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Strom is responsible for the entire museum, the collections, the gift shop, the vendors and the volunteers. There is a committee of people who help with the fundraising and other activities for the visitor's center, the "Gothic Guys and Gals."
Strom said she has always been interested in museum management.
Before she was at the visitor's center, she worked at the Lake Arts Center at Lake Okoboji.
She started at the visitor's center in April 2007 and has been working to attract more tourist to the site.
She is heavily interested in art, museums and history and said the American Gothic House Visitor's Center "combines it all in one great package."
She said art and history were a part of her family growing up.
Her grandfather was a major influence in her career choice. He was a restoration architect and artist.
"That was just one more thing that made it appeal to me," Strom said. "He would have approved of my job choice."
She has also worked with the performing arts. While at the University of Iowa, she worked as an usher, stage hand, assistant house manager and scene shop attendant at Hancher Auditorium.
"I did pretty much everything you could do in the theater besides act," she said, laughing.
While in college she also worked at the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Burr Oak, located in northeast Iowa, and the Living History Farms in Urbandale.
"I just have an appreciation for all types of art," Strom said. "But, I took the winding road to get where I am."
She took some photography classes at the University of Iowa, where she received a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in Spanish.
She said she has learned quite a bit from working at the visitor's center. For example, she was impressed to find out that the American Gothic painting is the second most parodied painting in the world.
"Iowa has world recognition because of this painting," she said.
Through her years, she has picked up a variety of knowledge from different jobs.
"Very rarely will you go into a job as an expert," she said. "You learn a new skill at one job and then you find yourself somewhere else learning something new."
"I get exposure to the arts that most people would love to have but don't," she said.
She coordinates many of the activities for the center, including; the Grand Opening, Gothic Hall Party in October and the Gingerbread House making in December.
She said she has felt welcomed with open arms to the community and has seen what the town of Eldon can do to make a difference.
"I'm proud to be at this job," she said. "I enjoy being here more than any other place. I've always been an Iowa gal. And I've always had an appreciation for things that come from my home state."
Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at sjniles@mchsi.com.
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