Introducing our new Media Coordinator!

As announced a few weeks ago in the newsletter, Wapello County received an Iowa Community Cultural Grant to hire a part-time media coordinator.  I’m happy to report that we have now hired someone for the position!  Brian Chambers of Eddyville will start tomorrow as media coordinator for Wapello County.  Brian will be bringing a wealth of experience with him and I’m happy to have him on board. 

Brian will work 28 hours per week, half of those working directly with projects at the American Gothic House Center.  At the Center he will assist with the promotion of tours, educational programs, and assist with social media and photography of our events.  He might even write a newsletter or two along the way! 

In addition to his work here, Brian will promote the numerous other cultural and tourism attractions and events in Wapello County. Examples of these include the Airpower Museum, Ottumwa Community Players, Wapello County Historical Society, Naval Air Station project, and Wapello County Conservation Board.  The ultimate goal is for the American Gothic House Center and these additional entities attain more participation, merchandise sales, and fundraising.

Brian’s first day will tomorrow, July 27, so expect to hear more in the coming week and months!

Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center


641-652-3352
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Restoration work taking place at the American Gothic House

The American Gothic House is getting some necessary TLC!  Work will begin on Monday, July 9 to do restoration on the porch, banisters, siding, and wood features of the house.  The work (dependent on weather of course!) is predicted to last through August. 

Though this work will inevitably affect some visitor’s photo opportunities, this work is very important to maintain the historic integrity of the house.  Myself, the contractor, and carpenter, Jason Snyder, (who will be performing the work) have discussed a plan to have the restoration work occur in stages and during our off-peak hours to accommodate visitors as much as possible…but if you’ve been here you know people come at all times, all days, and all seasons!  

I hope visitors will understand the need for this work to occur.  I will keep our website, newsletter, and Facebook updated on the restoration progress to help interested parties plan their visits.  If you have questions or concerns about the restoration work, please feel free to call or e-mail me at the information below.   

Holly Berg

Administrator

American Gothic House Center

641-652-3352

TheAmericanGothicHouse@gmail.com

Iowa Community Cultural Grant provides support for American Gothic House Center

Late Friday afternoon I received wonderful news!  The Iowa Community Cultural Grant (ICCG) program announced it will fund a project to help promote cultural events and attractions throughout Wapello County for the next year.  The grant awards $8,000 to Wapello County to hire a part-time Media/Publicity Coordinator.  The coordinator will market events here at the American Gothic House Center in addition to other organizations in the County such as the Airpower Museum, Wapello County Historical Museum, Ottumwa Community Players and other cultural groups.

The coordinator will also help to aid collaboration between these organizations to determine how the American Gothic House Center and other organizations can cooperate and pool resources so these organizations can attain more admissions, merchandise sales and/or fundraising so they can continue to contribute to the county’s quality of life.

The overall project is titled the “Wapello County Cultural Media Campaign” and is the result of the collaboration of the Wapello County Board of Supervisors, American Gothic House Center, and Ottumwa Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).  The ICCG is a program of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs that provides cash support for the employment of Iowans who through those jobs spur the development and appreciation of arts, cultural, ethnic, historical and tourism activities.

The coordinator will be hired to work 22 hours per week, half of those hours at the American Gothic House Center and the other half at the CVB office.  I am thrilled for this wonderful opportunity!  It will be of great value to have support from a second staff person to promote the American Gothic House Center and the great things we have to offer!

More information about the position can be found at our website www.AmericanGothicHouse.net.  Any questions regarding the position can be directed to Mark Eckman of the Ottumwa Area CVB at 641.684.4303 or Holly Berg of the American Gothic House Center at 641.652.3352.

Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

Summer has arrived at AGHC

Whew!  We’ve made it through another fun-filled American Gothic Days weekend!  We had a wonderful turnout for all three of our events:  American Gothic Art Contest, 5K Run/Walk, and Bike Ride. 
You can see pictures from our events on our Facebook page by clicking here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Gothic-House/80025816448
After you go to our page simply click on photos and you will see albums for each event.


Yesterday marked the beginning of summer, but it feels like summer has been here for a couple of months already!  The poor wildflowers have been very confused by the early spring and summer.  If you stop by you’ll see many of our late summer and fall flowers are already blooming!  Our balloon flowers (my personal favorite) began to bloom this week, a month or so ahead of schedule!  The picture on the left shows one of our balloon flowers.  I love how they look just like a hot air balloon right before they bloom!






If you are planning on visiting this weekend, please note the Pitchfork Pie Stand will be closed this weekend, June 23/24, as Beth will be at the American Library Association conference in California. But she will be open every weekend after that until Labor Day. Check her web page for updates:  www.theworldneedsmorepie.com

Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

American Gothic House Center Turns Five!

This weekend marks the 42nd year of American Gothic Days…AND the American Gothic House Center’s 5th anniversary!  It is wonderful to look back and see all that has been accomplished over the last five years. 


Since opening, the Center has hosted over 52,000 visitors from all 50 states and 52 countries.  Over 4,000 students and other groups have toured the Center and Center staff and volunteers have given over 75 programs both at the Center and at other schools and institutions.  Also important to note—volunteers have donated more than 6,000 hours of their time since opening--which doesn’t include the countless hours given to make their dream a reality!


Thank you to everyone who has helped the Center to become a success over the last five years and we hope for many more years to come!


And while celebrating our milestone we will also be celebrating Iowa Museum Week!  Governor Terry Branstad has proclaimed June 11-17, 2012 as Iowa Museum Week.  


Nationally:
--Museums rank among the top three family vacation destinations
--Visitors to historic sites & cultural attractions stay 53% longer and spend 36% more money than other kinds of tourists.
--Cultural & heritage activities account for more than 23% of all domestic trips recorded by the tour & travel industry
--When making a decision to relocate, businesses factor in access to cultural resources that includes a dynamic museum community according to research by the National Governors Association.


For more information detailing the importance of Iowa Museums see this flier put out by the Iowa Museum Association http://www.iowamuseums.org/UserDocs/Pages/Iowa_Museum_Week_Flier_2012.pdf

Upcoming events:
June 8-10:  American Gothic Days
Art Contest
5K Run/Walk
Bike Ride


Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

John Duggleby gets “up close” to Grant Wood

Saturday we were fortunate to host John Duggleby, author of children’s book “Artist in Overalls:  The Life of Grant Wood”.  I found out last fall that John was going to be in the neighborhood giving presentations in Burlington and Mount Pleasant, so I was able to book him to give his program “American Gothic in Your Face:  Grant Wood Up Close”.
We set up in front of the American Gothic House and hoped for a clear day.  John said giving his program in front of THE house was on his bucket list, so I was thrilled the weather cooperated to make his dream a reality!

Duggleby came sauntering out of the American Gothic House and was dressed the part—in overalls and jacket carrying a pitchfork.  John focused a lot of Grant Wood’s childhood and his love of art from an early age.  He spoke about how Wood struggled to find his place in the art world as an adult and his struggle to make art his profession.

John showed a lot of Wood’s paintings during his presentation with assistance from our young volunteer Katelyn.  It was her first day on the job as a volunteer at the Center.  I think the bar was set pretty high for her first volunteer experience.  She asked her mom when they could come back to volunteer next.  I better find something at least half as fun to do next time she’s here!







At the end John demonstrated an easy way to draw a chicken (as Grant Wood enjoyed to do as a child) and everyone in the audience had a chance to follow along.  Here is my finished chicken (and if you knew my usual art skill you would be impressed)!

To see more pictures from Saturday check out our Facebook page.
Thank you to the Ottumwa Area Arts Council for sponsoring this program!


Now that one event is finished its time to prepare for the next!  Please join us Friday, May 18 at 6:00pm for the unveiling of our new outdoor exhibit area.  As many of you know, visitors come to see the house at all hours—and unfortunately we can’t be open 24 hours a day!  This new exhibit will allow us to reach and educate more visitors!  The exhibit will feature a fun new way to interact with visitors.  Each exhibit panel will feature Quick-Response (Q-R) Codes that allows visitors with smart phones to quickly access information on our website as well as go directly to our Facebook page to post pictures from their visit!  We will demonstrate how this new technology works at the exhibit opening.  This exhibit is made possible by grants from Humanities Iowa and Central Iowa Tourism Region.

Upcoming events:
May 18:  New exhibit opening, 6:00-7:00pm
June 8-10:  American Gothic Days
Art Contest
5K Run/Walk
Bike Ride


Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Geocachers Go Gothic

Last Thursday I had every intention of writing the newsletter. I had sat down to my computer at lunchtime (when it is usually fairly quiet this time of the year) to begin writing when one car, then another, then another, then ANOTHER pulled up outside. This continued until the parking lot was full and I was leaping to the phone to call some volunteers for backup! I quickly found out where they all came from—or rather where they were going. The carloads of visitors were on their way to Moravia, Iowa to attend MOGA (Midwest Open Geocaching Adventure). For those that don’t know, geocaching is a game where people hunt for “treasures” using GPS devices. One visitor said that about 1500 geocachers were set to attend the event in Moravia over the weekend!

So how does the house fit into this? The American Gothic House happens to be a “virtual cache” that has been here for around 10 years. Geocachers must take a picture of themselves holding their GPS in front of the house to log that they found the cache. The gentleman who placed the cache even stopped by on Friday and took this picture (or rather two pictures he combined). 

He placed the cache before the Center was open, and said he had realized something had been built since he last visited as many people donned costumes in their photos and talked about the visitor center, so he had to come see for himself!

I looked on the geocache site to see pictures visitors have logged at the house. You can see all of them (255 geocachers have logged their visit!) here: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=cfc4142c-9bf9-4af5-a58f-eedc92331b03

All of the geocachers who stopped by were great to meet and visit with…and definitely kept us busy through the weekend! On Monday some of the final visitors with MOGA stopped by and showed me their event logo, which featured their mascot in front of the American Gothic House! So thanks to all of the MOGA attendees for stopping by! 







Upcoming events:
May 5: "American Gothic in Your Face: Grant Wood Up Close"--Presentation by John Duggleby at 2:00pm May 18: New exhibit opening, 6:00-7:00pm
June 8-10: American Gothic Days-Art Contest, 5K Run/Walk, Bike Ride

Grant Wood Symposium Recap

Grant Wood Symposium Recap

My head is still reeling with all of the new Grant Wood information I learned Saturday at the Grant Wood Symposium! Several scholars gave presentations Saturday morning on an array of Grant Wood-themed subjects. I could go on and on for pages about all of the presentations, but I’ll try to keep it down to just the highlights!

Shirley Reece-Hughes of the Amon Carter Museum (who owns Parson Weem’s Fable, one of my favorite Grant Wood works), gave a wonderful presentation on Grant Wood’s relationship to the theater. Wood became drawn to the theater at an early age after his first trip to the Anamosa Opera House where he saw a performance of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Growing up (and through his adult life) he often assisted in the designing and painting of backdrops for plays. One of his backdrops is still in existence in McKinley Middle School in Cedar Rapids! I found a picture of the backdrop here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clpeterson68/4735587126/. Wood and his friend and colleague Marvin Cone also wrote a play while they were in high school titled “Strings”.

Erika Doss from the University of Notre Dame highlighted how Hollywood was influenced by Grant Wood in the 1930s and 40s. Several famous people were buying works by Wood during this time—actress Katharine Hepburn (Near Sundown), songwriter Cole Porter (Death on Ridge Road), and actor Edward G. Robinson purchased Daughters of Revolution. Wood later gave Robinson a print of Shriner’s Quartet after they became pen pals of sorts. Filmmaker King Vidor also collected several of his works and Doss showed the relationship between Wood’s works and scenes in Vidor’s films.

For those that were not able to go on this year’s bus trip I believe video from the Symposium will be made available on the University of Iowa’s Art and Art History Department’s website. Until then, you can watch video from the 2010 Symposium here: http://www.art.uiowa.edu/gw_symp_2010.html


Upcoming events:

April 28: Spring Cleaning Day/New Volunteer Introduction, 8:00am-12:00pm

May 5: "American Gothic in Your Face: Grant Wood Up Close"--Presentation by John Duggleby at 2:00pm

May 18: New exhibit opening, 6:00-7:00pm

June 8-10: American Gothic Days




Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Baseball During the Grant Wood Era

In my mind Grant Wood and baseball go together like peas and carrots…and I’m not just saying that because I’m distracted by the fact that today is Opening Day for my beloved Chicago Cubs. Because Opening Day is my favorite day of the year I hope you don’t mind my tangent in today’s post!

Many of Grant Wood’s works invoke memories of simpler times gone by. Wood used to say that he drew ideas for his paintings reminiscing from his time living on the family farm when he was a child. When visitors stop by they often tell me stories from their childhoods while pointing out an element from one of Wood’s prints hanging on the wall. Some of the gentlemen even inspect the pitchforks we use as props to see if they have the appropriate credentials (initials scraped into the wood near the top of the handle).

Baseball has the same effect on many people. Each year Opening Day causes people to recollect on days gone by—your first time at a major league game, that great hit that won you the ballgame…maybe even the time you caught a foul ball in the stands (something that I STILL haven’t accomplished).

And I can say after working here for a year now, that in the minds of tourists, nothing says “Iowa” more than Grant Wood and baseball. All summer long families and retirees travelling the countryside have these two things on their mind—the American Gothic House and the Field of Dreams. Countless visitors make these two stops of part of their Iowa “bucket list”.

Perhaps baseball wasn’t really Grant Wood’s idea of a good time, but by the time Grant Wood was an up-and-coming artist baseball was Iowa’s (and America’s) pastime. “The WPA Guide to 1930s Iowa” discusses the popularity of baseball at the time, noting its rise in popularity and the change from being an “informal Sunday afternoon game in the back pasture” to a “highly commercialized sport”. Shops in towns across Iowa would even close during home games so everyone could go down to the ball diamond.

And now, for anyone who is interested, a few fun baseball facts during the Grant Wood era:

When Grant Wood was a child growing up in Cedar Rapids, so was Earl Whitehill. A native of Cedar Rapids (though just a couple of years younger than Wood), he went on to play 17 seasons of Major League Baseball—first for the Detroit Tigers in 1923, then the Indians, and then the Senators, and ended in 1940 with one season as a Chicago Cub.

In the same year as Grant Wood painted “American Gothic” Iowa made baseball history with the first ever professionally played night game. On May 2, 1930, a crowd of almost 12,000 watched the Des Moines Demons took on the Wichita Aviators (and won) at this historic event.

Also, a fun item to note is that from 1904-1932 the Cedar Rapids minor league team was called the Cedar Rapids Bunnies. They then had the more fierce sounding Cedar Rapids Raiders from 1934-1942. Maybe as a child Grant Wood even saw a Bunnies game or two!

And for anyone who is a fan of history and/or baseball, I stumbled across some footage of the University of Iowa baseball team from around the time that Grant Wood began teaching there!
http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ictcs&CISOPTR=7022




Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Grant Wood Bus Trip!
Upcoming events:

April 14: Grant Wood Bus Trip

April 28: Spring Cleaning Day/New Volunteer Introduction

June 8-10: American Gothic Days

Art Contest

5K Run/Walk

Bike Ride



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Baseball During the Grant Wood Era

In my mind Grant Wood and baseball go together like peas and carrots…and I’m not just saying that because I’m distracted by the fact that today is Opening Day for my beloved Chicago Cubs. Because Opening Day is my favorite day of the year I hope you don’t mind my tangent in today’s post!

Many of Grant Wood’s works invoke memories of simpler times gone by. Wood used to say that he drew ideas for his paintings reminiscing from his time living on the family farm when he was a child. When visitors stop by they often tell me stories from their childhoods while pointing out an element from one of Wood’s prints hanging on the wall. Some of the gentlemen even inspect the pitchforks we use as props to see if they have the appropriate credentials (initials scraped into the wood near the top of the handle).

Baseball has the same effect on many people. Each year Opening Day causes people to recollect on days gone by—your first time at a major league game, that great hit that won you the ballgame…maybe even the time you caught a foul ball in the stands (something that I STILL haven’t accomplished).

And I can say after working here for a year now, that in the minds of tourists, nothing says “Iowa” more than Grant Wood and baseball. All summer long families and retirees travelling the countryside have these two things on their mind—the American Gothic House and the Field of Dreams. Countless visitors make these two stops of part of their Iowa “bucket list”.

Perhaps baseball wasn’t really Grant Wood’s idea of a good time, but by the time Grant Wood was an up-and-coming artist baseball was Iowa’s (and America’s) pastime. “The WPA Guide to 1930s Iowa” discusses the popularity of baseball at the time, noting its rise in popularity and the change from being an “informal Sunday afternoon game in the back pasture” to a “highly commercialized sport”. Shops in towns across Iowa would even close during home games so everyone could go down to the ball diamond.

And now, for anyone who is interested, a few fun baseball facts during the Grant Wood era:

When Grant Wood was a child growing up in Cedar Rapids, so was Earl Whitehill. A native of Cedar Rapids (though just a couple of years younger than Wood), he went on to play 17 seasons of Major League Baseball—first for the Detroit Tigers in 1923, then the Indians, and then the Senators, and ended in 1940 with one season as a Chicago Cub.
In the same year as Grant Wood painted “American Gothic” Iowa made baseball history with the first ever professionally played night game. On May 2, 1930, a crowd of almost 12,000 watched the Des Moines Demons took on the Wichita Aviators (and won) at this historic event.
Also, a fun item to note is that from 1904-1932 the Cedar Rapids minor league team was called the Cedar Rapids Bunnies. They then had the more fierce sounding Cedar Rapids Raiders from 1934-1942. Maybe as a child Grant Wood even saw a Bunnies game or two!
And for anyone who is a fan of history and/or baseball, I stumbled across some footage of the University of Iowa baseball team from around the time that Grant Wood began teaching there!
http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ictcs&CISOPTR=7022




Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Grant Wood Bus Trip!
Upcoming events:

April 14: Grant Wood Bus Trip

April 28: Spring Cleaning Day/New Volunteer Introduction

June 8-10: American Gothic Days

Art Contest

5K Run/Walk

Bike Ride



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

AGHC on the Road!

The Center has had quite a few program and speaking requests lately! I've been giving presentations to community clubs and organizations, as well as in-classroom programs in different school districts. It is definitely fun to go out and speak to these groups and share the history of the painting and the house, as well as tell them about all of the great things we do here at the Center!

Tonight I'm travelling to Iowa City to give a presentation at the Old Capitol Museum at the University of Iowa. The talk is titled: "Going 'Gothic' Again and Again: Grant Wood's repeated references to the American Gothic House and other elements through his work" and will take place at 6:30pm. If you are in the area please feel free to come!

If you are in the Ottumwa area I will also be speaking to the Reminisce Society at the Ottumwa Public Library on Tuesday, April 24 at 10:00am.

And don't forget the "Making Piece" book launch party this Saturday from 2:00-3:00pm at the American Gothic House Center!


Upcoming events:

March 31, 2pm-3pm: “Making Piece” Book Launch Party

April 14: Grant Wood Bus Trip

April 28: Spring Cleaning Day/New Volunteer Introduction

June 8-10: American Gothic Days

Art Contest

5K Run/Walk

Bike Ride



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Spring is in the air!

Spring has definitely arrived at the American Gothic House. The day lilies are already up a few inches, and I even ran into quite a few bees yesterday when I was working in the gardens!

With the mild winter we stayed busier than usual over the last few months, and with the warm, sunny days this week it is feeling like the summer rush is just around the corner!

To prepare for the busy season, we are having our annual Spring Cleaning Sale this Saturday from 1-4pm. Stop by and save 10% on non-consignment items and save up to 50% on selected items! This is a great time to pick up something you’ve had your eye on for awhile!

Also, sticking with our “spring cleaning” theme, we will be having a Spring Cleaning Day on Saturday, April 28. Current and new volunteers are welcome to help out between 8am-noon as we spruce up the Center to prepare for the busy season ahead! I’ll even make lunch for everyone who participates! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer this would be a great time to get involved and learn what volunteers do when they help out. If you plan on attending please call me at 641.652.3352 so I can plan for lunch.

Don’t forget to sign up for the American Gothic House Center’s annual Grant Wood Bus Trip! You can view a detailed itinerary of the trip on our website. The itinerary has links to all the collections we’ll be visiting. Call me at 641.652.3352, or respond to this email to reserve your seat!



Upcoming events:

March 17, 1pm-4pm: Spring Cleaning Sale

10% off all non-consignment items and 50% off select items!

March 31, 2pm-3pm: “Making Piece” Book Launch Party

April 14: Grant Wood Bus Trip

June 8-10: American Gothic Days

Art Contest

5K Run/Walk

Bike Ride



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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 “new” work by Grant Wood?

An interesting article came to my attention this week by art historian Henry Adams, where he makes the case for a “new” work by Grant Wood. The controversy lies in a piece titled “Landscape with a River and Hills”. Though not previously included in Wood’s repertoire, this work is thought by several art historians to indeed be by Grant Wood… perhaps an unfinished piece of his. Though the piece includes many elements that are often utilized in other works by Wood, the work is rougher than his other, more detailed pieces (which is why it is thought to be unfinished).

You can see the work and read the case for the painting by Henry Adams and come to your own conclusion! http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/art/2012/03/the-case-for-a-new-grant-wood-painting/

Also, make sure to add the “Making Piece” Book Launch Party to your calendars!

Join author Beth Howard on Saturday, March 31 from 2:00-3:00pm for the launch of her new book "Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie". When journalist Beth Howard’s young husband dies suddenly, she packs up the RV he left behind and hits the American highways. At every stop along the way—be it shooting a pie documentary or handing out free slices on the streets of Los Angeles, Beth uses pie as a way to reach out and find purpose. Ultimately, Howard returns to her Iowa roots and creates the perfect synergy between two of America’s biggest icons—pie and the American Gothic House, the little white farmhouse immortalized in Grant Wood’s famous painting, where she now lives.

Come by to meet with Beth and have a slice of pie and coffee. Books will be available for purchase and Beth will be available for signing.

Upcoming events:

March 17, 1pm-4pm: Spring Cleaning Sale

10% off all non-consignment items and 50% off select items!

March 31, 2pm-3pm: “Making Piece” Book Launch Party

April 14: Grant Wood Bus Trip

June 8-10: American Gothic Days

Art Contest

5K Run/Walk

Bike Ride



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Announcing this year’s Grant Wood Bus Trip!

It’s almost that time again for our annual Grant Wood Bus Trip! This year’s trip will definitely be something special.



We will be heading to Iowa City on Saturday, April 14 to attend the Grant Wood Symposium, which is being held at the University of Iowa. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see world-renowned art history experts talk about Grant Wood and his work. Some of the speakers will include Shirley Reece-Hughes of the Amon Carter Museum, Travis Nygard of Ripon College, Erika Doss of Notre Dame University, and Luciano Cheles from the University of Paris. The event sponsors will even be saving a section of seats just for our group!

We’ll have lunch at the newly opened Peking Buffet in Coralville and then head to the University of Iowa Old Capitol Museum for their new exhibit “ART|IOWA: INSPIRED BY LANDSCAPE”. This special exhibit explores a wide variety of artworks to provoke questions such as: How has the Iowa landscape, its people and sense of place influenced artists who create art in Iowa? and What is Iowa’s current art culture?. The exhibit displays works of art from the Meskwaki people of Iowa; works by Grant Wood, the iconic regionalist painter of American Gothic; as well as works from contemporary Iowa artists featured on the University of Iowa’s Daily Palette. Most importantly Fertility, one of Wood’s works on display, features an adaption of the American Gothic House!

The trip fee will be $39.50, which includes transportation, lunch, and admission. Transportation will be provided by Jaybird Bus, LLC.

Registrations will be taken on a first come, first served basis so register early! I think this will be a great adventure and a great way to learn about Grant Wood! And because Fertility also includes our own American Gothic House, I have been asked to give a gallery talk about the work a few weeks before our visit. I’ll be able to learn all about the exhibit before our trip!



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

Warm up this Saturday with Soup!

The time has come again for our annual Grant Wood’s Birthday Soup Smorgasbord! The celebration will take place this Saturday, February 11 from 11:00am-1:00pm at the KD Center in Eldon. You can enjoy an amazing array of soups, homemade bread, and some birthday desserts! Free will donations from the event will support exhibits and educational activities at the American Gothic House Center. Come celebrate what would be Grant Wood’s 121st birthday, have a wonderful meal, and support a worthwhile cause at the same time!



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

A second “Mona Lisa”? and Iowa Legislators get into “American Gothic”

This morning, I gave a group of visitors my “introductory speech”, where I often mention how “American Gothic” is only behind da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” as the most parodied painting. A visitor asked if I had heard the news report today about a second “Mona Lisa” being discovered. I was very intrigued, and had to look into it!

The Prado museum in Madrid has possessed what they thought to be a copy of the “Mona Lisa” in their collection since at least 1666. It was thought to have been painted from the original after da Vinci’s death. The painting contained a darkly painted background, different from da Vinci’s version. The Prado museum decided to perform restoration work to the piece to prepare for it to be put on display at the Louvre. In preparation for the restoration work, the museum studied X-rays and infrared scans of the piece, and found that behind the dark paint was a landscape similar to that seen in the “Mona Lisa” Curators have since restored the painting to near its original condition, and believe that the work was created alongside da Vinci by one of his students.

Click on this link to read more about this interesting discovery!



On Tuesday, January 31st, travel organizations from across the state hosted legislators at the 23rd Iowa Tourism Showcase to make their case as to the value of tourism in economic development. More than seventy exhibitors represented the array of attractions, hoteliers, and destinations located in Iowa. The exhibitors asked legislators to support policies and additional funding that would increase the economic return Iowans realize from the travel industry. The event theme asked participants to demonstrate how “Tourism Works” and to put a face on tourism employees. The American Gothic House Center shared a booth with the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and promoted the many great things the area has to offer visitors. As we worked to put a “face on tourism employees” we were able to have many of our Iowa Legislators put their face in “American Gothic”! It was great to meet with so many of Iowa’s Legislators and show them the successes we have had in tourism.







Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

American Gothic House a Top 10 Place to Travel

This week I found out the American Gothic House is featured in Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel 2012” book! After learning of this, I quickly obtained an iBook copy as I was too impatient to wait for the bookstore to open the next day. I found that we had made the list of “Top 10 Places to Put Yourself in the Picture”. The section reads. “Are they really pretty as a picture? Walk into the world’s most famous works of art”. Top destinations were in Denmark, France, Spain, French Polyneisa…and Iowa! I was ecstatic to say the least!

Looking for an easy and FREE way to support the American Gothic House Center? The American Gothic House Center is now a member of www.ShopForMuseums.com. This is a free program where you can make purchases at hundreds of online stores and a percentage of the proceeds (which varies depending on the company) go to the American Gothic House Center. No need to register, (but you can if you would like to track your donation) just simply click on American Gothic House Center under the list of organizations, and then find the store you would like to shop. You are not charged any more for your purchase by going through this site, but it generates a donation for the Center! As always, we appreciate your support!



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

Winter finally arrives at the American Gothic House

Yesterday I found myself outside working in the gardens…in January! Winter took a long time to come to Eldon this year, much so that I and the gardening volunteers were beginning to fret about the flowers popping up early. How it has changed in less than a day! I went from a t-shirt and sunglasses to a sweater, boots, heavy coat, and a hat in record time. With the blowing snow I’m lucky I can still see the American Gothic House from the Center’s window!

Looking outside makes me want to warm up with a nice hot bowl of soup. So what better time to make plans for Grant Wood’s Birthday Soup Smorgasbord! This year will mark the 121st anniversary of Grant Wood’s birth and we will celebrate on Saturday, February 11th (February 13th is his actual birthday) with our annual Soup Smorgasbord. Escape the winter blues and join us at the Eldon KD Center from 11:00am-1:00pm where you can find an array of soups, breads, and friendly company to warm your tummy and your heart. Free will donations for the Soup Smorgasbord will support exhibits and educational activities at the American Gothic House Center. Be sure to mark your calendars now!



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

Holiday hours and American Gothic House on NPR

Happy holidays to all of our followers!

The Center will be closed Friday, December 23-Sunday, December 25. The Center will reopen on Monday, December 26. Our Monday hours are 1-4pm.

Last week, Beth Howard, Pie Lady and current tenant of the American Gothic House, was featured on “The Story”, a National Public Radio broadcast. You can here her interview at this link: http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_121511_full_show.mp3/view

Oh, and for those in the Ottumwa area, be sure to check out the Holiday Nights ‘n Lights display! I was excited to see they had American Gothic created from lights! I tried to take a picture to add to the newsletter, but unfortunately it did not turn out, so you can check it out by going through the Holiday Nights ‘n Lights! http://holidaynightsandlights.com/



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@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!

"Woolly Thoughts" of American Gothic

A new cold front moving in to the area has turned the American Gothic House Center frigid after hitting over 60 degrees yesterday. I popped out once from the Center today to take a picture for some visitors in front of the house, and now I’m feeling chilled to the bone!

I felt a bit warmer after receiving an email from a company called Woolly Thoughts that has created a very interesting knitted version of American Gothic. The technique is called “illusion knit” where you don’t see the image from the front, but only from the sides of the piece.



You can also see a video of the work at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Df3R8g8nc

You can check out Woolly Thoughts at their website to learn more about this technique http://www.illusionknitting.woollythoughts.com They even have patterns for purchase to make your own American Gothic illusion knit. I think I might have to get some for our gift shop!



Holly Berg

Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com