Grant Wood

The following is posted on behalf of Shirley Reece-Hughes, Assistant
Curator of Painting at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in
Fort Worth, Texas.

    I am the assistant curator of paintings and sculpture at the
    Amon Carter Museum of American Art and I am currently developing
    a project on Grant Wood and theater.  I am trying to find the
    conservator who worked on Grant Wood's theatrical backdrop
    (1922-25, 12 feet 9.5 inches x 33 feet 10 inches), which is
    housed in McKinley Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, probably
    in the late 1990s.

    John Fitzpatrick, who was in charge of the Cedar Rapids School
    District art collection in the late 1990s and early 2000s
    recalls that a woman conservator with a specialty in the area of
    theatrical curtains worked on Wood's backdrop, but he cannot
    recall her name. Unfortunately, the school district did not keep
    records of her work. I am trying to find the conservator who
    worked on this project because I want to interview her to
    uncover more information about Wood's materials, process and
    creation of this backdrop/mural.

    It is believed to have been originally painted in 1922-25 but
    the conservator uncovered that the mural had been reworked in
    the early 1930s.  Any information you could provide would be
    greatly appreciated.

Sylvie Penichon
Conservator of Photographs
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76107


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:16
                Distributed: Saturday, September 8, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-16-022
                                  ***