bit to provide another, perhaps more accurate, meaning. Click here to view the entire scene to see if you agree.

Perhaps because it was one of my first exposures to a musical, the Music Man has stuck with me all these years and I have revisited it many times. Many scenes are etched in my memory including “One Grecian Urn” that haunted me in a literary theories class in college. The subject was John Keats poem, “Ode to a Grecian Urn.” Throughout the class every time the professor approached Keats poem (which still makes little sense to me) the mental image of Eulalie Mackechne Shinn, wife of Mayor Shinn and played by Hermione Gingold, along with her ladies aid club, doing their “One Grecian Urn” sketch crowded out any serious study. I passed the class but with no help from the Music Man.

My favorite scene—and a persistent fantasy—is when Hill is attempting to woo the librarian, Marian, played by Shirley Jones, by singing “Marian the Librarian.” For my entire life I have longed to enter a library and discover the librarian’s name is Marian. At that time I would launch into a spirited chorus of: “what can I do, my dear, to catch your ear/ I love you madly, madly madam librarian, Marian.” Ah, the stuff of dreams.

Till next time.

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

To find art, look to the soldiers of the 34th ID

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:29:00 +0000

Conventionally speaking, art is found in museums or galleries, normally quiet places frequented by people who have an interest in these things—and attend voluntarily. Rarely is it found in the fog of battle amongst the cacophony, the bloodshed and the trauma that is part and parcel of combat. But this is exactly the case since with one of the most decorated divisions in the United States Army—the 34th Infantry Division, or the “Red Bulls.”

Even those who have never served in the military are likely aware of the shoulder patches worn by soldiers. Every soldier has, on his or her left sleeve, their designated unit patch. Each unit patch is unique in its own right and signifies much more than a unit designation; it is a symbol of solidarity—and pride.

For over 20 years I too wore a shoulder patch and wore it proudly. For the soldiers who served in combat another patch—rarely the same one—is authorized for wear on the right sleeve. This is a permanent award intended to be worn as long as the uniform is, as opposed to the left sleeve insignia that changes dependent on the unit. I say with pride that my wife and son wear a right shoulder patch, attesting to their service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now back to the Red Bulls.

The 34th Infantry Division, Army National Guard, made up of soldiers from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas was organized in 1917 for World War I and reported to Camp Cody, New Mexico for training. Needing a unit designation insignia a contest was created to design a division patch.

Private First Class Marvin Cone, Cedar Rapids native and close friend of Grant Wood, was serving at Camp Cody in 1917 as a member of the 34th ID and entered the contest. He designed an insignia based on the shape of a Mexican water flask (Olla) with a bovine’s skull at the center, a symbol of the numerous herds of cattle seen by the soldiers around Camp Cody. Cone’s submission won the contest and became the official unit insignia of the 34th Infantry Division, consequently worn by thousands of soldiers heading to war.

Originally nicknamed the “Sandstorm Division” because of the constant presence of sand in the uniforms while in the New Mexican desert, the unit arrived too late in Europe to see any action. All that changed in World War II when the division was activated once more in support of world war.

The 34th ID was the first U.S. division shipped overseas and arrived in North Africa on Nov. 8, 1942. The division moved across the Sahara engaging German troops and eventually prevailing in May 1943. It was then deployed to Italy where fighting continued until the end of the war. The division is credited with serving more consecutive days in combat—517—than any other division in the European Theater. It was in Europe where it gained the “Red Bull” designation as German soldiers in Italy referred to the American soldiers who wore the patch as “Red Devils” or Red Bulls” (http://www.militaryvetshop.com/History/34thInfantryDivision.html) .

The division was deactivated after the war but soon reactivated as a National Guard division with soldiers primarily from Iowa and Minnesota. It still exists today. In the past decade, the division has served the country during the War on Terror and has the distinction (once again) of being the longest-serving National Guard unit in Iraq, deploying in March of 2006 and serving for 22 months, 16 in country.

Today, Cone’s design is proudly worn by 11,000-plus soldiers serving in the 34th. For many it is authorized for wear on both the left and right sleeve as the unit served and fought in a combat zone. This number does not include the thousands of former soldiers who wore the patch, serving with distinction in the division from World War I onward.

Marvin Cone and Grant Wood, besides being boyhood friends, remained lifelong colleagues, as they studied in France together and later formed the Stone City Art Colony in 1932. Cone, an artist in his own right, has works displayed in various locations across the United States, as well as at Coe College in Cedar Rapids where he served as art department head until 1960. He died in 1965 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.

Art is timeless and enduring. As Wood’s art forever lives in galleries and museums, Cone’s endures on the shoulders of proud soldiers and veterans sent off to serve their country, for almost a century, often in harm’s way.

Upcoming events

There has been an addition to the Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasbord on Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the KD Center in Eldon as the Indian Hills Community College Chamber Singers will be performing. As with any performance by the superb vocalists from IHCC, the performance will be one not to miss.

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

A little knowledge can be life-changing

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:08:00 +0000

I am a fan of arcane knowledge, virtually worthless information that serves little purpose other than to prove to others you have way too much time on your hands. For instance, what does the “S” stand for in Ulysses S. Grant? A common belief is it stands for “Simpson,” but actually it doesn’t represent anything. His real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He changed it because he didn't want to enter West Point with initials like H.U.G. (would you?). He was named Hiram, after his grandfather, and Ulysses, after the hero in Greek mythology. Feel free to us this at your next party if you want.

Now once in a while useless information can come in handy or, in extreme cases, put money in your pocket. As far as the former, it is good to know how to figure square footage and convert to square yardage when buying carpet, as floors are usually measured in square feet and carpet is sold in square yards (there is nine square feet in a square yard). Or have a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics when watching The Big Bang Theory. As far as arcane, obscure facts putting money in your pocket it doesn’t seem likely, however, that wasn’t the case with Nancy Christy.

Christy, in December of 2008, was facing one last question before walking away with a cool $1 million as a contestant on the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Anyone familiar with the show knows the tension during the final question. Meredith’s voice lowers a notch and her brow furrows lending gravity to the moment. In the background a timpani can be heard along with a touch of deep brass; the symphony equivalent of a drum roll. The contestant is nervous and apprehensive wondering if the final question will be something familiar. Is so, a millionaire is born. If not, sorry Charlie.

With her final question Christy was no different. The tension was thick, the apprehension palpable. Then it came: “Who did Grant Wood use as a model for the farmer in his classic painting American Gothic.” As soon as the question was asked, the tension drained from Christy’s face. In another venue, and not on national television, Christy might have stood up, threw her fist in the air and said “bring it on” (I have done this when playing Trivial Pursuit). But she didn’t. Rather, maintaining her decorum, she listened patiently while Meredith read her the choices: “Traveling Salesman, Local Sheriff, His Dentist or His Butcher.”

Prior to answering, Christy—ready to burst—explained she had worked in the theatre at one time and opened a show dressed as Nan, hinting she had this one in the bag. Then answered correctly: “His Dentist.” At that moment, the confetti dropped and Meredith, shedding her solemn demeanor, jubilantly announced Christy was the first woman $1 million winner. All because at one time in her life she took a bit more than a passing interest in American Gothic.

Since her big win, Christy has become a collector of Grant Wood memorabilia (and why not?). She has made a pilgrimage to the Chicago Art Institute to view the original American Gothic as well as visited here at the Center (picture to right). She has said for obvious reasons American Gothic changed her life. All because she knew an arcane, obscure bit of information having little impact on the universe. But significantly impacted her world.
Given this, a visit to the American Gothic House Center or a Google search for Grant Wood or American Gothic could turn a mental note into much more. Imagine the possibilities.

Click here to view Nancy Christy’s winning answer: Nancy Christy

One last piece of worthless information. For those who watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Meredith is only known by her first name, there is no mention of a surname as if she is just “Meredith” like Ghandi, Michaelangelo or Beyonce. Meredith does have a last name and it is Vieira. Never know it might win you some money someday. I doubt it, but then again...

Upcoming events

Winter has a tendency to be a bit slow here at the American Gothic House Center and events are sparse but a big one is on the horizon: Grant Wood’s Birthday Soup Smorgasbord on Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the KD Center in Eldon. Besides homemade soup and birthday cake there will be door prizes and the winner of the American Gothic House print by Chris Abigt will be drawn. So mark your calendar.

Click here to buy raffle tickets for original print framed with original porch boards from the American Gothic House: Raffle Tickets

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

Want your spirits raised? Don’t read this

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:18:00 +0000

This smacks of a very poor cliché but January could be viewed, not only as the start of a new year, but the beginning of the rest of your life. A life that begins with the dreariest month of the year. Not only is the weather inhospitable, but in the aftermath of the Christmas season there is little to look forward to. Other than the rest of your life of course.

Since I am a novice scholar on Grant Wood, I use Google extensively to find a connection between Wood and whatever the subject of the week is. This time his painting, January, immediately popped up along with a narrative from somebody at the Cleveland Museum of Art where the painting is on display. As with the month, it doesn’t do much for the mood. An excerpt of the narrative follows:

“As winter blows outside the windows, my thoughts turn to the painting in our collection that perfectly encapsulates the solitude of mid-western life in this, the bleakest of months… The bleak subject matter of the painting, a frozen snowy landscape of corn shocks, dotted in the foreground with rabbit tracks trailing off, parallels the difficult final years of the artist’s life. At the time he painted the piece, Wood had just finished his seventh year at the University of Iowa. On sabbatical, recently divorced, and in failing health, Wood painted a desperate scene of the harsh truth of nature, exposed in almost geometrical precision on the canvas, row after row.”

It can be assumed that Wood had many good years of his life but 1941—the year he completed the painting—wasn’t going to be one of them. At least according to this entry. The author further explains “within several months, exploratory surgery found inoperable cancer. The artist prepared for the end of his life, while finishing up the remaining work in his studio. As he told his doctor, ‘I’ve still got a lot of pictures I want to paint.’”

Take a moment, if you will, to access the painting and the full narrative: Cleveland Museum of Art.

As can be seen the painting is, in fact, very desolate, and to humanize it, lonely. Perhaps Wood intended it to be. According to the Art Institute Images from Cartography Associates Library it was “Painted at a time when Wood and his work were under attack at the University of Iowa, the piece explores opposing themes of shelter and oblivion.”

During this time Wood and the University of Iowa were at a low point in their relationship. It can be understood why Wood believed he was isolated since other professionals at the university questioned his credentials to teach, as he did not hold a Masters or a Doctorate degree. His life-long ambition to share art with students was in jeopardy. Coupled with a failed marriage and obvious declining health at a relatively young age reason dictates these emotions would reflect in his art.

Upon inspection, the painting is indeed bleak. The corn shocks are lined up in seemingly endless symmetrical rows disappearing only at the horizon. January can be considered one of the longest months of the year, and the corn shocks hint to this. After all it is 31 days long, a length shared by only five other months. This doesn’t make it the longest, but considering the time of year it falls where the weather, other than a warm-up for a few days, seems to drag on, one dreary, cold, short day after another.

It is reported January sold immediately, bought by film producer King Vidor. The Cleveland Museum of Art notes that Vidor remarked about the painting: “In Grant Wood’s ‘January’ I have the whole feeling of America right in my own dining room.”

The remark is a bit hard for me to unpack. If January is so bleak, which it is, both the month and the painting, why would Vidor believe it represented “the whole feeling of America?” Are we all this down in January? It is possible considering the baggage that comes with the month—the post-Christmas blues, the resolutions intended to improve but the fact one needs made is an indication of a shortcoming, tax season on the horizon, and, of course, the seemingly endless depressing weather. With Wood facing all that, as well as his personal luggage weighting him down, it is no wonder that January reflects such a forlorn landscape.

Feel any better? I thought not.

If you are still reading after those depressing thoughts, there is a bright spot in the month and it will be this Saturday, Jan. 12 at Bridge View Center where, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the annual Eagle Watch will be in full swing.

The Eagle Watch features a program, displays, a hike along the Des Moines River and eagle watching, with spectacular views of eagles flying and feeding on the Des Moines River from both inside and outside Bridge View.

Besides the eagles the staff at the American Gothic House Center will be inside Bridge View (where it is warm) manning a booth where, in case you don’t get a photograph of an eagle, the American Gothic face cutout will be set up and ready for pictures. Coloring sheets will also be on hand, along with the current calendar of events and raffle tickets for the American Gothic House print.

Till next time.

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

Much in store for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:04:00 +0000

Here we are in another year, 2013 to be exact, in case you forgot to buy a calendar. Which, by the way, I did and only realized it last night when I glanced at the calendar in the kitchen where December, with its marked dates of where to go and what to do, glared back at me. I guess a new calendar goes on my “to do” list.

Speaking of things to do, I have a tendency to Google quotes upon occasion, for a couple of reasons. The first is to shed light on a subject that I have on my mind, and the second is reinforce my belief there are a lot of people out there smarter than me. Anyway, with a new year on my mind I had a desire to find out what other folks have said about it.

Predictably, there are many thoughts on the subject, some funny, some introspective, many very cynical. In the latter category, my favorites are from Mark Twain, which I will share a couple later. But the one that best fit today’s post was a quote from syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman:

“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

That is what we here at the Center did when planning the events for the year. What went wrong wasn’t given much time, but rather what could be offered to better inform, educate, and yes, entertain. And this year has the potential to do just that.

The year kicks off with the annual Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasbord held at the Eldon KD Center on Saturday, Feb 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to the exceptional soup prepared and served by the volunteers, along with the birthday cake and brownies, there will be a drawing for the winner of the American Gothic House print, framed with porch boards from the American Gothic House. To view the print and to buy raffle tickets click here: The American Gothic House Print.

On March 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. the American Gothic House Center will hold the first-ever Easter Egg Roll at our “White House.” Modeled after the time-honored event in Washington, D.C., where children roll eggs across the White House lawn, we hope it will become an annual tradition.

In April, the lecture series continues as Laural Ronk and Richard Miller of the Bluffs Art Council share the story of Grant Wood’s time in Council Bluffs and his painting of the Pioneer and Corn Room murals in Eugene Eppley’s Chieftain Hotel in the late 1920s. This mural has recently been discovered and provides a glimpse into the life of Grant Wood before his fame with American Gothic. Held at the Eldon Public Library on Sunday, April 14 from 2 to 3 p.m.

Also on the agenda in April is the Grant Wood bus trip on Saturday the 27th. The itinerary takes travelers from Eldon to Ames where stops will be made at Iowa State University Library, where two of Wood’s murals are displayed, a stroll through the Anderson Sculpture Garden and a tour of the Farm House Museum. The day will wrap up at the Reiman Gardens where Iowa landscape-themed gardens are the focus. For more information contact the American Gothic House Center at 641.652.3352 or email theamericangthichouse@gmaiul.com.

On Friday, May 24, a new exhibit “Parodies of a Portrait: American Gothic’s Place in Society” will be unveiled at the Center. 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.

In June, in concert with American Gothic House Days in Eldon, the Center has a number of events on tap. On June 8 and 9, there will be an American Gothic House Art Contest open to anyone regardless of age. On Saturday, June 8, the American Gothic House 5K Walk/Run will be held and on Sunday, June 9, the American Gothic Bike Ride will take riders through a scenic ride of the Eldon area. Visit www.TheAmericanGothicHouse.net for more details.

To round out the last third of the year, the annual Volunteer Appreciation Potluck supper is scheduled for Sept. 28, the Children’s Gothic House Party on Oct. 26, a lecture by Rudolph Daniels “Trains Across Iowa” on Nov. 10 and Gingerbread House Building on Dec. 7.

As can be seen, this upcoming year holds much promise. Take note of these events, add them to your calendar (if you have one yet) and we hope to see you sometime in the future.

Now, as pledged, a couple of New Year quotes from the master cynic Mark Twain:

"Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever."

"New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."

As good as these are, my personal favorite is not from my hero Twain, but from James Agate, English author and theatre critic:

“New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.”

Happy New Year!

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

Who gets the money?

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Every so often at the Center we field questions pertaining to the copyright, royalties and fees from American Gothic. This probably would not be of interest if the painting was obscure or only known within tight art circles. But since American Gothic is recognized and known far outside the art set, it is conceivable many would inquire as to who gets what from the reproduction (whether in parody form or original) from the original work.

In the past, when such a questions has been asked, we have responded that the copyright to American Gothic is held by the Figge Museum of Art (formerly Davenport Museum of Art) in Davenport, Iowa. And for the most part this is correct. However, a recently discovered blog prompted us to dig a bit deeper as to where royalties from American Gothic end up.

The blog—http://insroland.org/americangothic—made the claim that “every licensing fee for reproduction of her brother's masterpiece has been split between the Union Rescue Mission and the Riverside County Coalition for Alternatives to Domestic Violence,” both located in the area of Los Angeles, Calif. where Nan Wood Graham lived in her later years.

We did not doubt Nan named these organizations in her will and they did receive some benefits from American Gothic, it was the claim that “every licensing fee” was split between the two, implying these were the only recipients of any proceeds of the painting. In order to verify—or refute—this information a little detective work was in order.

Donning my rumpled Columbo overcoat and with a tip of my fedora I did what every capable modern-day sleuth does: write an email. The recipient was Robert Panzer, executive director of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association (VAGA), the organization that takes care of questions of copyright, licensing fees and the like under the umbrella of “art.” I sent him the blog in question and asked if he would shed some light on the subject. As suspected, he replied the blog was a bit misleading.

Mr. Panzer explained all copyrights to American Gothic are indeed held by the Figge Museum, however, there are other rights germane to Nan Wood Graham that are bit less cut and dried. An excerpt of his letter is as follows:

"American Gothic is protected by two rights: Copyright and Right of Publicity. Rights of Publicity are something like privacy rights, which individuals have when it comes to the commercial use of their names, voices and likenesses… As I’m sure you know, Nan Wood Graham is portrayed in American Gothic and hence, if you want to reproduce AG in a commercial manner (such as on merchandise and in advertising) you would need to clear NWG’s rights of publicity. Since Nan did not specifically mention rights of publicity in her will, these rights went to various beneficiaries named in her will that received the residuary of the will. Residuary means anything that Nan owned that wasn’t detailed in the will. There were a number of beneficiaries, with the Union Rescue Mission and the Riverside County Coalition for Alternatives to Domestic Violence being just two of them. All the beneficiaries have hired VAGA to act as their licensing agent for clearing rights to AG for commercial uses. Fees we collect for non-commercial uses of AG go to the Figge."

In case you are wondering a “non-commercial” use is think school textbooks as an example. Anyway, as can be seen, the rights to American Gothic are not exactly black and white. As with anything that is born from the mind and reproduced, the monetary rights can be bit fuzzy. And with the passing of years it gets even fuzzier. It is reassuring, however, that proceeds from American Gothic, at least in part, go to a good cause.

In this same vein, Nan Wood Graham has taken numerous publications to task as to their depiction of American Gothic. To read a little about this, visit these links:
People Magazine
Hustler Article

Upcoming events at the American Gothic House Center:

Feb. 9 Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasbord

The Center will be closed Tuesday, Jan 1 for New Year’s Day.

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

Longing for a perfect world

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:36:00 +0000

If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.
- President James A. Garfield
Normally, I prefer to reserve this place for something rather light, nothing serious or contentious as this world is already filled with too much of that. Today, however, the grievous event from last Friday prevents me from doing this. It is impossible to ignore.
In the aftermath of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., the above quote from James Garfield kept popping into my mind. I ran across it some time back and it struck me as words to live by, reminding me that life is good. Regardless what troubling situations come my way, no matter how disconcerting, it should not be allowed to damper the spirit. Although my mind may be troubled, my heart should remain constant and my spirit should remain young and soar on the wings of life. After last Friday, it has been much more difficult to believe this.
In life there are some things that are invariably written on the heart—good things—a kind word or gesture, the love of spouse or companion, or a magnificent sunrise that fills the soul with all the beauty and possibility of a new day. For a parent, the heart is forever stamped when holding a new-born son or daughter, and gazing for the first time into the wonder of life; touching the tiny fingers and toes, telling her for the first time how she is loved—only minutes old—while holding close the sweet pink bundle of life.
As time and years progress the handwriting on the heart continues. An “I love you, Mommy” spoken through tears and a trembling lip after a hug and a bandage following a sidewalk mishap. The pride of writing his name for the first time, of being able to read Green Eggs and Ham and asking you to make to make it for supper. The loss of a tooth and the magical appearance of a quarter beneath the pillow the next morning. “Did the tooth fairy really leave this, Daddy?” Words that long for answers to the wonders of the life that is unfolding before his eyes, every minute of every day. Words that were undoubtedly spoken by the 20 first-graders in Newtown.
Of course the early years can be thought of as the most precious, when life is new and exciting—for everyone—and before the teen years arrive, where life, at times, is trying but not without its moments. Unfortunately, the parents of the 20 first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary will never experience comforting that child as a sobbing teenage daughter suffering her first break-up (“it will be alright, honey”), or putting an arm around the shoulders of the son who just won the 100-meter dash, squeezing hard and saying “Good job, son.” A bullet ended this dream, not an accident, not a random act of nature, but an intentional act of violence that dashed hopes and dreams that will never be realized. An act so heinous, so disturbing, so inconceivable, that it can never be understood or accepted, and for ever—and ever—written on the heart.
As of last Friday, the spirit of parents, and grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and strangers like me grew older. The handwriting on the heart caused by the actions of a lone gunman is too heavy, too burdensome, to carry without affect. It is not the way it should be. In a perfect world a parent should never have to bury a child. But we live far from a perfect world. How unfortunate.

Endowment Fund Raffle
There is one matter of American Gothic House Center business that needs to be addressed today and that is the announcement of the raffle for the American Gothic House Center Endowment Fund.
As many of you know, the Center has been in the process of establishing an endowment fund through the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation in the hopes someday fully funding the center to make it self-sufficient. This, of course, is years down the road, but every journey must start somewhere.
Recently, the endowment fund has been approved and the Center, as an initial act of raising money for the fund, has a print of the American Gothic House framed with original porch boards salvaged from the renovation from last summer. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 with the drawing held on Feb. 9 during the Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasbord at KD Center in Eldon, Iowa. Click here to view the print and to purchase tickets.

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

Hansel and Gretel never had it so good

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Take away the spineless woodcarver, the nasty stepmother and the wicked witch, last Saturday the American Gothic House Center was a place where Hansel and Gretel would have been comfortable—and without the threat of being abandoned and eaten.

Not exactly lost in the woods, children from all over flocked to the Center to build their own Gingerbread House without fear of being shoved into a cage to fatten or thrown into an oven. Arguably the best way to build a gingerbread house.

For the whole of the afternoon children, along with their parents (who showed no signs of leaving them to fend for themselves as the father in the fairy tale did) streamed through the front doors and were met by a line of volunteers ready to dole out the building materials: graham crackers, a plethora of candy including gum drops, mints, life savers, chocolate chips, red hots, M&Ms, pretzels, marshmallows, and, of course, plenty of frosting.

A word needs to be said here about the frosting. Anyone who has had the pleasure of decorating a cake or cookies with small children knows that frosting can be problematic. Instead of being applied to the given confection in a neat and orderly fashion, many times the frosting gets sidetracked to a head of hair, stuck in an ear (especially of there is a brother and sister involved) or fed to the dog. In short, any spot but the intended one. Not so at the Center on Saturday. Instead, each child was issued a plastic bag full of frosting with the corner cut out just enough to lay a thin bead of frosting on the intended target leaving little or no mess. Amazing. Who ever came up with this idea should be nominated for the volunteer of the year, or just really smart person of the year.

Once the supplies were in hand the young builders found a place at one of the many tables scattered throughout the Center and began the task of constructing a unique gingerbread creation.

At times, especially among adults, there is a tendency to lump all children together. After all, they are just kids and there has not been enough years pass for them to develop and hone distinct personalities and skills. When watching these builders, however, nothing could be farther from the truth, as a unique personality and talent could be observed in each young engineer.

Some builders were ever-so-serious and strove for meticulous detail, going for quality over quantity as far as various accoutrements. Others wanted to make sure their house had as much candy stuck to it as possible, while others were more into landscaping, ensuring there was a paved candy sidewalk leading to the house and bushes made of lifesavers and topped with frosting. Could one of these children be the next Frank Lloyd Wright or Frederick Law Olmstead? Perhaps.

As with any activity involving young children, mounds of sticky frosting, dozens of pieces of candy and brittle graham crackers, it can be assured there would be plenty of work for the clean-up crew. Surprisingly—or perhaps not considering the organization of the event—with upwards to 70 children building houses, there was nothing left over except cracker dust and a few drops of errant frosting. As a bonus, nobody threatened to eat the children, as there were no wicked witches among the volunteers.

There is one other parallel to Grimm’s fairy tale. By the looks of the children leaving the Center with their house proudly displayed on the aluminum foil-covered cardboard with parents in tow—they very well could live happily ever after.

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

An artist…and a teacher

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:05:00 +0000

After last week’s blog there was a measure of interest as to Grant Wood’s teaching career. How long did he teach, where at, etc., were some of the questions that I received. Since this blog (who invented this label?) is devoted to all things Grant Wood, I thought a brief outline of Wood’s reaching career would be in order.

After graduating high school in 1910 and following a short stint at the Arts and Craft Guild in Minneapolis, where he studied copper work and making jewelry, Wood returned to Cedar Rapids and obtained a teaching license in 1911 and taught at a country school in Rosedale for the 1911-12 school year. Evidently, he had further ambitions of being a teacher as, at the time, teaching at a country school qualified him to teach at a city school without benefit of a college education. Or maybe he just needed a job, who knows?

After his year at Rosedale there is little evidence Wood taught again until after his discharge from the army, when, in 1919, he applied for an art teacher position in the Cedar Rapids schools. He was selected and his first classroom was at Jackson Junior High School. He was a bit short on money to buy the standard clothes teaches wore, so he taught classes wearing his army uniform. There is no doubt that Wood was a novelty at the school with his OD-green garb, but no doubt the kids got a kick out of it.

Teaching must have been a good fit for him as he was soon moved up to the high school level and taught there until 1927—although there were a couple of breaks. One during the summer of 1920 (not really a break as school wasn’t held in the summer) when he traveled to Europe with Marvin Cone, another when he took a leave of absence from 1923-24 returning to Europe to study in Paris.

After his time at Cedar Rapids schools Wood parked his teaching hat for a time while he pursued being an artist (you may have heard of some of his more noted works such as American Gothic, etc.). He did, however, accept an invitation to teach at the University of Iowa in 1934 where he had a measure of success. According to the archives, Wood began as a temporary hire but soon matriculated into a full-time associate professor. The art department also benefitted, as enrollment increased from 550 to 750 after just one year.

His time at U of I wasn’t without conflict, however. Many of his colleagues, miffed by the fact that Wood did not have an art degree, questioned and criticized his work. And he had a running battle with the department as to how much time should be devoted to teaching art history versus the creative work required to earn a Master of Arts degree (Wood, of course, sided with the creative side). The tug-of-war caused Wood so much grief he threatened to quit, but instead took a leave of absence during the 1940-41 school year.

Wood did return to the university in 1941 with the full support of the administration but it was short lived, as Wood died the next year on Feb. 12, 1942. (Taken from http://www.wapellocounty.org/americangothic/educate/gwlife.htm.)

Stories abound of various artists, regardless of the genre, that become recluses and bury themselves in their profession, their art or literature. Given Wood’s subject matter of his paintings—real life Iowans, the landscapes, the rural way of life—it seems fitting that Wood chose teaching as a parallel career. In order to paint as he did, he would have to stay engaged with life, and what better way to do it than teach?

It is inherent in a teacher to want to connect with students, to explore their thoughts and ideas, engage their minds, and, in turn, this engagement stimulates their own thoughts and forms—over the years—a unique, and singular, worldview. I am sure Wood was no different, and this engagement impacted, in some way, his development into, and legacy as, a world-class artist.

Upcoming events at the Center:

Don’t miss the Gingerbread House Building being held this Saturday, Dec. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. Plenty of volunteers and goodies will be on hand to fashion gingerbread creations for the holiday season.

Also this weekend is “Christmas in Eldon.” From Friday through Sunday, Eldon offers many activities including “Christmas in Wanderland” at the McHaffey Opera House where over 100 Christmas trees are on display. The Rock Island Depot will also be open and decked out for the holidays. Click here for a complete listing of activities in Eldon for the weekend.

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

Change…frustrating yet necessary

noreply@blogger.com (American Gothic House) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Due to a rather nasty fall a couple of weeks ago (primary reason there hasn’t been a post for the past two weeks), I have been in a rather philosophical state of mind. Dwelling on the bigger picture if you will. Perhaps if this fall occurred when I was in my 20s it would not have had quite the effect on me as it does 30 years later, but, as is said, with age comes wisdom—or something like that. Whether this applies to me or not others will have to weigh in, but I do know that as I grow older, mortality looms large and the quest for wisdom more immediate.

I wasn’t going to write about this until I happened across a box titled “Iowa Artists” at the local library. In it were numerous small scrapbooks with four devoted to Grant Wood. The gray pages of these scrapbooks were cracked and the edges were flaking. Glued to these well-worn sheets were yellowed newspaper clippings spanning some 50 years, beginning in the 1930s. All were riveting (I love reading old newspapers) but one in particular caught my eye. It was an interview with Wood published in the Iowa City Press Citizen. The year was 1938.

At the time, Wood was a professor at the University of Iowa and the focus was why, with his fame as an artist firmly established, did he bother teaching. An excerpt of the article is as follows:

“Professor Wood was born in Iowa, and he knows Iowa. For four years he has been a professor at the University if Iowa. He paints Iowa because it is what he knows, and he teaches at the university, ‘for what I can get out of it.’”

“He does not mean the money. He gets something more important than money from teaching.

‘No artist,’ says Professor Wood, ‘can afford to lose contact with life. These students are the changing generation. If great changes are coming, they will live through them.

‘If I can maintain contact with the changing generation, I shall be able to change too. That’s the real reason I like teaching.’”

The article goes on and talks about what Wood was currently doing with his art, his illustrations in Sinclair Lewis’ “Main Street,” and how he got his sister to pose for “American Gothic,” all boilerplate stuff. So I went back to his thoughts about teaching and realized that his words were analogous with life. Words to live by, if you will.

Wood used teaching to stay connected with life. From my current philosophical point of view, even though I am not a teacher, I also should strive to connect with life, to stay in touch with the younger generation, or, as Wood puts it, the “changing generation.” Because if I stay in touch with those who are changing, I too can change. Survival of the fittest might apply here.

This, however, is not easy. We are in the age of instant access to information, the intense interest on sharing life with various Facebook “friends” and Twittering every random thought on any subject, everything I find unnecessary. But this is the face of the future. For many of us of a certain age this is hard to accept—at least it is for me. I really have no desire to post to my “friends” that I just had a Diet Coke, or my current status is “head stills hurts from fall.” But just because I am not going to be an active part of it doesn’t mean I should dismiss it. This is not only the future but the present. It’s baffling at times, but I can remember when my parents thought rock ‘n roll was a passing phase. That didn’t work out for so well for them.

I am going to do my best to adapt Wood’s words to the remainder of my life. Let’s hope I am wise enough to do so.

Upcoming attractions at the American Gothic House Center:

Dec. 1 – 14 Gingerbread House Display. Various Gingerbread Houses built by area residents on exhibit at the Center.

Dec. 8 Gingerbread House decorating from 1 to 4 p.m. An annual tradition where volunteers help children of all ages construct their own Gingerbread House.

Dec. 7 – 9 Christmas in Eldon. Eldon had numerous holiday activities planned for the weekend including the “Christmas in Wanderland” at the McHaffey Opera House where over 100 Christmas trees are on display decorated by area residents. The railroad depot will be holding an open house where the lobby and outside area will be adorned with the holiday spirit. Other activities include a noon lunch and a Boy Scout soup supper. Click here for the schedule of events.

Brian Chambers
Media Coordinator
American Gothic House Center
641.652.3352
641.799.2801

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