Folk art lives on in Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pa — Eric Claypoole has painted more than 100 barns, a craft he began as a child alongside his father, the late barn star legend Johnny Claypoole. Each brushstroke, he says, requires a careful “dab and wiggle” to reach every crevice.

In a not-so-distant past, barn stars and hex signs were iconic symbols of rural life in central Pennsylvania.

Today, only a fraction remain, but a local cultural center is working to preserve and celebrate these vibrant pieces of American folk art.

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center is inviting visitors to explore these treasures through the Barn Star Art Tour in Kutztown.
The tours showcase dozens of decorated barns.

Claypoole hopes to keep painting for decades, honoring his fathers legacy with every star.