The High Peaks Barn Quilt Trail

Maine High Peaks Barn Quilt Trail is a network of 25 barn quilts located in Strong, Avon, Phillips, Madrid, Rangeley, Eustis, Kingfield, and New Vineyard. The quilt murals were curated by artist Saskia Reinholt and painted by over 600 children in North Franklin County under the guidance of teaching artists Saskia Reinholt and Natasha Bogar. Participating schools included the Stratton School, Phillips Elementary School, Kingfield Elementary School, Strong Elementary School, and Mount Abrams Regional High School. Rangeley Friends of the Arts after-school program and the New Vineyard Public Library participated by hosting community painting workshops. Students learned about the history of barn paintings, quilting, color theory, geometric design, cooperative painting, and were engaged in cultural discussions. The community barn quilt trail was made possible through grants and support from the Maine Community Foundation, Maine Arts Commission, The Betterment Fund, Sugarloaf Charitable Trust, Skowhegan Charitable Foundation, Franklin County TIF, Jordan Lumber, and local volunteers.

The Maine High Peaks Barn Quilt Trail is a community-made public art trail that enhances the Maine High Peaks Arts and Heritage Loop, celebrates rural traditions, encourages tourists to move through a rural landscape, and links into the national American Barn Quilt Trail. This collaborative community project was organized by the High Peaks Creative Council with the goal of furthering the visibility and reputation of the Maine High Peaks Region as an arts, cultural, and recreational destination.

Get involved!

Join the growing barn quilt trail by making your own or by hiring a local artist. Request to register your barn quilt with www.highpeaksmaine.org to be listed on our growing map by emailing saskia@highpeaksmaine.org.

• MDO Plywood
• Exterior oil-based primer
• Your choice of exterior paints and finishes (Chroma Mural Paint with a varnish-like Frog Juice, oil-based sign paints, or exterior latex paint with UV protection).
• Painter’s tape
• Paintbrushes
• Ruler, straight edge, T-square, Triangle, etc.
• Pencils
• Graph Paper

1. Choose your design
2. Common sizes are 8’ x 8’, 6’ x 6’, 4’ x 4’
3. Cut your plywood to size, fill edges with wood putty, and sand edges
4. Prime the panel with an exterior oil-based primer
5. Draft your design on the panel
6. Apply tape lines to create clean lines around geometric shapes of color
7. Paint in your design. Apply at least two coats
8. Apply varnish or top coat with UV protection