Bicentennial Barns: Madison County NY

I’m a huge fan of Bicentennial barns painted by Scott Hagan “http://barnartist.com” of Ohio. From 1997 to September 2002, the Ohio Bicentennial Committee commissioned artist Scott Hagan of Belmont County to paint a barn in each county with the committee’s logo and colors. Nearly 2,000 barn owners volunteered their barns to be painted. In the end, Hagan painted 101 barns freehand, including one in each county. One was destroyed by a tornado shortly after its painting and was replaced. The barn painting program was conceived as a cost-effective way to advertise: each barn cost $1,500 to paint, about $500 less than the rent for a billboard. The painted barns celebrated the state’s 200th anniversary in 2003. By 2013, many of the painted barns had faded or been repainted or torn down. Hagan went on to paint barn advertisements across the country.

Between 2004-2006 16 barns were painted with the Madison County Bicentennial Logo by Hagan. In 2006 Madison County celebrated its Bicentennial. There are 15 barns one in each of the Counties towns and the city of Oneida. Bicentennial barns give people the chance to witness the work of a master and curator of a lost American art form.

On August 20th while traveling in Madison County I had the the opportunity to photograph 4 of the 16 barns. My plan is to photograph the remaining barns over the next year or so.

Cheers!