On May 28th the first in a series of Barn Quilt Blocks was erected in Tulelake, California at the Tulelake Cold Storage.
The building is owned by Reba and Dennis VanAcker. Barn quilt blocks are specially designed, hand-painted, 8×8-foot wooden artworks that adorn historical barns and buildings.
Rural Klamath Connects, a non-profit group from three Oregon towns, Merrill, Malin, and Bonanza and two California towns, Tulelake and Dorris—with grant funding help from The Ford Family Foundation, Travel Oregon, Siskiyou Arts
Council and the Oregon Community Foundation—have collaborated to bring together area residents, their historic barns and buildings, and their artistic talent to develop a barn quilt trail connecting the five towns.
The Connecting Border Barn Quilt Trail project, to be completed over three years, will design and produce a series of 50, eight-foot Quilt Blocks that will portray the culture, history, and landscape of these five rural communities in the Southern Klamath Basin.
Phase 1 of this project will result in a total of ten Barn Quilt Blocks, two per community. Phase 2 will see an additional 15 blocks, three per community along with a brochure that will include a trail map. Information will also be integrated into local, county, and state tourism websites. The final goal is for 50 plus Barn Quilt Blocks.
The commitment of this team is to contribute to the preservation of the region’s rich history and to educate residents and visitors about culture, agriculture, landscape, and natural resources along with the amazing history this region has to offer.
If you have questions and would like to speak to someone knowledgeable about this project drop into Tater Patch Quilts, 109 E Front Street, Merrill, OR, 97633 during regular business hours.