Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

Dr. Gerald F. Brown and "Swing and Sway".
bandleader. Sammy Kaye, in Anamosa at the first
Grant Wood Art Festival in 1973. (Photo submitted by
Mrs. Gerald F. Brown)
About 70 men and women of the community
attended the first meeting to lay the groundwork. It was
from ideas presented at this meeting. and a year's
worth of hard work. that the flrst art festival was born.
As planned. the first festival was held June 9 and 10.
I973. and featured many attractions. such as: arts and
crafts exhibits. Rural Artists Round Table Art Show.
Paint ‘n Palette Art Show at Antioch School. and Grant
Wood Memorial Park. a high school competitive art
exhibit. window displays for every age. bus tours to
Stone City and Grant Wood Memorial Park and other
points of interest. a Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast.
special church services and food stands.
A parade featured Nan Wood Graham. Grant Wood's
sister. She was the guest oi honor oi the flrst festival.
Iowa's Favorite Farmer's Daughter. Denise Rempp of
Montezuma. rode in the parade and was sponsored by
the Iowa Electric Light and Power and the WMT Radio
and TV stations. Over 30 other units participated in the
parade.
A feature from the Grant Wood Era. was the Toby and
Susie Tent Show. which provided nine performances to
an audience ofall ages during the two-day event.
The Cass Homemakers Club published a Grant Wood
edition for a cookbook. It featured a collection of
memories about Grant Wood. The Strawberry Hill
school gymnasium was the site of an antique show.
with the Wapsiketa Chapter of the Izaak Walton League
serving as hostesses.
Famous Master Artists appeared in person at the
Citizens Savings Bank during the two days. to show
their orginal art. They were Les C. Kouba.
intemationally known wildlife artist: Edward A. Morris.
artist of outdoor landscapes and the old west: Ted Long.
renowned sculptor and artist: and K.M. ‘Dutch’
Thompson. Gallery Founding Director.
Silver and bronze commemorative coins were struck
in honor ofGrant Wood and the Art Festival.
Limited edition plates. cast in Iowa Pottery. were
designed and cast by Judy Sutcliffe. operator of the
Greentree Pottery of Audubon. Iowa. Iowa Men's
Reformatory residents displayed and sold paintings
and crafts.
Saturday night. the community had the pleasure of
four hours of dancing to the music of the famous
"Swing and Sway" orchestra of Sammy Kaye. at the
Anamosa High School gym. A pre-dance reception and
pot-luck dinner were held for Nan Wood. her friends
and the the festival board. sponsored by the Paint ‘n
Palette Club.
James Dennis. Professor of Art History at the
University of Wisconsin. attended the two-day
festivities to help acquire information and local color
for his planned book. "Grant Wood". which was later
published in 1975 by the Viking Press. Inc.
Grant Wood Art Festival Continues
Now at Stone City
New features at the 1974 Grant Wood Art Festival
were a carnival and three dances. A tractor pull had to
be rescheduled due to wet grounds.
In 1975. art exhibits were enclosed in a fenced in area
on the south side of Main street between Booth and
Ford streets. and down the alley named for the event.
Wood Walk Alley. Banners. flags and round puffy Grant
Wood trees added to the decor. A 850 Purchase Prize
was donated to the Anamosa Public Library. Also new.
were 24 educational posters containing quotes and
information about Grant Wood.
Anamosa High School was the site of both the 1976
Art & Craft display and Antique Show to avoid a repeat
of the rain-out in 1975. The purchase prize again went
to the Anamosa Public Library. A new feature was a
queen pageant.
A major change in 1977 was moving of the art events
to the Nissen Barn in Stone City. A queen pageant and
dance were again held as was a golf tournament at
Fawn Creek Country Club.
contributed by Cecilia Hatcher
265
The move to Stone City proved to be a wise decision:
and by 1978. the Festival was well on its way as a major
art event. A brochure was printed and a $1 admission
badge. for everyone 16 and over. was required. The
badge featured the official festival logo. an ice cream
wagon. Featured attractions were bluegrass and
country jams. children's art happenings. a puppet
theater. art demonstrations. educational and historical
displays and movies of ‘Grant Wood Country’. Three
replicas of the ice wagons which original Art Colony
students decorated and out-fitted for sleeping quarters
were built and displayed for the first time.The Stone
City Community Club sponsored activities at the Stone
City School.
A special feature of the 1979 Festival was the use of
the second story of the stone bam for art exhibits and
the puppet shows. The badge design was determined
by a contest for Anamosa and Monticello K-6 students.
For the first time there was no parade.
The Eighth Annual Festival. June 15. I980. marked