Cowley County barn quilts will be well represented at the “Painted Quilts across the Flint Hills” exhibit which will be open to the public at The Great Overland Station, 701 N. Kansas Avenue, Topeka beginning January 29.
All twenty-two counties, including Cowley County, are represented in the exhibit which details the origins of the quilt trail, how to make a barn quilt and displays of the painted works of art. Included in the display are photographs of many of the 355 barn quilts along the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail.
Organized in part by Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail committee member Connie Larson, several months of planning and preparation led up to the creation of the exhibit. “The Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail is grateful to The Great Overland Station for the opportunity to exhibit the art form of barn quilts and share the significance of the barn quilts promoting the rural pride of the Flint Hills.”
The Quilt Trail movement began in Ohio as a community tourism project of twenty barn quilts displayed along a self-guided driving tour. Quilt trails can now be found across the United States and Canada and attract visitors to rural communities.
The Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail was formed in 2012 to promote tourism and rural pride throughout the 22 county region and is sponsored by the Kansas Flint Hills Tourism Coalition. Seeing a great opportunity to attract visitors to Cowley County, the Cowley County Tourism Alliance began to promote and grow the Cowley County leg of the trail, which now boasts over 100 barn quilts that are mapped and on display along public roadways across the county. A map and information on the Cowley County Barn Quilt Trail can be found at Visit.CowleyCounty.org or visit KsFlintHillsQuiltTrail.com to see the trail in its entirety.
The “Painted Quilts across the Flint Hills” exhibit will be open to the public in the Fink Exhibit Gallery January 29 through April 30 following a member’s reception on Thursday, January 28. Sponsored in part by the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail, Cowley County and the Kansas Flint Hills Tourism Coalition the exhibit is expected to attract many visitors interested in learning more about the barn quilt movement and to appreciate the works of art.
“We are very excited to see Cowley County and our local barn quilts represented so well at the exhibit”, said Deb Firebaugh, Cowley First Assistant. “To be included in the development of the exhibit that will bring attention to Cowley County and attract new visitors to our area is a great opportunity for our communities.”
Museum hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In celebration of Kansas Day, on January 29, all guests will receive free admission to the museum to view the exhibit. Directions to the museum and other museum information can be found at www.greatoverlandstation.com or call (785) 232-5533.
