Campus News

Simpson co-sponsors ‘American Gothic’ event

March 22, 2009

The Iowa History Center at Simpson College, along with the Des Moines Public Library’s AViD Series, will sponsor an event about Iowa artist Grant Wood’s iconic painting American Gothic March 22.

Author Steven Biel and filmmaker Sasha Waters Freyer will present “Celebrating American Gothic” March 22 at 2 p.m. at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., in Des Moines.

Biel wrote American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting, and Sasha Waters Freyer directed and produced the film This American Gothic. The discussion will be moderated by Jeff Fleming, director of the Des Moines Art Center, where the painting is currently on display.

A reception will follow the event at the Des Moines Art Center from 3:45 to 6 p.m.

About the Iowa History Center
The lecture, a part of the Iowa History Center’s speaker series, is one of many activities sponsored by the Iowa History Center each year. In 2006, The Iowa History Center was established to:

  • Promote Iowa history in the state’s schools and communities by providing a fund to award competitive grants to kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers who develop innovative approaches to introducing Iowa history in their classrooms
  • Encourage the study and research of Iowa history by funding a prize for the best master’s thesis in Iowa history, encouraging students from Iowa’s three universities to complete work in Iowa history
  • Place Simpson College students in internships with various state historical associations
  • Fund faculty research in Iowa history
  • Create and offer an Iowa history course at Simpson College
  • Provide method of publishing Iowa history books

 

Last Updated: 3/16/09