A patchwork of public art created by 600 children has put Maine on the American Barn Quilt Trail. The High Peaks Creative Council in Phillips, with support from MaineCF and other funders, organized the network of hand-painted murals to help build community pride and increase western Maine’s visibility as an arts, cultural, and recreational destination.
Students from Stratton, Phillips, Kingfield, and Strong elementary schools, and Mount Abrams Regional High School painted the large panels now displayed primarily on historic barns and buildings. The quilt project taught them much more than the art of cooperative painting; they also studied the history of barn architecture, color theory, and quilt design.
Saskia Reinholt, who led the effort, says quilts have been a part of her life since she was a child and watched her mother create “countless masterpieces.” The quilt trail was an opportunity “to create public art that would be meaningful to most families,” she says, “and appreciated even more so if local children had a hand in creating the art.”
The Maine High Peaks Barn Quilt Trail connects 25 murals in Strong, Avon, Phillips, Madrid, Rangeley, Eustis, Kingfield, and New Vineyard. An interactive map at highpeaksmaine.org locates the quilt blocks, local landmarks, heritage sites, villages, and arts venues.
Sixth-grade students at Kingfield Elementary School paint a large quilt panel. Photo Saskia Reinholt
