Cedar Rapids Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1905 |
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| Location | 410 Third Avenue SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Type | Art museum |
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is a cool place in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It's a special museum that shows off amazing art. It started way back in 1905. The museum moved into an old library building in 1985. A new part, designed by architect Charles Moore, was added in 1989. The museum's main goal is to get people excited about art. They want to teach everyone about art through their collections and special shows.
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Discovering Art: The Museum's Amazing Collections
Iowa Artists: A Special Focus
The museum has a huge collection of art. It's about 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) big! You can see temporary exhibits of new art. But what makes it super special is its collection of art by famous Iowa artists. It has the world's largest collections of works by Grant Wood, Marvin Cone, and Bertha Jaques. You can also see art by Mauricio Lasansky. There's even an ancient Roman portrait bust collection!
Grant Wood: American Gothic and More
The Grant Wood collection is a highlight. It includes his paintings like Woman with Plants and Young Corn. In 2002, the museum received the building where Grant Wood had his original studio. This studio is just three blocks from the museum. It's known as 5 Turner Alley. Wood designed and built it himself. He lived and worked there from 1924 to 1935. This is where he painted American Gothic (1930). That famous painting is now at the Art Institute of Chicago. Many of his other well-known paintings were also created here. You can visit the Grant Wood Studio for guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays.
Marvin Cone and Other Artists
The Marvin Cone collection is also very important. It includes many of his best landscapes and abstract paintings. Marvin Cone was a good friend and worked with Grant Wood. The museum also has great pieces by Mauricio Lasansky, Malvina Hoffman, Ann Royer, Carl Van Vechten, and many others.
Protecting Art: The 2008 Flood
In 2008, downtown Cedar Rapids faced a huge flood. It was the worst flood the city had ever seen. The museum's lower storage areas and basements were badly damaged. The water also threatened the main exhibition spaces. Just six months before the flood, the museum had installed a new art storage system. It cost $200,000. Luckily, the museum's art collection was moved to higher levels. No artwork was damaged during the flood.
