Barn Quilt Trail Celebrates Rural Artists

Barn Quilt Trail Celebrates Rural Artists “Barn quilts” are large painted wooden squares featuring quilt-block designs, hung on barns, houses or other buildings to add decoration, celebrate heritage and tell stories. Most barn quilts measure 2, 4 or 8 ft. sq. They’re a common sight in many states and are celebrated by local communities. Barn Quilts of Central MN is unique for encompassing four Minnesota counties: Wadena, Todd, Morrison and Cass. Since the group’s first quilt was hung in 2016, enthusiasm and participation have skyrocketed. The four counties now boast more than 150 quilts, with many more in the planning stages. One factor that’s helped the Central Minnesota group flourish is cooperation among many individuals, foundations, businesses and clubs. The group received assistance with design, construction, painting and mounting from local high school art teachers and students, FFA students, and the local electric cooperative. “One group of students has made 50 of them as part of their classwork,” says Lisa Kajer, a founding member of the group. The group’s website features the group’s history, a trail map, photos of many quilts on the trail, and the story behind each quilt. The quilts have been organized into five distinct trails based on their locations. “It’s important not to have too much distance between them,” Kajer says. On the Staples Area Trail, for example, she says a visitor can view 35 quilts in 30 min. by keeping moving. A wonderful benefit of a barn-quilt trail, Kajer says, is that most people appreciate that a community offers free public art that can be viewed individually or as a group, and that the backstory for each quilt is provided. On the Staples Area Trail, Kajer has even added information about other nearby points of interest and natural assets, such as rivers and local parks, that can be viewed near the various quilts. “Some people have called the barn quilts ‘eye candy’ because they’re so fun to look at,” Kajer says. “It’s happy, peaceful and a wonderful way to create a memory or tribute for someone.” The tradition of decorating barns with quilt-like patterns dates back nearly 300 years, when immigrants settled in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. They began decorating their barns with folk art designs that reflected their heritage, beliefs or family traditions. The modern barn quilt movement in the U.S. began in Ohio in 2001, when Donna Groves honored her mother, a quilter, by painting a quilt block on their tobacco barn. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Barn Quilts of Central MN (barnquiltscmn@gmail.com; www.barnquiltsmn.org).

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