|
Chamber’s barn quilt project continues to gain momentum
|
|
|
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Progress is being made on a promotional project championed by the Caledonia Area Chamber of Commerce, which will hopefully bring more tourists to the area. According to Anne Selness, chairperson of the Chamber’s barn quilt committee, five quilts are in various stages of completion, with more on the way.
Several months ago, the Chamber formed a sub-committee to look into a promotional idea that has worked well in Iowa.
In Iowa, Kevin Payton, a Sac County 17 year old 4-H member wanted to bring tourism to his area of the state. He worked to get donations and then started painting quilt patterns on sheets of plywood and putting them on old barns (greater than 50 years old).
A group of Sac City area quilters chose the quilt patterns, based on the pattern’s agriculture-related name or heritage. School students, 4-H members, and other youth and adult volunteers painted all of the quilt blocks.
Sac County is now covered with barn quilts. Since its meager beginning in 2004, the number of barn quilts has grown to 55, so visitors can easily spot a barn quilt every five to 10 miles throughout the county. Brochures describing the Barn Quilts of Sac County can be found in visitors centers throughout the state, and barn quilt maps are available in convenience stores, museums, city offices and a variety of other locations in Sac County.
Selness’ parents, Harold and Dorothy Hendel, of rural Caledonia, were fascinated with the barn quilts in Iowa, and completed a barn quilt in April for their barn built in 1928 on Prairie Ridge Road. Selness reported many persons have stopped to comment on the quilt and wondered if there are more in the area to view.
The barn quilt committee solicited the services of the local FFA chapter, and advisor Brad Harguth. Caledonia Area High School students primed 10 sheets of plywood last month for the first five barn quilts. The barn quilt committee looked at various locations for the first five barn quilts that would be quite visible to traffic moving through Caledonia. Their idea was once the first five quilts were up for public inspection, interest would grow, and more quilts would sprout up throughout the area.
The Houston County Fair Board was sold on the idea and agreed to place one on the Rod and Gun Club building on the fair grounds. Selness utilized the fair board’s logo to create a colorful pattern. She and other “quilters” have been working on their massive pieces of art in one of the 4-H buildings on the fair grounds.
Other quilters and their locations include Duane and Deloris Deters on their barn just west of the Houston County Airport; John and Patti Schulte on their barn just east of Beaver Creek Valley State Park, Blaine and Dianne Schuldt on CSAH 12 west of Caledonia, and Dave and Betsy Pieper, on Houston County 249 just east of town.
“We’re hoping to have those five quilts completed and hung very soon, and the interest is there to maybe have another five completed before the county fair in August,” Selness noted. “This idea is really taking off.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with the barn quilt program should either contact Selness or the Caledonia Area Chamber of Commerce office at (507) 725-5477.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
