Grant Wood Studio

810 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Grant Wood painted his most famous work, American Gothic, at his Studio, #5 Turner Alley.

Grant Wood (1891-1942) named his studio and home # 5 Turner Alley (as it did not have an address). In the 1920’s Wood made 4 trips to Europe where he studied impressionist painters. After mediocre reception to his impressionist paintings, Wood realized that to paint what you know can be just as beautiful and awesome as Monet’s Water Lilies. Iowa oak trees became fluffy, almost tropical trees and rows and rows of corn transformed farm fields into rolling hills of beautiful patterns.

Beginning in 1919, through 1926, Wood taught art in Cedar Rapids at Jackson Junior High and Washington and McKinley High Schools. In 1923 he worked for Mr. David Turner who was converting his newly purchased mansion into a mortuary. Built in 1895-1896 for the George B. Douglas family, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and contains design touches by artist Grant Wood, including windows. Wood was responsible for the landscaping and grounds, and decorating and furnishing the interior. Wood in lieu of pay, lived rent free above the carriage house. He spent a year converting the loft above into a livable space for himself and his mother and was still teaching at Cedar Rapids public schools which was a short walk from the studio. This became Wood’s home and studio. In 1927 he gave up his teaching position and began painting full time. Wood and his mother lived there for 11 years, from 1924 to 1935. Wood painted Woman with Plants (1929), American Gothic (1930), The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1931), Daughters of the Revolution (1932) and Dinner for Threshers (1934) at the studio.

Below the studio, the main level of the carriage house is the information desk, gift shop space and restrooms. The space has seating for the 23 minute movie on the life of Grant Wood. Knowledgable docents start with the history of the carriage house/funeral home garage main level. The carriage house had a large barn door opening in the hay loft. Grant used the hole in the floor to put a bathtub in that above would be level with the floor and stick out below the floor underneath. Wood was clever and made careful and excellent use of the space. The stairs to the upstairs studio are on the outside of the building. Past the door inside is a narrow steep set of stairs up to the studio. Wood fashioned his front door from an old coffin lid. He painted on it different sayings to indicate the state of the studio, such as out of town and taking a bath. The door is a replica, the original door is in the Cedar Rapids art museum.

Up stairs in the studio/living space you can see Mrs. Wood’s small bedroom, the bathroom, kitchen, seating area, studio space, the painting storage cabinets, and the telephone nook and large window seat where Mrs. Wood would spend time relaxing and talking on the phone.

You can stand in the same place Wood stood and painted one of the most famous works of art and most parodied painting, American Gothic.

The apartment/studio was rented after Wood moved in 1935 and few modifications were made. The last tenant moved out in 2000 and in 2002 the Grant Wood Studio building and related property are donated to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The wood floor had been replaced, the kitchen updated, and the seating area and table was slightly changed. The studio is so authentic and left mostly intact, it is as if Wood just closed the door and left a few minutes ago.

The Cedar Rapids Art Museum is just 3 blocks away and contains the largest Grant Wood collection.

All photos by abandonedexplorers.com ©

Source material: Save CR Heritage

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