Big day in the House of Diesburg. Adam passed his dental boards with flying colors (or with hues as varied as the dental community allows...) and I traveled to Eldon, Iowa, population roughly 950, to visit the American Gothic House. I didn't expect it to be big or thrilling or extraordinary in any way, but I had perhaps the most bizarre day of the entire summer there. The concrete circle set directly in front of the house -- the place where you stand to get your picture taken -- is actually larger than the house itself. The whole town is jumping on the Grant Wood gravy train, with locales such as Julia's American Gothic House Cafe, American Gothic gifts, and American Gothic Grub & coffee. I'm compiling my experiences touring the Grant Wood sites in the state for a cover article for ArtScene Iowa.
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Congratulations, Adam!! Way to go!! That's awesome. I love the photo, Emily. I once went to a seminar with Wanda Corn, one of the leading experts in American regionalist art from the 1930's. She did a lot in the 1970's to bring artists like Grant Wood back into prominence when that style of art was thought childish and unsophisticated. Wanda said that now American Gothic is one of the most recognized works of American art--and one of the most reproduced and parodied works of art as well. She has an enormous collection of American Gothic paraphernalia that you wouldn't believe. Well, perhaps you'd believe it, Emily, since you went there! I can't wait to read the story.
--Sarah K.
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