Paul L.
Yelp
Arguably, one of the most iconic paintings by an American artist is Grant Wood's 'American Gothic.' That 1930 painting hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The reason to visit the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is because it has the largest collection of Grant Wood works anywhere. What's on view in one gallery provides a bit of insight into the artist.
Unlike the stoic image of 'American Gothic,' we learn here that Wood had a good sense of humor with a mischievous nature.
When a family purchased a mansion with plans to convert it into a funeral home, they hired Wood to redesign the interior. He converted the unused upper floor of a rear carriage house into his studio and residence. On display in the gallery is a door he created from a coffin lid. He painted a clock on the door with a moveable metal arrow that pointed to the time he would return to his studio. The arrow could also point to 'Is Taking A Bath,' 'Is Having A Party,' or 'Out of Town.'
During his last year of teaching at a local high school, Wood made sculpted bouquets called 'Lilies of the Alley.' Basically, these were floral bouquets made of junk that he found in the alley outside his studio. They are whimsical and fun.
What to make of the rest of the museum? Largely, it's meh. The bizarre exterior ornamentation compliments a lackluster 1989 building that was bolted on to the much more beautiful old library. The lobby is strangely overwhelmed with so many plants that it feels like a botanical garden.
Almost every gallery is painted in a bland tan color. The exception is a gallery of quite unremarkable Roman busts and, for some reason, Roman reproductions. With rare exceptions, the whole reproductions thing faded out of museums many decades ago. The walls in this gallery are painted in the garish colors common to that time.
One very interesting work is the series of plaster friezes from about 1924 by Malvina Hoffman. They hang on the walls of the old library. Inspired by Paris' Ballet Russes, an incredibly popular and skilled dance troupe, she was determined to capture movement in this series, titled 'Bacchanale Frieze.' These are not copies. These are the originals bequeathed to the museum from Hoffman's estate and deserve a much more prominent and respectful display.
Malvina Hoffman was a prolific early 20th century sculptor who studied under Rodin. In an age where men dominated sculpture almost exclusively, Hoffman was a rarity of amazing talent. Her ability to capture likeness, form, and movement was a singular achievement.
While stimulating is not the word I'd use to describe a visit here, I can only imagine what a good curator and interior designer could do to unlock the potential of the square footage and the further reaches of the permanent collection.
