Special Thanks!
There are so many people and groups I’d like to thank who played a role in the development of this project!
My amazing art students! You have truly shocked me with your skill, curiosity, and creativity that pushes the bounds of what has been done before! You are True Stars!
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Liesl Siebert for awarding me a $20,000 Rural Innovation Grant, finding value in my Augmented Reality Barn Quilt idea and helping me realize this dream for student opportunity and contributions to contemporary art and culture! And for answering all of my questions.
Adam Shriver for being my rock and for your dedication, perseverance, and general lippiness 😀 and Mongo (kitty) for your bear paw imprint on our hearts; you were gone too soon from us.
Loni Meier for your technical and procedural direction as well as your abilities to keep things fun!! And to your family Jamie and Jackson for letting me borrow you so many times!
Lani Gehlsen for your Maslow’s support :D, good laughs, patience, and confidence-building in this particularly challenging year, it meant a lot!
Starmont Administration: Kathleen Sweet, Annie Bradford, Robyn Hosch, Troy Heller, and the Starmont Board for supporting my idea and this grant project with $10,000 (matching grant) from the Talented and Gifted funds!
NewBoCo: Matthew Barnhart, David Tominsky, Robbie Nesmith, Jenn Joyce, and Jess Bertling for your weekly meetings, technical skill, perseverance, and problem-solving with the development of the StarAR project. It looks great!
Curriculum team, Kristi Donlon and Kathleen Sweet for the best curriculum development experience I’ve ever had and for the best lesson plan we’ve ever made!
Quilter, (Mama) Stef Krueger for sharing your superb quilt craftsmanship skills and making quilt history and meaning come alive in your interview for students!
Barn quilt enthusiasts, Danny Steiber and quilter Anna Kendall “The Barn Quilt Guy/ Kids” for sharing your extensive research of barn quilts in Iowa, underground railroad connections to quilt patches, and quilting in interviews for students. So sorry for Danny’s passing, Anna :.( It’s really amazing how many lives you’ve touched.
Barn quilt artist, David Morarend for your amazing barn quilt trail project on St. Sebald Road, Strawberry Point, IA, where you singlehandedly (with God’s hand guiding you) painted and gave away each barn quilt artwork for the community to enjoy! Wow!
Jim Koch, Director of the National Cattle Congress for your support of the arts and allowing us to use your barn quilts as inspiration for student work.
Photographer, Jason Rubin for photographing various barn quilt trails for us, getting permissions, documenting, and editing. It’s a lot of work!
ISU Team: Professor Anson Call, Ivan Rasmussen, and Grayson Lee for your input, animation expertise and collaboration for this project with my students! You all are each really kind and talented people!
Tricia Fuglestad for connecting a major dot for this grant project due to your article in School Arts Magazine and for letting me pick your brain!
ISU Extension Offices for your interest and outreach
Starmont Faculty, Staff, and Parents: Cathy Smith, Kim Torson, Susie Norberg, Carmen Swales, Molly and Mike Augustine and family, Michelle Walker, Susie Hamlet, Lenny Hansel, Jerry Bentley, John Becker, Donna Moeller, Michelle Becker, Cristen Bockenstedt, Linda Sneed, HS student helpers, Area Education Agency and to all of the amazingly generous teachers at a Starmont who allowed me a little extra time at one time or another with the students for all of the roles you’ve played in helping me this school year and related to this project. It’s made things go! You are appreciated!
Starmont area community: Michelle at Strawberry Building Supply, Lorna and John at Meyer True Value, Patty Lincoln at the Strawberry Point library and all of the lovely families who have shared their sites, stories and barn quilts with us! This definitely would not have been possible without your support.
And lastly, thank you to all of you who have given kind words of support, enthusiasm and for sharing the StarAR project with your friends! StarAR is only complete when people experience it, especially with other Viewers!
If you are an enthusiast or a teacher interested in contributing to this visual culture, contact us, and in the subject line, let us know if you are an enthusiast (willing to document barn quilt trails accurately) or a teacher wanting to offer students an opportunity to contribute to your area’s art and culture.
As you view these sites, please be respectful of the families, their property, and please, be safe, and watch out for animals, machinery, and oncoming traffic as you enjoy your road trip into the sights and sounds of Iowa’s diverse and beautiful countryside.