The Largest Grant Wood Murals
701 Morrill Rd, Ames, IA 50011
Grant Wood: Iowa’s most famous artist
Tucked away inside Iowa State University’s Parks Library is an absolute gem, Wood’s largest murals.
Grant Wood’s largest murals are located in the old section of Iowa State’s Parks Library. The paintings were commissioned by the University in the mid-1930s. The murals in the foyer are, Breaking the Prairie Sod and When Tillage Begins. The murals in the staircase of the upper lobby are the agricultural panel, home economics panel and the engineering panel. They depict scenes including chemical, mechanical, aeronautical and civil engineering, animal husbandry, farm crops, home economics, veterinary science, and ceramics.
Grant Wood was an Iowa Regionalist Artist (1892-1942). He and John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton, formed an important art movement known as regionalism. The theory was, paint what you know, don’t rely on European influences.
These Wood paintings are particularly wonderful because they are so large and you can view them as up close as you want. Not too many famous artists works are this accessible to the general public. You could go right up to them and touch them, but don’t do that of course. They are priceless.
Parking can be difficult since the library is in the middle of campus. The Union, located on Lincoln Way, has a parking ramp and the library is just a short walk.
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