Revisit Past Forum Events

The links below provide ways to watch Grant Wood Country Forum and Grant Wood Country Writers Forum sessions dating back to 2020.

Please be patient as more recordings are added.

Previous Forum Sessions

3/10/26 "Grant Wood and the Paradox of 'Art for Everybody'”

Joe Coffey takes a look at Grant Wood not just as a regional painter but as a shrewd player in the systems of reproduction, distribution, and cultural power that turned American Gothic into an American icon. Joe unpacks the paradox of making ‘art for everybody’ and debut a new Bechdel‑style framework for cultural iconicity: a test that separates images that genuinely shape our shared identity from the vast clutter of pictures that are just famous for being famous.

3/3/26 "Where the Artist Stood" & "The Book’s the Thing: Grant Wood’s Book Covers"

Discover places featured in Grant Wood's and other regionalist's painting during Ben Stahle's presentation; followed by Paul C. Juhl's examination of Wood's book covers and his connections to their authors.

2/24/26 "Wild and Tame Flowers: Context, Symbolism and Musings on Possible Meanings in Grant Wood’s Flower Lithographs"

Thomas Havran explore the paired prints, Wild Flowers and Tame Flowers, during this talk and share an original poem inspired by the works.

2/17/26 "Grant Wood: Seriously Silly" and "Midwest Identity: Grant Wood’s 'Main Street'"

Gain insight into the Linn County History Center's newest exhibit that focuses on the humor and satire of Grant Wood's genius with The History Center's Curator and Collection Manager, Tara Templeman.

Then, take a deeper look into the personas represented by Grant Wood's illustrations in "Main Street."

 

2/10/26 "An Artist's Brush with Hollywood: Where Art Meets Celebrity and Fame"

Dorothy Bunting Montgomery and Debbie Beilstein explore Nan Wood Graham's scrapbook and stories of Grant's and her adventures out west.

2/3/26 "Grant Wood On the Radar in the ‘60s and 70s"

Elaine Mattingly discusses her research into Grant Wood's resurgence during the 1960s and '70s, including the first Grant Wood Art Festival and a teaser for Stranded in Stone City, a new musical of which Mattingly is writer/producer/editor.

1/27/26"The Couple with the Pitchfork: The Back Story to A Forthcoming Book"

A discussion between Wand Corn and Joni Kinsey about Corn's upcoming book, "The Couple with the Pitchfork," which focuses on Grant Wood's most famous painting and the greater impact it has had on popular culture.

1/20/26 "Seeing Wood: Cedar Rapids Community School District's Grant Wood Collection"

Steven Zick, Senior Vice President and Director for Christie’s Chicago, provides an update on a "American Gothic" sketch up for auction.

Kristina Dvorak reviews the Grant Wood collection held by the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

2/11/25 "The Joy of Collecting Grant Wood Ephemra"

Joe Coffey describes dives into his collection of Grant Wood ephemra.

2/4/25 An evening with "Stone Fruit" author Dorothy Bunting Montgomery

Iowa native and fiction writer discusses her novel Stone Fruit.

1/21/25 "Beyond the Brush: Unveiling Grant Wood the Writer!"

Collector/writer/producer Joe Coffey's presentation, "Beyond the Brush: Unveiling Grant Wood the Writer!" is a fascinating angle from which to view Grant Wood's life and work.

1/14/25 New Book Presentations by Paul C. Juhl and Barbara Feller
Session includes presentations by the authors of Model Citizens—We Posed for Grant Wood by historian Paul C. Juhl and Grant Wood’s Memorial Masterpiece by historian Barbara Feller.

1/7/25 "Grant Wood: A Multi-Media Artist" and "The Grant Wood Catalogue Raisonné Project"
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art curator Julia Jessen presents "Grant Wood: A Multi-Media Artist" and art history scholar and project director Ranelle Knight-Lueth provides an update on the University of Iowa's Grant Wood Catalogue Raisonné project.

2/27/24 "Where the Artist Stood" and "Grant Wood..Still in the News!"

Joe Coffey provides current news items abotu Grant Wood. Photographer Ben Stahle and author/historian Paul C. Juhl present Grant Wood sites and regionalist places, then and now.

2/20/24 "Grant Wood: Iowan Through and Through" and an update on Cedar Rapids's Shakespeare Garden

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art executive director Sean Ulmer focuses on Wood's early works and Iowa settings. Historian/author Barbara Feller provides and update on one Grant Wood place, Cedar Rapids's Shakespeare Garden.