God Bless America by Seward Johnson

October 13, 2010 - October 31, 2011

On view on the museum's west lawn.

Made possible by Woodward Communications/Telegraph Herald, Dr. Randy Lengeling, Bob and Donna Wahlert, Tri-State Independent Physicians Association, Dubuque Internal Medicine, McGraw Hill Employee Grant Program, Jack and Mantea Schmid, Alan and Beth Bird, Ed and Susie Butler Ritts, Prudential, Farber Bag Company, Ken Schubert, and Jim and Jean Gantz.

At 25 feet high and 14x14 feet at its base and weighing in at 30,000 pounds, there is no Midwestern reserve to be found in this celebrated and much parodied Iowa couple inspired by Grant Wood's American Gothic and towering over the museum this winter.  Seward Johnson has taken the famous duo from one of the most iconic paintings in art history and literally amplified them to gigantic proportions.  No shrinking violets, this pair! They dominate the landscape inspiring viewers to recollect a gentler, less complicated (albeit idealized) past and pose for a fun photo op!

Johnson is well-known for his realistic sculptures found in many outdoor venues across the country and his Beyond the Frame series where he brilliantly re-creates Impressionist paintings into 3D sculptural scenes where you can actually walk among the figures and objects in the paintings.  The sculpture has travelled throughout the United States but this is its first time in Iowa, the home state of Grant Wood.

Photo: Detail “God Bless America” by Seward Johnson © 2005, 2007 The Sculpture Foundation, Photo by Carl Deal III

David Plowden's Iowa

Photographs from a Nostalgic Journey

December 9, 2011 - March 25, 2012

Made possible thanks to the generous support of the Edward Ulve Memorial Fund at Dubuque Museum of Art and the Ulve Family.

Renowned photographer David Plowden was born in Massachusetts in 1932. He is best known for his historical documentary photography of industrial scenes, steam trains, Midwest farmlands, and small towns. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1968. He resides in Chicago and has traveled the state of Iowa for decades photographing the landscapes, towns, and people that crossed his path.

Organized in partnership with Humanities Iowa and the Figge Art Museum, Davenport.

Image: David Plowden, Bean Field and House, Grundy County, Iowa, 2003, 23x17 in., Collection of Humanities Iowa, Copyright 2003 David Plowden.

Urban Landscapes by Mary Phelan

December 9, 2011- March 25, 2012

Sponsored by Cottingham & Butler

Quiet and contemplative scenes of Chicago neighborhoods bring to mind 17th century Dutch cityscapes. The artist is inspired by feng shui in her compositions which together with soft lighting and an even color palette take these everyday scenes to a higher level. Mary Phelan was born in 1953 in Laurium, Michigan (Upper Peninsula). She grew up in the Chicago industrial suburb of Franklin Park. The 13 paintings in this exhibition celebrate the poetry of the ordinary in the city environment.

Image: Mary Phelan, On the Face of It, 2009, oil on linen, 18x30 in., Collection of the artist

Fire Department by Brent Houzenga

November 115, 2011 - April 1, 2012

Des Moines based artist, Brent Houzenga presents an installation of his painted window panes where his punk rock style combines with anitque portraiture to create a unique and energetic atmosphere on the museum's amuse bouche balcony gallery. Fire Department serves as a celebration of the artist's work over the last five years and his first museum exhibition.

Image: Brent Houzenga, Fire Department, 2011, mixed media, 54x52 in., Collection of the artist

Grant Wood Gallery

Ongoing

Organized by the Dubuque Museum of Art

Grant Wood's "Appraisal" and "Victorian Survival" are now on permanent display.  The Dubuque Museum of Art is proud to display these treasures in a redesigned section of the Randall Lengeling Gallery that will continuously display a selection of our extensive Grant Wood collection.

Image: Grant Wood (American, 1891-1942), Appraisal (detail), 1931, oil on composition board, 37x43 in., On long-term loan from the Carnegie-Stout Public Library, LTL.99.08.