CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Original drawings by Iowa artist Grant Wood, hidden away for decades, were carefully uncovered for just one day this week — offering a rare glimpse into how one of Eastern Iowa’s most recognizable works of art came to life.
Inside the Veterans Memorial Building, century-old paper panels were delicately laid out across the floor, a process that took hours, patience, and extreme care. The drawings are Wood’s original full-scale designs for the stained-glass window that still hangs on the front of the building today.
“There’s 58 panels that make up the memorial window, and so therefore there are 58 drawing panels,” said Teri Van Dorston, the Veterans Memorial Building and Commission Museum manager. “We’re trying to put each panel together to make the same scene that Grant Wood made back in 1928.”…