American artists have long been drawn to agrarian subjects in their work, from Winslow Homer in the 19th century to the 1930s Regionalism movement, which included painters like John Steuart Curry and Grant Wood, the creator of the often imitated American Gothic.
This fall, museums around the country will celebrate when art meets ag, whether through special exhibitions or art spaces wholly dedicated to agriculture-inspired art. Here are five.
Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art
Bone Creek, in David City, Nebraska, bills itself as the nation’s only agrarian art museum. Opened in 2008 to showcase the work of artist Dale Nichols (1904-1995), a well-known Regionalist painter who was born in David City, it has since grown to highlight mostly contemporary artists. According to curator Amanda Mobley Guenther, agriculture is still a relevant subject for artists all around the country, and the museum’s seven shows each year are more than just “tractor art,” she says. This fall’s exhibitions include “Corn: /Korn Exhibition” and “Donna Walker: Modern Color Fields.”
Museum hours: 10am-4pm, Wed-Sat; 1pm-4pm Sunday. Admission: free