Barn quilt enthusiasts from around St. Lawrence County toured barn quilt displays in town before meeting in the Colton Museum.

COLTON -- Barn quilt enthusiasts in St. Lawrence County from Hammond, Canton, Hannawa Falls and Colton came together on June 25 to see barn quilts displayed in the Town of Colton.

The town’s Tourism & Beautification Committee hosted the tour and meeting for barn quilters to compare notes in preparation for events this summer and beyond.

While cloth quilts are usually made up of a series of blocks pieced together, barn quilts are typically a single block or square.

Most barn quilts are painted on boards and mounted on a barn or other building.

Donna Sue Groves in Ohio is recognized for developing the concept of barn quilts as a way to honor her mother and Appalachian heritage by having a painted quilt hung on her barn in Adams County, Ohio.

The idea of promoting barn quilts in the Town of Colton emerged in February 2013 during discussions about ‘Art Around Town’ as a collaborative venture of the town’s Tourism & Beautification Committee with Colton-Pierrepont Central School.

Ruth McWilliams, committee chair, says “barn quilts connect well with the committee’s focus on heritage tourism plus draw attention to the local quilting tradition and related events. They also provide a wonderful opportunity for lots of people to get involved including school art students.”

She credits barn quilters in Hammond with spurring the committee to kick off its barn quilt project with school art teacher Krystal Hewer and her students in time for the town’s Winterfest celebration last January.

Now there are three additional barn quilts installed in town, the most recent being painted by school art students for installing on the town’s Community Center in June before the end of the school year. Now the committee is planning a display about barn quilts for the town’s upcoming Colton Country Day celebration on July 18 and welcomes others in the county exhibiting their creations as well.

The community group in Hammond—called the Hammond Barn Quilt Trail Committee—is getting ready for the grand opening of its new trail on Aug. 22. By sharing guidelines, holding workshops and posting progress on its Facebook page the committee is encouraging other organizations and communities to be part of the growing barn quilt movement.

Lisa Sarfaty of the Hammond Committee says “barn quilts are often created to reflect family history or certain events, and sometimes they are created just to enjoy the beauty of color and design. Hammond is fortunate to have many beautiful barns, a vibrant and supportive museum, an active and busy quilt shop and many quilters who appreciate the value of the project. We are also fortunate that the leadership of both the Town and Village of Hammond have been extremely supportive of this project to honor and celebrate our community.”

Joan Olin in Canton has been coordinating with a number of quilters turned barn quilt painters in Canton and other communities including Fine, Ogdensburg and Norwood who attended a meeting held at The TAUNY Center is Canton last October. Joan reports ten barn quilts have been painted since the meeting.

During the year Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) has been documenting the emergence of the barn quilt movement in the county, collecting images and stories from people participating in the project around the area.

“It’s wonderful to see how the project inspires community creativity and spirit,” says TAUNY Director of Research and Programs Camilla Ammirati. “We’re glad to have the opportunity to document the ways people express their family and regional heritage through the barn quilt squares they’re designing and displaying.”

Anyone wishing to learn more about barn quilts can contact the key people involved in local projects including Ruth McWilliams (ruth@catamountlodge.com), Lisa Sarfaty (sarfaty@quixnet.net) or Joan Olin (eolin1@twcny.rr.com).