Monday, January 25, 2016

Small Town Iowa Library Is Not Going To Sell Its Grant Wood Paintings So Please Stop Asking

From the Omaha World-Herald:

Iowa library says it's not selling its Grant Wood painting, despite $6 million offer
Library Director Susan Henricks said she receives a couple of calls a year with offers to buy “Appraisal,” which depicts a farm woman selling a chicken to a wealthy woman from the city.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque library officials recently rejected a $6 million offer for one of their two paintings by renowned Iowa artist Grant Wood. 
Trustees of the Carnegie-Stout Public Library said they have no intention of selling either painting by the artist best known for his work “American Gothic,” the Dubuque Telegraph Herald reported. 
The library’s two paintings by Wood — “Appraisal,” which was the subject of the offer, and “Victorian Survival” — are on loan to the Dubuque Museum of Art. The library acquired both in the 1930s for a total of $1,150 with funds that were left to it for purchasing art.
Library Board President Jenny Weiss said the paintings are a source of pride for the library and the community. 
“As long as the library owns ‘Appraisal,’ the board of trustees feels an obligation to ensure it remains a Dubuque treasure,” Weiss said....MORE
HT: Art Market Monitor

Totally unrelated: "Has tech killed the noble bank heist?"
Via FT Alphaville's Further Reading linkpost.