National Czech and Slovak Museum: Stories of Real People

When visiting someplace I haven’t been before, I often tour a historical museum to learn the history and culture of the area. While the general history of an area is interesting, what I find most intriguing are stories of individuals. Hearing stories of real people, especially everyday people, makes the history of a place come alive for me. I was fascinated by several of those stories when I visited the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Touring Grant Wood Studio: ‘American Gothic’ Artist

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa September 13, 20165 turner alley, artist grant wood, attractions in cedar rapids, cedar rapids attractions, Grant Wood, grant wood art, grant wood home, grant wood studio, wood grant 2 Comments

The tiny hayloft above the carriage house was never meant to be living space, only the artist’s studio. However, for eleven years, from 1924 to 1935, Grant Wood lived there–with his mother and sometimes his sister, too. I visited the Grant Wood Studio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as part of a press tour honoring the 125^th birth year of the American Regionalist artist and saw how Wood transformed the space into both home and studio.