better late than never...

Copied from http://artbeetinc.blogspot.com/

ArtBeet, Inc. is the first and only non-profit arts organization with tax-exempt status (a 501(c)(3)) in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.


Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Barn Quilt Project - looking for artist volunteers

Agricultural Heritage & Resources (AHR) has partnered with Kewaunee, Door, Manitowoc, and Brown counties, 4-H, UW Extension, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for a four county wide "Barn Quilt Project". This project will provide a unique educational experience for children in grades 3 through 12. They will be researching old barns, planning a quilt square that has local agricultural, rural, or ethnic significance.

A barn quilt is one block of an old quilt that is p0ainted on an 8 foot by 8 foot board. This board will be displayed on old barns across the four county area. Along with the barn quilt project, the clubs will work together to create a driving tour and map of the barn quilts within the four county area.

The timeline for this project will be four months. On 4 November 2008, at 6:30 pm, there will be an informational meeting for all youth and adults involved with the Barn Quilt Project. This will include all volunteer artists.

15 November 2008, Dr. William Laatsch, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (laatschw@uwgb.edu), will give a presentation to the volunteers about the ethnicity of barns in the four county area, why the barns were constructed in a specific manor, and why they are important to the area. Mrs. Mary Gaye Rank, the textile teacher from Kewaunee High School, will speak to the volunteers about quilting, the history of quilting in Northeastern Wisconsin, and why various patterns were named. There will also be a discussion about the Barn Quilt Project and what to look for when choosing a quilt pattern. Youth groups will be given a list of farmers that are willing to have a barn quilt placed on their barn. The groups will pick one farm from the list. The groups will have seven days to interview the farm family, learn about their heritage, and their desire for any certain quilt pattern.

22 November 2008, the groups will meet at Agricultural Heritage & Resources to discuss their findings from the interviews. They will be introduced to quilt patterns that meet the criteria for this project. The groups will pick a pattern they want to reproduce on the 8 by 8 foot square boards. Mrs. Mary Gaye Rank will discuss color pallet with the groups and help them choose colors that are historically correct, while keeping in mind that the quilts will be hung on barns and need to be seen from a great distance.

6 December 2008 through 28 February 2009, work schedules will be set up for Wednesdays and Saturdays. Five area artists will be on hand to teach the groups about transferring a pattern from a scale drawing to a large piece of wood. Groups will prime the wood with at least two coats of Diamond Vogel paint. The groups will tape the design on the wood and proceed to paint the quilt square.

Beginning March 2009, the barn quilts will be stored at Agricultural Heritage & Resources until the Kewaunee County Fair (July 23-26, 2009) where they will be displayed. After the fair the barn quilts will be hung on the barns that were selected.

Any groups that are not interested in painting a barn quilt, but still want to be a part of this project will have an opportunity to put together a driving tour brochure. This will be with the help of a graphic designer (********). The work for the brochure will start when painting of the barn quilts begins. The design project will end when the barn quilts are installed on the barns. There will also be an opportunity for the groups to work with a web designer. The youth will help to put together a web link from Agricultural Heritage & Resources web page specifically for the barn quilt project. This link will also have a guest book and a comment area attached to the web page so feedback can be measured.

The Farms that agree to have the quilts put on their barns will have them for a period of one year. After that year the farmer can opt to have the quilt removed and placed on a different barn, or keep the quilt up for one more year. The farmer will agree to inform Agricultural Heritage & Resources of any maintenance required to the barn quilt. Agricultural Heritage & Resources will work with the farmer to perform the required maintenance to the barn quilt. Also, area businesses will be sponsoring specific barn quilts, thus, the businesses will help support the project past the funding date requested.

This is a new project for Agricultural Heritage & Resources and the surrounding area. It is foreseeable that this project will take on a life of its own and grow as barn quilts are put up for display. Hence, part of the planning of this project is to see of there is ongoing interest in the four county areas for continued painting of barn quilts. The barn quilt project will be ongoing at least until October 2009, when the National Quilt Show will be held at Agricultural Heritage & Resources.

If you are interested in offering your barn for display, volunteering as an artist or graphic artist, please contact Jennifer at:
Home 388-3451
Cell 255-1132

Please let me know either by phone call or e-mail if you can be part of the barn quilt project. I need at least 5 artists that would be willing to guide the 4-H members in painting the quilt square on on an 8 foot square board. I also need a graphic designer to help design and guide the youth in making a driving brochure.

Thank You,
Jennifer Gozdzialski
volunteer Director of Grants and Acquisitions
Agricultural Heritage and Resources