I have coined the term MetaRegionalism to describe current art practices in the Midwest that are inspired in various ways by the forms, ideologies, and histories of Regionalism. One of the main concerns of the Depression-era Regionalist movement was to create art that reflected the values of American regional culture. The Regionalist movement was pervaded by ideas of conservation, preservation, and celebration of these localities. This paper concentrates on Regionalism in Iowa, drawing connections between it and the various current social, political and artistic expressions that I have deemed "MetaRegionalist", including my own work.

As my graduate thesis, the paper also offers an overview of my graduate artistic practice, viewing it through the lens of this new MetaRegionalist ideal. A key difference between historic Regionalism and present-day MetaRegionalism is the latter's existence in the era of technology and internet. Reflecting this, I originally used Twitter as the platform for delivery of my thesis. I intended this action to relay the power of social media to connect, support, and strengthen, connections between isolated areas, which may then exist simultaneously globally and locally.

This printed version of the thesis preserves the appearance of the original Twitter feed. As such, it should be read from the last page (not inclusive of references) to the first. To view the thesis in its evolving state go to: www.twitter.com/MetaRegionalism. All links in this PDF are live and will redirect readers to the Twitter feed, which includes all posts, hashtags, and

pictures and videos of my work.