Beyond the Gothic - Understanding Grant Wood

We Create Here was an initiative within the Gazette Company to develop evolving narratives and authentic conversations throughout Iowa's Creative Corridor. read more

For as long as I've promoted Cedar Rapids and the surrounding areas, Grant Wood has been one of my go-to talking points. For newcomers to the area, it was always about the surfaced yet impressive facts that sparked admiration for our affiliation. For example, did you know American Gothic is the second most recognizable painting in the U.S.?  Did you realize our hero lived right in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids? For those well aware of his connection to our area, it's amazing how a reminder that despite his global path, his heart never left our state. It can still ignite a sense of pride and boast from even the most critical of community skeptics.

I will admit, for the hundreds of times I've led with lighthearted Grant Wood ice breakers, my understanding of his impact on so many pieces of our community is narrow at best. Where would we be as a region today without his uninhibited talent, or groundbreaking perspective on the qualities of our community so few were able to translate into visual or verbal advocacy?

I'm beyond eager to get these questions and more explored as several Grant Wood connectors plan to gather and discuss the man, the work and the influence of one of our most treasured Iowans. These conversations will not only collect perspectives from those closest to his past and current impact, but encourage a collaborative spirit of cross promoting means in which we share his story and celebrate his life.

What do you believe we can do to enhance Grant Wood's influence in our community? What has potential for us in story or identity as a region that continues to grow and gain global recognition? Look for updates from these questions and more next week.

Explore Grant Wood through one of our Beyond the Gothic partners: The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art  at  www.crma.org.

By Quinn Pettifer

I'm not a native of Eastern Iowa. But for nearly 8 years, it's been my home, and I have no plans to live anywhere else.

Grant Wood was a native of Eastern Iowa. He left, but he came back. Again and again. Eastern Iowa was the core of who he was. It's reflected in his work and his life.

We know about Grant Wood's work. But I've always wondered about his life. I've also always wondered why our community doesn't do more to acknowledge his legacy.

There's more to Grant Wood than his work. I think we should think beyond the “Gothic.”

That's why I approached the We Create Here team. The 125th anniversary of Wood's birth is coming up. So I thought, now is a great time to discuss what we as a community can do to bring the lessons Grant Wood imparted in the 20th century into the 21st.  And it's time to really permanently commemorate him in a more visible way, as well as a more collaborative one.

When someone thinks of a place like Hannibal, Missouri, they think “Mark Twain.” There's more to Hannibal, but the man and the place are forever linked.

In my opinion, that's the same relationship Grant Wood and Eastern Iowa share. He painted Iowa, he taught Iowa, he lived Iowa. It's time for Iowa to pay it forward.

These are just my opinions, of course. I want to hear from the community, see if they share my views.

I want to see what else we can do, and if we even should.

I look forward to hearing more.

By Francie Williamson