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Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius

"Overmantel Decoration" by Grant Wood, 1930.

The work of Grant Wood has inspired countless imitators, parodies, books, a symphony, and now - an opera.

In this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe gets a preview of “Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius," which will be performed at Theatre Cedar Rapids on April 12, 13, and 14. The performance will feature three one-act operas, each one written and composed by a different Iowa composer and inspired by a different Grant Wood Paintings.

Guests this hour include:

  • Haley Stamats the stage director of The Grant Wood Operas
  • R. Tripp Evans, a professor of art history at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and the author of the biography, “Grant Wood: A Life”
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Hear Charity Nebbe's interview with Chris Ruge - Talk of Iowa

Later in the hour, we get a preview of the new documentary, "The Providers," which gives viewers an inside look at the opioid epidemic in rural America. The documentary follows the work of three healthcare professionals in northern New Mexico at El Centro, a network of clinics that accept any patient regardless or insurance, condition, or ability to pay. One of the providers the film follows, Chris Ruge, is originally from Fort Dodge.

“The Providers” will air on PBS’s Independent Lenson Monday, April 8 at 9 p.m. on Iowa Public Television. 

Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa