Madison artist revives old barnwood to create “Flags Over Wisconsin”

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Jeremiah Logemann sees art in old barns.

The volunteer firefighter runs Flags Over Wisconsin, a business that came out of a passion project six years ago.

Logemann looks for barns that are run down, reclaiming the wood into American flags and other works of art. “We have a thing for the shape of our state,” the Wisconsin native said. “It just resonates, so a lot of the things I do have our state in it.” He also prints stickers, hoodies and t-shirts-- all things “Wisconsin-y."

“The beauty of it is what Mother Nature has done to it in our unique climate here in Wisconsin for 130 years," Logemann said. “People say things like, ‘You can run it all through a CNC machine, and you could cut out a million of these.’ You really can’t.”

Sometimes, his projects have unique flairs. His current projects include a Wisconsin-shaped board with an old-fashioned cocktail and another with a fist for Black Lives Matter.

Flip it around, and patrons will find the story of how the wood came to be.

He explained his process: “I try to find the oldest person I can find. I take them out for a couple beers, and I write down everything they say for two hours.”

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