MUSCATINE, IOWA (September 24, 2025) — The Muscatine Art Center is excited to welcome back esteemed art scholar and presenter Carol Ehlers on Thursday, September 25, 5:30-6:30PM, for her presentation “Marvin Cone and Grant Wood: Their Life, Artworks, and Friendship.” The lecture is part of a series of events and workshops commemorating the new exhibition at the Muscatine Art Center, “Midwest Icons: Grant Wood, John Steuart Curry, and Thomas Hart Benton,” now on display in the Stanley Gallery. The exhibition will be open for viewing the evening of the lecture.
Grant Wood, “Door in Amana,” 1930, Oil on Board
Grant Wood and Marvin Cone had a lifelong relationship, from their time as students together in high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa through their later years as professional artists and teachers. They collaborated on many art projects, traveled to Paris together to study art, and in 1932 were the co-founders of the legendary Stone City Art Colony in Jones County, Iowa. Both were instrumental in the Regionalist movement though their later careers diverged dramatically. The presentation will explore the friendship of these master artists and offer insights into their life stories through their extraordinary bodies of work. The Muscatine Art Center’s permanent collection contains many works by both artists, some of which will be shared during the lecture. Admission to this event is free, and no registration is required.
Marvin Cone, “Study in Blue,” 1961, Oil on Panel
In addition to lecturing, Carol Ehlers also volunteers at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa and the Art Institute of Chicago. She has a love of and extensive knowledge of the Regionalist movement and plans a second presentation for the closing of the “Midwest Icons” exhibition in February 2026.
The Muscatine Art Center is open Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM; Thursdays, 10AM-7PM; and Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5PM. The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Call 563-263-8282 for up-to-date details or visit https://www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events.
