Kentucky has long been known as a center for the sewing of colorful quilts in many patterns and designs. But over the past several years, painted quilt patterns on the sides of barns in Kentucky have emerged as a new form of self-expression and cultural pride for rural residents.
Kentucky residents have banded together to display a part of their cultural heritage in a statewide art project. In a conscious effort to lure tourists away from interstate highways, Mail Pouch Barn quilt artwork has turned rural roads into an eye-catching art gallery. Hundreds of unique eight by eight quilt panels have added a cheerful note on roadside buildings, floodwalls and rustic barns, creating a series of quilting trails. Elliott County in northeastern Kentucky probably has the most, with about 60 barns adorned with the patterns. In western Kentucky’s Pennyrile region, innovative quilt painters have started using metal to provide a longer life span for their patterns.
