Grant Wood Windows

Maybe every town in America has something special. LeClaire, Iowa is the birthplace of Buffalo Bill; Dixon, Illinois has the Ronald Reagan Museum; Hamilton, Cawker City, Kansas has the largest ball of twine; Hamilton, Missouri had the first Penney store -- and now, of course, Missouri Star Quilt Company..

New York City has SO MANY WONDERFUL things to be proud of, it would be hard to pick. Chicago, of course, has Wrigley Field.....and you can never go there without visiting the Art Institute. Marion and I went to Chicago the summer of 2010....and of course we went to the Art Institute...

Marion found a Renoir. The artist who I think most depicts her style...

And, of course, I was drawn to Grant Wood's most famous painting -- American Gothic..

But Grant Wood's most magnificent work of art isn't in a famous art museum...It's in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa has many things to be proud of...it's the home of Quaker Oats, for example ...and the birthplace of Ashton Kucher AND Grant Wood..!!

It was Lilly's first 2019 Grandma Camp Daytrip.  Cousin Linda is always game for an "art event"....so we got in the car and drove for 2 hours...

 From the outside -- it doesn't look like much.  Behind us -- Grant Wood's Memorial Window  (check out the website) 

But -- once you get inside -- IT IS SO AWESOME...

The building itself sits in the middle of the river...and in 2008, Cedar Rapids flooded -- and there was extensive damage.  Here's an article from the Davenport newspaper...

The window is valued at $3 million. But, truly -- it is priceless. And the amazing thing is that you can go see it -- at any time...

But you'll have to set up your own folding chairs...

We were sitting about 10 feet away from the window...and the longer you look at it, the more detail you notice...

Our hosts for the day were my young friend Anne, and her daughter Sarah...

We had lunch at a fusion restaurant.  PIZZA MEETS CHINESE food...OMG...genius!!