Wild Flowers

1930s

Helps Curry and Benton return to the Midwest

John Steuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton, who with Wood are the artists most associated with Regionalism, returned to the Midwest thanks to his encouragement; he helped them find teaching positions at colleges, Curry in Wisconsin and Benton in Missouri.

1934–1941

A colleague, Lester Longman, tries to get Wood fired

Wood was a closeted homosexual, and a colleague at the university, Lester Longman, made an unsuccessful attempt to have him fired on explicit moral grounds and for his advocacy of regionalism. The university administration dismissed the allegations.

1934–1941

Mentor to students, among them Elizabeth Catlett

At the university Wood supervised mural-painting projects, mentored students including Elizabeth Catlett, produced works of his own and became a key part of the university’s cultural community.

1935–1938

Marriage to Sara Sherman Maxon

From 1935 to 1938 Wood was married to Sara Sherman Maxon; friends considered the marriage a mistake for him.

1940

Hired to depict the filming of “The Long Voyage Home”

In 1940 Wood and eight other prominent American artists were hired to document and interpret dramatic scenes and characters during the production of “The Long Voyage Home”, a film adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s plays.

1941

Growing health problems; the end of his teaching

Wood’s teaching at the University of Iowa School of Art ended in 1941; he would have returned as a professor if not for his growing health problems.