Zahs’ Grant Wood collection on display

Michael Zahs talks a crowd through the rich history of some pieces in his collection displayed at Hills Bank during a presentation in early May. (Kalen McCain/The Union)

Zahs' presentation was well attended. Many in the audience were former students of the art collector with a long career teaching history. (Kalen McCain/The Union)

WASHINGTON — One of Iowa’s largest collections of works by Grant Wood is on display this month at Hills Bank in Washington, courtesy of local historical authority Michael Zahs.

A presentation on the exhibit was well attended earlier this month.

“I was pleased with the number of people that came to the talk … you can go to a museum and not see this many different representations of his styles,” Zahs said. “I got to reconnect with a number of former students after 30 years, so that was very special to me.”

Zahs said the famous Iowa painter held a special place in his heart.

“Much of my career has been in Iowa topics and Iowa history, and he of course is the most noted artist from Iowa, if not the country,” Zahs said. “I have been to a lot of the places he’s painted, and it’s always been in my interest.”

The collection started largely by accident. Zahs had saved up for a People to People trip to teach in Russia, but when it was canceled, he found himself with extra cash even after returning donated money he’d received.

“I talked to a museum art director up in Mason City, I said, ‘I’ve got a fair bit of money which I’ll probably never have again, how would I get an original lithograph by Grant Wood?’” Zahs said during the a presentation. “I put in a bid and I got that lithograph, I was excited.”

From there, Zahs said opportunities continued falling in his lap.

“A number of years ago, I by chance made contact with a neighbor of Nan Wood, Grant Wood’s sister,” he said. “She had given the neighbor a bunch of signed pieces. And when Nan died, the neighbor started parting with the pieces … I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

The rest of the collection came from various other sources, many of them online, some requiring careful checks for authenticity.

“You’ve got to be careful because they’re not always originals,” Zahs said. “I try to find what the provenance is, what the story of that piece is, try to check the signature … several of the pieces have come from the same source, so that kind of helps me feel that they are what I’m after.”

Of the exhibit’s many pieces, 30 are signed by Grant Wood himself.

“It’s fun to share it and it’s fun to have people see all the different styles that Grant Wood was a master of,” Zahs said. “One of his goals was to have people have some of his original artwork. So I’m trying to carry on a little bit of what he was doing. He liked to promote history, and so I try to do that a little bit too.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com