Quilts on a barn? More likely than you think

Culture | October 2nd, 2015

By John Showalter

If you’ve driven through a rural area (and there are a lot of those in the Midwest), you may have run across them. Panels of painted wood or metal hung on a barn or some other building, or even freestanding in someone’s lawn, painted with a quilt design. They are called barn quilts, and usually form a “quilt trail” that goes along a route, adding a splash of color to the countryside and drawing attention to country properties and architecturally, aesthetically or culturally interesting buildings.

The first official quilt trail emerged in Adams County, Ohio, in 2001, and since then they’ve spread to forty-three of the fifty states as well as two Canadian provinces. North Dakota has joined the widening trend in the last few years, with a trail popping up in Nelson County about three or four years ago, and Mary Jo Schmid of Colfax is determined to have one of our own leading through the Red River Valley.

I was lucky enough to catch the de facto leader of the Red River Barn Quilt Trail Partnership before a wedding being held at Crooked Lane Farm. Even though Mary Jo and her husband Bret Larson, former educators from Moorhead and Lindon respectively, are retired, that certainly doesn’t mean they haven’t kept themselves busy.

The farm, a third-generation endeavor, acts as an event center holding everything from cultural events to concerts, weddings, a monthly discussion of current events and philosophy coupled with food called Meals With Meaning, and of course classes, among which are classes on making barn quilts. The property itself is host to some of the quilts, including a huge 8 by 8 foot square that hangs from her barn.

Why quilts? “The reason is twofold,” Mary Jo said. “Barn quilts highlight women’s contribution to agriculture. They encourage tourism, which leads to economic development.” They’re also a fun pastime, as any of the people who have been in her classes can attest.

Their work was exhibited last winter at the Hjemkomst as part of the Women’s Perspective exhibit. But don’t let this focus on the strong farming woman make you think that men are not welcome in the class, as Mary has had several take her classes. Passion for art and a love of the countryside are qualities that don’t discriminate by gender.

While there hasn’t quite yet been the large spike in tourism through the rural Red River Valley that the barn quilts are supposed to draw, Mary Jo is still hopeful, especially considering that the quilt trail through Nelson County has started grabbing attention. Word of mouth has been the traditional way of spreading information about these trails, but Mary Jo as well as barn quilters all around the country have made use of the ever-increasing social media trend in our society to draw attention to these pieces of country culture.

Not only is there a website for Crooked Lane Farm at crookedlanefarmfolkschool.com, but Mary Jo has branched out into Facebook, as well as creating a Wordpress site for the Red River Barn Quilt Trail. Of course these sites also provide information about the enriching classes there as well as the ever-increasing array of barn quilts in the area. If you’re artistically inclined, perhaps you can join one of the classes and contribute to the winding trail of color through the Red River Valley. At the very least, if you happen to be on a drive around Colfax and Abercrombie, keep an eye out for the colorful geometrical patterns scattered amongst the fields and barns.

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