In August of 1930, Grant Wood spotted the now infamous American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, because of an experiment in artistic outreach.
According to American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting (Steven Biel, 2005):
That summer, Edward Rowan, the young director of the Little Gallery in Cedar Rapids, decided to extend his efforts at promoting community fine arts […]. “Mr. Rowan,” reported the Ottumwa Courier, “announces that the extension work is done to show that the small midwestern community, entirely isolated from certain contacts, will yet respond most heartily to them when the opportunity for appreciation of the fine arts is given.”
While much has changed since 1930 and experimentation is no longer necessary, the Grant Wood Art Colony continues the endeavor for artistic outreach. The Grant Wood Fellows visit schools, museums, and other organizations across the state during their fellowships. Situated in the Office of Community Engagement, the Grant Wood Art Colony intends to extend its outreach in the coming years.
The combination of having Careena [Melia] visit the classroom to share details and her enthusiasm for her project and then participating in the first public presentation was an enriching and meaningful experience for our students. These kinds of experiences are the ones they will remember. Careena was an inspiration for the students as an artist driven by her passion and committed to sharing her talents generously. Thank you for helping to connect us.
Susan Wolverton, William R. & Winifred Shuttleworth Professor of Theatre Arts, Chair, Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Art in the community
Upcoming events
Grant Wood Fellows Artist Talks & Panel | 2026
Join the 2025–2026 Grant Wood Fellows artists for an evening of discussion about their work and research. The event will be accompanied by light refreshments.
Panel members:
Ada Friedman (Painting & Drawing)
Elizabeth Claire Rose (Printmaking)
Kyle Marshall (Interdisciplinary Performance—Dance)
The Grant Wood Art Colony seeks to provide a creative home for the next generation of artists and continue Grant Wood’s creative advocacy in the School of Art & Art History and the Division of Performing Arts...
Grant Wood Country Forum: "Grant Wood On the Radar in the ‘60s and 70s"
"Grant Wood On the Radar in the ‘60s and 70s" by Elaine Mattingly
Mattingly will discuss 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.
Elaine Mattingly’s connection to all things Grant Wood goes back six generations in the Anamosa, Stone City, Viola and Cedar Rapids areas of Iowa. She presses into service her experience as a...
Grant Wood Country Forum: "An Artist's Brush with Hollywood: Where Art Meets Celebrity and Fame"
"Grant Wood and Hollywood" by Dorothy Bunting Montgomery and Debbie Beilstein
Learn about a 1940 Hollywood art happening in which nine Associated American Artists created twelve paintings. That Hollywood commission was the largest of Grant Wood’s career and resulted in perhaps his least-known painting, Sentimental Ballad. Plus, hear from a relative of Grant Wood, Debbie Beilstein.
Dorothy Bunting Montgomery is a nonfiction writer, novelist, and a native of Iowa, whose stories capture the rhythms...