The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art hopes to renovate a studio used by Iowa artist Grant Wood and open it as a showcase of his work. The museum was given a five million-dollar donation from boardmember William Quarton to help create the Grant Wood studio. But, the museum must raise five million in matching funds to get the donation. Museum Director Terry Pitts says the studio is in the upper level of a carriage house behind the Douglas mansion in Cedar Rapids.He says Wood lived in the studio from 1924 to 1934 and painted many of his famous paintings there, including American Gothic. Pitts says opening the studio has been a goal of the museum.Pitts says they’ll have to be very careful in restoring the studio to meet the standards that make sure the repairs and updgrades the standards of the building. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.Pitts says it will take a couple of years of work to get the studio ready to open to the public.
