Iowa prairie is fertile ground for both farmers and artists. As a world-famous artist and the son of a farmer, Grant Wood captured the everyday beauty of Iowa’s land and people. Not So Ordinary is an exhibition featuring the Muscatine Art Center’s remarkable Iowa Regionalist collection. Visitors to the exhibition can compare paintings and prints by Grant Wood to works by Marvin Cone, John Bloom, Alma Held, Arnold Pyle, Juanita Jamison, Harold Allison, and others, such as Muscatine’s own, William Bunn. Some of these artists are connected to Grant Wood through the Stone City Art Colony, while others overlapped at the University of Iowa’s School of Art. Some completed Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) murals under the supervision of Grant Wood, while others also exhibited in the Iowa Art Salon in the 1930s.

The City of Muscatine will host the final public meeting to discuss the Riverside Park Master Plan Update on Wednesday, May 10. A presentation discussing the recommendations will be given at 6:00 p.m. The remainder of the meeting will follow an open house format. The purpose of this public meeting is to share details regarding the Riverside Park Master Plan Update that will ultimately develop a long-term vision for the park. The park elements have been refined from comments received at prior meetings with the public and local officials. The plan update will be on display, and attendees will be given the opportunity to again provide written or verbal comments. Representatives from the city and its consultant, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH), will be available to discuss the plan update and address any questions or concerns.