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FROM GRANT WOOD . No. FIVE TURNER ALLEY . CEDAR RAPIDS . IOWA 

1142 Court St., Iowa City, Iowa 

April 16, 1936

Dear John, 

Please forgive me for not writing you sooner after sending you the telegram from Kansas City about Living Art, Incorporated. I have been on the jump ever since and this is the first opportunity I've had to write.  

I had just received my contract from the group when I left Iowa City and had a chance to think it over on the way down and talk it over with Benton. I just took it for granted that you were approached also, so when Benton and I talked the thing over and realized what a poor proposition they were making, I just on impulse, sent a wire to you. It seems to me that we can do much better for ourselves than they suggest and hope to have a plan to propose to you before very long. 

I was hired to go down to Stephens College at Columbia, Missouri, and talk there for three days. I was also asked to look over their course and to make suggestions. They have what they call a course on the Humanities where an approach is made to all of the arts. It seems to me all right as a start but I told President Wood that I felt very strongly that some practical work in each of the arts should be attempted, -- not with the idea of producing professionals but with the idea of producing an amateur or appreciation group. He agreed with me heartily and said that he would like to attempt to get Maud Adams to head their drama department, Sigmund Spaeth there music depart - ment and you for painting. 

I was rather undecided as to what to say to him about your part in the matter. I do want so badly your return to this region, and yet I have an idea that you do not care to give lectures and that seemed to be a part of what he had in mind. Later, however, I had a good talk with Christ - Janer, the young man who heads the Art Appreciation department. He was tremendously enthusiastic about the idea of your coming and said at once that he would gladly attend to all of the lecturing that needed to be done if you could only be there to come in on classes and pick up a brush or piece of charcoal and show them on their own work just what needed to be done. That put quite a different angle to the matter and I asked him to talk with President Wood about this sort of an arrangement provided you could be induced to come.