January 22, 2009 Issue
Quilt Trails Flourish in the High Country
This map indicates the locations of 30 of the 58 quilt squares located throughout Ashe County.
Across the High Country, vibrant patterns of color decorate the scenic highways and landscapes—even in winter. That’s because more than 100 barns and buildings in Avery, Watauga and Ashe counties are part of quilt trails. Hung on the outside walls of these structures, and visible from public highways, are 4- by 4-foot or 8- by 8-foot painted quilt squares.
According to an organization called Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina, quilt trails began in the Midwest but have spread to 33 states. Western North Carolina has more quilt blocks than anywhere else in the country except for Kentucky, the organization’s website said.
Painted in hues of deep red, goldenrod, turquoise, olive and more, patterns for quilt squares can be original or traditional and, like fabric quilts, can represent family histories or ways of life. The quilt trails encourage travelers to enjoy the various works of art as well as the rural countrysides in which they are found.
Quilt trails in the High Country began with grants from Handmade in America and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Although those grant terms have ended or will end soon, the projects are likely to continue because of significant community interest, said John Turner, a member of the Watauga Arts Council Board of Directors.
Avery County
The Avery County and Watauga County Arts Councils both launched quilt trail projects in 2007. In Avery County, the quilt trail has really flourished. The total number of quilt squares in the trail is up to 32, said LouAnn Morehouse, executive director of the Avery Arts Council. The Avery Quilt Trail added 20 squares in 2008 alone. Currently, about five more squares are in the works.
Parties interested in displaying quilt squares on their property can download an application from the Avery Arts Council website or speak with Morehouse. Quilt squares cost $150 for a 4 by 4 block and $300 for an 8 by 8 block—“pretty much all of which goes to purchasing the materials,” Morehouse said. The arts council then pairs the property owners up with an artist(s) to paint the square.
“The biggest requirement is that they be displayed in a place where the public has ready visual access to them,” she said. However, even if the property is not in public view, the arts council can still recommend artists who can paint squares for owners. “This has happened several times already, and I’m glad that I can throw some business to the artists,” Morehouse added.
A brochure that includes 18 squares on the Avery County Quilt Trail is available online and at the Avery Arts Council office at the Cheese House on the campus of Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk. An updated map will be published in late April. For more info, call 828-898-4292 or click to www.AveryCountyArtsCouncil.org, scroll over the Community Programs tab and select Avery Quilt Trail.
Watauga County
The Watauga County Quilt Trail has grown to about 11 quilt squares, Turner said. Around five blocks were added in 2008 and two or three more are currently in the works, he said.
When property owners and artists collaborate on a quilt square, they try to find a quilt pattern design that isn’t copyrighted. Probably hundreds or thousands of patterns are not copyrighted, Turner said. Some quilt square owners choose patterns that have been in their family for generations.
Quilt squares are created on blocks of half-inch-thick finished plywood using two or three coats of house paint and then placed on barns or buildings. Turner said that property owners can create quilt squares on their own without arts council involvement if they wish, and the arts council can help them with finding materials.
Turner said the arts council is working on an updated map and website for the Watauga County Quilt Trail. For more info, call 828-264-1789 or click to www.Watauga-Arts.org, scroll over the Traditional Arts tab and select Barn Quilt Project.
Ashe County
The Ashe County Quilt Trail has a little head start on the Avery and Watauga trails, as it began in 2006. The Ashe Quilt Trail currently includes a total of 58 quilt squares scattered throughout the county, with 12 added in 2008. Four more are in the works.
“We have phone inquires every week with folks interested in putting a quilt on their barn,” said Rebecca Herman, program director for the Ashe County Arts Council.
After the arts council matches property owners with local artists and the quilt squares are painted, Ashe High School carpentry classes help frame and install the blocks, Herman said.
Maps of the Ashe County Quilt Trail are available at the Ashe Arts Center or the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce office in West Jefferson. An incomplete map of the trail is available on the arts council website. For more info, call 336-846-2787 or click to www.AsheCountyArts.org and scroll down for a link to the Barn Quilt Project webpage.
For more information about quilt trails in other western North Carolina counties, click to www.QuiltTrailsWNC.org.
Avery Quilt Trail Poster On Sale Now
The Avery Arts Council now has 18- by 24-inch glossy posters featuring 12 quilt squares in the Avery County Quilt Trail. Photographed by Doug Wood, a quilt trail volunteer and painter, the featured quilt squares adorn 11 vintage barns and the historic Cheese House of the Lees-McRae campus.
The posters, on sale for $5 each, are printed on high-quality paper that is suitable for framing. They are available at the Cheese House or can be mailed for an additional charge. For more info, call 828-898-4292.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
