Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Pioneer Farm will have a new aesthetic addition. An eight foot by eight foot wooden kaleidoscope quilt pattern will soon be displayed on one of its buildings.

This barn quilt is part of the Barn Quilts for Lafayette County project. The objectives of the program are to bring families and local organizations together to celebrate and promote the culture and history of Lafayette County, promote rural tourism, preserve barns and draw attention to the architecture and history of barns and other buildings.

The national effort to promote barn quilts began when Donna Sue Groves of Adams County, Ohio, painted a barn quilt for her mother. She then shared the idea with surrounding communities, dreaming of a national "clothesline of quilts."

The Barn Quilts for Lafayette County project began when Mary Jo Stutenberg, academic department associate for the computer science and software engineering department and master of science in engineering program at UWP, saw a barn quilt on a local highway on her way home from Galena, Ill. Inspired, she began plans for her own barn quilt. Her adult children then surprised her with a barn quilt for a Christmas gift. This encouraged her to start the Barn Quilts for Lafayette County project.

The Lafayette County UW-Extension Office, Lafayette County 4-H Leaders, and Home and Community Education are working with Stutenberg on the project. Alliant Energy, the Lafayette County Economic Development Committee and Thrivent Financial are sponsoring the project. While the group has approximately 20 volunteers and three sponsors, they are looking for more, so they can meet their goals and expand the project.

Pioneer Farm's quilt is one of two in progress. It will be displayed at the Dairy Breakfast on June 14 and the Lafayette County Fair June 25 through 29, both at the Lafayette County Fairgrounds in Darlington. Attendees will have the opportunity to paint a portion of the quilt square and sign up to have a quilt square on their own barn. Participants may also purchase quilt pattern jewelry at these events. All proceeds will benefit the Barn Quilts for Lafayette County. The group would like to have at least six barn quilts up throughout the county by the end of this year.

"Barn quilts have grown in popularity in rural areas, particularly in the Midwest. Through the efforts of Mary Jo Stutenberg and the Barn Quilts of Lafayette County organization, Pioneer Farm will be able to display, on one of the farm buildings, a symbol of our long agricultural heritage. The design of the quilt and using the orange and blue UW-Platteville colors will be an aesthetically pleasing highlight to the farm," said Phil Wyse, Pioneer Farm manager.

Barn quilts come in two feet, four feet, eight feet, and 12 feet squares. While most are mounted on barns, people may purchase them for their homes or commercial buildings. The quilts cost approximately $300 each, but with funding from grants and sponsors, Barn Quilts for Lafayette County is able to subsidize some of the costs so that the cost is as low as $50. People can either have Barn Quilts for Lafayette County paint a quilt pattern for them or get instructions from the group and paint their own.

Anyone wanting more information about the Barn Quilts for Lafayette County or wanting to volunteer or sponsor may contact the Lafayette County UW-Extension Office at (608) 776-4820 or barnquiltswisconsin@yahoo.com or Stutenberg at (608) 744-3451 or stutenbm@yahoo.com.

Contact: Mary Jo Stutenberg, academic department associate, computer science and software engineering department and master of science in engineering program, (608) 342-1625, stutenbm@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu