As an artist in Iowa, you can’t avoid Grant Wood’s legacy and all that carries. I went on my own pilgrimage to find the house seen as a backdrop in American Gothic, rumored to be in Anamosa, Iowa. Apparently, it’s been torn down somewhere over the years, but a false front has been added to a similar house to give it the peaked roof and cathedral window found on the original.
The Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in Washington is holding an exhibition opening March 10th entitledGrant Wood’s Studio: Birthplace of American Gothic. I wish I could see it. From the Smithsonian’s site:
This exhibition will, for the first time, present Grant Wood’s decorative art and design work within the larger context of his paintings, drawings, and prints. The exhibition coincides with the renovation of the artist’s historic studio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, known as 5 Turner Alley, where he lived and worked from 1924 to 1935. Wood converted the loft of this turn-of-the-century carriage house into a showcase for his decorative arts work and a backdrop for some of his most famous paintings.
Sounds really interesting, and from my reading, it sounds like there’s a small sister exhibition in Iowa. You should check it out, and the drive is a beautiful one. Note the false fronted house, and don’t forget to stop at the brewery (update: the brewery is apparently closed).