Grant Wood Studio

Grant Wood, b 1891- d 1942
810 Second Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 - view on Google Maps
319.366.7503
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Grant Wood lived and worked in here from 1924 to 1935, when he achieved his mature style. Visitors have the opportunity to stand where American Gothic was painted. The building itself was heavily modified by Grant Wood to feature more living space and unexpected but useful design features.

ABOUT

The studio reflects Wood’s interest in architecture and design. Famous for wearing farmer’s bib overalls, Wood created the interior of his studio by combining aspects of a humble Arts and Crafts style bungalow with a simple European peasant’s lodgings – complete with exposed wooden beams, crude wooden floors, roughly textured walls and ceiling, and built-in niches for flowers, art, and artifacts.

In addition to American Gothic, Wood created many of his most famous paintings in this studio, including Woman with Plants (1929), Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1931), Daughters of the Revolution (1932), and Dinner for Threshers (1934). These works made Wood an internationally famous artist and linked him with several other prominent Midwestern painters, notably John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton, who became known as the American Regionalists.

The Grant Wood Studio is owned and operated by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, which has the world’s largest collection of works by Wood. The Museum is located just three blocks from the Grant Wood Studio.

Did you know...?

Visitors to the studio were greeted by sign on the door which had a pointer that Wood could move to indicate his current status: “In,” “Out of Town,” “Taking a Bath,” or “Having a Party.”

WHAT TO DO HERE

  • Guided tours
  • Gift shop
  • Rental space

YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE ART HERE:

  • Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY
  • Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
  • De Young Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA