It’s almost time again for Eldon’s American Gothic Days celebration. The American Gothic House Center will host several events as part of the festivities.
The American Gothic 5K Run/Walk will be held Saturday, June 11 at 7:30 a.m. Registration is $20 and entry forms can be picked up at the American Gothic House Center or downloaded here. Registration includes a t-shirt, map of the route, and awards for winners in different age/gender categories. This event is sponsored by Libertyville Savings Bank and Kremer Funeral Home.
Amateur and professional artists are invited to enter the American Gothic House Art Contest. There will be cash awards for first and second place winners in each division, and registration is free. The works of art will be on display inside the American Gothic House on June 11-12. The contest is sponsored by the Ottumwa Area Arts Council. Entry forms can be picked up at the American Gothic House Center or downloaded here. Entries must be received by June 7.
In addition, the American Gothic House will be open for tours Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, June 12 from 1-4 p.m.
There are numerous other events taking place during American Gothic Days. Please visit http://www.cityofeldon.org/
The Center will also have a special unveiling of a new permanent art piece on Monday, May 2 at 5 p.m. Overalls All Over is a project containing 24 life-sized fiberglass statues depicting the farmer and daughter from American Gothic. Iowa artists created unique designs for each statue. The Center’s piece, Through the Eyes of Grant Wood was designed by Ottumwa artist Chris Abigt and painted by her and Joshua Langgin. The statue highlights pieces from twenty other paintings and lithographs by Grant Wood to intrigue visitors to look deeper into the many accomplished works Grant Wood created during his lifetime.
“The American Scene” features a selection of prints from the 1930s and 1940s depicting a variety of rural and urban scenes from across America. The Great Depression had a significant impact on the American art community. Many artists pushed to develop art with a social context and appeal to a broad demographic. Many highly recognized artists became a part of this movement, including John Steuart Curry, Thomas Hart Benton, Isabel Bishop, and Grant Wood. The pieces featured are on loan from the Indian Hills Community College Fahrney Collection. The exhibit will be open from February 13-April 30.
It always seems as we finish one event it is on to the next! Please join us for a special presentation by “Iowa’s Super Conductor” Rudolph Daniels on Sunday, November 10 at 1:00pm at the Eldon Library Hall. Daniels will describe the past, present and future of the Hawkeye State’s railroads. The program will explore Iowa’s unique position in the construction of the first transcontinental railroad and Iowa’s great contribution to railroad safety. Daniels will highlight the famous steamliners that rode Iowa’s rails..JPG)
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.”
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.
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.
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