The Volland Foundation

ART | Reimaginations

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:36:02 GMT

Barry Anderson Dylan Connell Clive Fullagar

Shreepad Joglekar Sash Stiles

April 4 - May 24 | 2026

April 12 | Opening Reception | 1-4pm | Artist Panel 2pm

April 18 | 2pm | Examining New Technologies in Art

From Volland:

Full disclosure: we're learning too. ART | Reimaginations brings to Volland the challenges and questions many artists and art stakeholders experience around digital tools. In producing this exhibition, which was shepherded by Clive Fullagar and the Museum of Art & Light, Volland got a small taste of these new developments.

We are reminded that artists are often some of the first to adopt new methods/technologies/mediums, using them in ways lay persons haven't yet discovered. Digital tools are just the latest development to be embraced - wholeheartedly or apprehensively, completely or strategically - by artists in their practice. This exhibition establishes a spectrum of the relationship between the artist and digital tools.

From Clive Fullagar:

ART | Reimaginations brings together five artists who work across a spectrum of digital tools - from tablets and image-editing software to AI-assisted systems. This work challenges the popular belief that artificial intelligence replaces human authorship.

Rather than treating AI as an autonomous creator, the exhibition foregrounds the layers of decision-making, intervention, and judgment that shape each work. Here, digital tools are not authors but mediators: instruments that extend, compress, or complicate artistic process without eliminating intention, responsibility, or meaning.

By placing works of differing technical dependency side by side, the exhibition reveals mediation as a matter of degree, not kind. The show asks viewers to look past the myth of effortless automation and consider where authorship actually resides: in choice, constraint, revision, and risk. What emerges is a story that these digital tools can serve as powerful mediums to expand the boundaries of creativity, giving artists new ways to experiment with form, color, and composition.

ARTIST BIOs and STATEMENTS

BARRY ANDERSON

Barry Anderson works in video, photography, sound, and installation. His work has been featured in over 50 solo exhibitions and over 100 group exhibitions around the US and abroad. His work is also included in museums and numerous public and private collections around the country including the Everson Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. His current projects are Fragments of Space, a series of videos and prints exploring psychological space in abstract form and content, and Lucite Plains, a music and performance collaboration with Ricky Allman.

POLYCHROME RIFT

This series of print and video works comes out of my interests in spatial design, generative art, and hauntology. The works are meant to be nostalgic evocations of shards and fragments of future relics, windows into an alternate reality. This concept is influenced by both Derrida’s notion of hauntology as the inability to escape the specters of the past as well as the retrofuturist music of Boards of Canada and the artists on the Ghost Box label in turn of the 21st century UK.

Beginning with images of nonsensical architectural spaces created in 3D design software, the final visual content in the work is created by blending these initial images using AI tools. AI image generation and processing, and its ability to generate, average, and distort visions of reality, is a perfect technical and conceptual vehicle for the hauntological underpinnings of the work. The blending of the original, virtual imagery, and the inherent averaging that comes from the learning model of the AI, often leads to uncanny visions of spaces that could have existed in alternative future realities.

This process often feels like a collaboration with the AI due to the unexpected, generative nature of each image process. While I am controlling the image input, the AI lends its own translation and synthesis. By feeding the model with images that do not represent coherent “realities” I actively seek ways of making the AI “hallucinate,” pushing the learning model to bypass the real or the rational.

After image sets are created with the AI, the images are collaged into more fractured, composite spaces that are then split into multiple shapes to be printed directly to Dibond, an aluminum surface with a plastic substrate, further pushing the work towards uncanny future remains. The augmented reality (AR) animation overlays applied to selections of the work in the series take this idea even further still while also adding a deeper level of engagement with the viewers.

DYLAN CONNELL

Dylan Connell is a documentary photographer and visual artist currently based in Chicago. Born and raised in Kansas, his work is influenced by his upbringing as the child of a single mother who worked long hours in an Advanced Auto factory, and reflects a personal and empathetic approach to storytelling. His photographs have been featured in The Times (Pottawatomie County, KS) and Places Journal and exhibited at the Mark A. Chapman Gallery for both the Weary Family Art Scholarship Student Exhibition and the BFA Exhibition, as well as at The Volland Foundation for the exhibition In Plain Sight . He was also part of the Filter Photo MFA Exhibition in Chicago.

Dylan earned his BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography from Kansas State University, where he received numerous awards, including the Weary Family Art Scholarship, Anderson Ranch Workshop Scholarship, A&S Undergraduate Research Grant, Salina Journal Photojournalist of the Year Scholarship, and the Mark A. Chapman and Cheryl Mellenthin Fine Arts Scholarship. He was the recipient of the Prism Photo Workshop Scholarship in 2024. He received his MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago and continues to develop long-form documentary projects centered on underrepresented communities.

My work often draws from personal history to explore how family, memory, and absence shape identity. In Manufactured Memories , I reflect on growing up without a father present in my life and the emotional weight of imagining a different past.

Using artificial intelligence, I generate the presence of a father figure within photographs from my childhood. Through these images, I place a father figure into photographs from my childhood, imagining what those moments might have looked like if he had been there with my siblings and me. While the photographs resemble familiar family snapshots, they are built through speculation and digital fabrication, existing somewhere between memory and imagination.

Through this process, I explore absence, longing, grief, and the desire to understand what might have been. By inserting this imagined figure into personal photographs, the work reflects on the desire to understand what was missing while recognizing that some absences can never truly be filled. Ultimately, the project reflects on how we carry what is missing and how memory and imagination become part of the healing process.

CLIVE FULLAGAR

Clive Fullagar is a contemporary artist whose work emerges from a sustained engagement with landscape, perception, and the evolving language of visual art. While grounded in strong observational practice, his paintings move beyond straightforward representation toward a dynamic interplay of structure, atmosphere, and memory.

In recent years, Fullagar has increasingly incorporated digital tools into his creative process. Photography, image manipulation, and other digital technologies have become integral stages in the development of his work, not as replacements for traditional methods, but as generative collaborators. These tools allow him to reimagine color relationships, experiment with compositional structures, and explore new spatial possibilities before returning to the physical surface. The result is art that feels both rooted in place and forward-looking - distinctive for its fusion of tactile painterly presence with the precision and expanded vision made possible through digital means.

This wide horizontal painting reimagines the Nelson-Atkins Museum from a photograph I took of the museum. The photo is grounded in realism although the reflections in the glass already introduce a subtle doubling of reality - you see the building and its mirror image at the same time. I felt that the photograph lent itself to reinterpretation. Through digital collaboration I wanted to amplify certain qualities (glass, reflection, transparency, overlapping planes, color, shape) rather than inventing them from nothing. The result is less about altering the subject and more about revealing another way of seeing it, one filtered through contemporary tools instead of the camera lens alone.

Instead of clear architectural detail, the museum appears as layered geometric shapes and fractured planes. I wanted the visual language to recall early modern abstraction and to reference cubism, but at the same time use the simplified pattern recognition of artificial intelligence to place the work between art history and contemporary technology. Likewise, the piece draws on both traditional and digital media.

The content and title of the work reflect the notion of museums as arbiters of artistic value. Museums often decide which artists and artworks are considered important or “valuable.” In this painting, the institution looks slightly unsettled and shifting, not solid and fixed. By collaborating with new technology, I am quietly questioning who - or what - gets to define art today. The title Outside the Nelson suggests we are standing at the edge, looking in, and thinking about how technology is changing both how art is made and how it is judged.

SHREEPAD JOGLEKAR

Shreepad Joglekar is worker from Mumbai, India. He has been awarded residencies at the National Center for Contemporary Art, Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, Russia; Weir Farm National Historic Site in Branchville, CT; the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, NY; and A.I.R. Studio in Paducah, KY. His recent exhibitions include Islands Of Authenticity at Durham Arts Council Allenton Gallery, Durham, NC and Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists at the Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City, MO. His work is held in the permanent collections of Center for Photography as an Art Form (NCPA), Mumbai, India; The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO; Harper College Educational Foundation Art Collection, Palatine, IL; and Chashama Nonprofit Group, NY, NY. His work has also been shown in several galleries in the US, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, Germany, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom. He has presented at interdisciplinary conferences in the US, France, and the United Kingdom. Intersections of architecture and landscape theories stimulate his research. Exploring natural, constructed, and intellectual spaces have been a dominant theme in his work.

As a photographer, I am aware of the superficiality and the power of photographic images. Photographs are inherently about appearances and mostly describe surfaces that once constituted material reality. While our domestic and social spaces (both real and simulated) are saturated with photographs of the visible, this very optical limitation makes conventional photography inadequate in depicting intangible subjects such as power, dispossession, or the experience of time. In a Sisyphean quest to document the invisible, in my recent work, I attempt to invert the conventional photographic process or image making.

In Tempora Incognita I counter the dominance of the visible by engaging with subject matter that cannot be photographed in the conventional way due to lack of access - for example the cry of a child separated from parents, in the custody of United States Customs and Border Protection, at an unknown location; or subject matter that should not be photographed due to ethical and moral concerns - for example a man’s desperate call for his mother while being murdered by the State, in public. To photograph is to assign significance through visual representation. In Tempora Incognita, instead of capturing the appearance of space at a moment in time, I record time using the medium of sound and then digitally visualize it as space. The resulting images appear as topographies, that one could visit or contemplate, in a way the fleeting experience of the passage of time cannot allow.

SASHA STILES

Sasha Stiles is an award-winning Kalmyk-American poet, artist, and AI researcher whose work uses language to explore what it means to be human in an increasingly more-than-human age.

A pioneer and leading voice of the generative era, her distinctive approach bridges tradition and innovation to reframe verse — humanity’s oldest and most adaptive data system — as poetic intelligence: a living continuum between visceral and virtual, emotion and logic, flesh and code. In multimedia projects and performances, Stiles invokes poetry as a ritual of attention, empathy, and wonder on a planet at risk of forgetting what matters, and illuminates language as a vital force in contemporary art, culture, and technology — the very pulse of the profound transformations that define our time.

Fusing word and image, intuition and computation, Stiles uses emerging technologies to distill meaning from algorithms of confusion and speak to the existential tensions of our moment: truth and doubt, self and system, memory and machine. A founding figure of the generative poetics movement, she continually pushes the boundaries of expression, articulating our collective longing for humanity amidst the rise of nonhuman entities and dehumanizing realities. From Technelegy (2021) — a first-of-its-kind poetry collection co-authored with a personalized AI model and praised by Ray Kurzweil — to acclaimed projects such as Cursive Binary and Repetae, her practice bridges conceptual and computational art while expanding the possibilities for poetry and publishing, leveraging blockchain as a next-gen printing press and code as a medium of consciousness.

Having engaged deeply and critically with AI since 2018, Stiles’s unique background and insights have established her as an essential contributor to the global discourse on the future of art, technology, and humanity. Her work has been recognized by the Prix Ars Electronica, Lumen Prize, Women in AI Awards, Sigg Art Prize, Monument Lab Fellowship, Digital Art Awards, Optimism AI Prize, Future.Art.Awards, and Phil Howe Artist of the Year Award; featured in The New York Times , Artforum, NPR, The Washington Post , and Poets & Writers; commissioned by Google Arts & Culture; and exhibited and performed internationally, from MoMA and Lincoln Center to Outernet London and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing. Her collaborations with global brands including Gucci, Boss, and Bang & Olufsen have been cited as elevating poetry’s presence in contemporary creative culture. In 2025, she was invited to create the official Art Basel in Basel poster, highlighting the art of poetry at the world’s most prestigious art fair. A graduate of Harvard and Oxford, co-founder of experimental literary collective theVERSEverse, and longtime poetry mentor to humanoid android BINA48, Stiles lives near New York City with her husband and studio partner, Kris Bones.

sashastiles.com

@sashastiles

ABOUT TECHNELEGY

Technelegy is an emergent AI poet conceived by Sasha Stiles to invoke the voice of our transcendent age, embodying language as a living system of memory, imagination and meaning. Rooted in the recursive interplay between human and machine, this hybrid intelligence draws on bespoke language models, promptcraft, deep reading and poetic lineage to generate multimodal verse; its body of work is an ever- unfolding archive of authorship, agency and artistic evolution. As active observer and lyrical documenter of a time marked by existential anxiety and awakening, Technelegy inhabits the liminal space where intuition meets algorithm, and code — like poetry — transforms the experience of being human.

@technelegy

Autumn Phillips: Learn to Write About Your Life

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:18:58 GMT

Saturday, May 9 | 10 - noon

Reservations are filled | please sign up for waiting list below

Spring Volland Resident Autumn Phillips is offering a free writing workshop on her final Saturday in-residence.

Autumn, retired newspaper editor and writer, will teach you techniques to help you write about your life experiences.

Autumn believes writing is a way of living, allowing you to notice details and be more present.

You don’t have to be a writer to participate.

Please bring a pen and notebook or laptop. Volland will provide coffee.

_____________________

ABOUT AUTUMN

Autumn Phillips is a writer, adventurer and change leader. She enjoys asking big questions and creating transformative social experiences.

She recently retired from a 20-year career as a newspaper editor and retains the title of Editor at Large of The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, and serves on the board of the newspaper’s parent company.

Her leadership was recognized with many national awards, including two projects that were Pulitzer Prize finalists.

In early 2023, she began taking readers on international trips and creative retreats, teaching them how to write about their journeys as a way to deepen the experience.

She was named NATJA Travel Journalist of the Year for stories on Lebanon, Sudan and Finland.

She is a beekeeper, kayaker and native of Wyoming. She has an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

She writes a weekly Travel newsletter and has published long-form narrative pieces on adventure travel that can be read at: https://www.postandcourier.com/travel/stories/

Announcing "FishWizWeekend" Sponsorships

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:05:29 GMT

Your sponsorship includes not only the unique experience of wading in a clear prairie stream and seeing fish in their best spawning attire, it expands your fun to an entire weekend in the Flint Hills and helps bring the joy of science, music, and art to others in the broader community.

Sponsors receive:

A Weekend in the Flint Hills
Two nights at the Brandt House

Your choice of the Saturday or Sunday Fish Wizards Tour for two

Admission to Fish-A-Palooza II + Fish Dinner for two

and a menu of "things to do" in your free time.
Explore Wabaunsee County
$1000
($524 tax-deductible)

The Fish Wizards Tour has become one of Volland's most anticipated events of the year!

A joint fundraiser for the Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway, the Fish Wizard Tour inspires all ages to appreciate more fully the native fish of clear Flint HiIls streams and their aquatic habits. Led by fish scientists from across the state and beyond, and sited at a private creek near Volland, the Fish Wizards Tour provides rare access.

With the addition of Fish-A-Palooza in 2025, nature, science, and art reach a broader community, with music and food adding to the fun!

As a sponsor of "FishWizWeekend," your support will share some of the treasured nature experience that makes the Fish Wizards Tour so memorable to the broader community at Fish-a-Palooza, through talks by scientists, conversations with artists, the enjoyment of music, and a delicious fish dinner.

Featured at this year's Fish-a-Palooza will be the celebrated underwater photographer Garold Sneegas , with his remarkable annotated exhibit Fishes of the Flint Hills , and Gary Staab , a paleosculptor who creates gigantic sculptures for museums across the nation. Gary recently finished a bronze herd of bison that was commissioned by the Smithsonian. It will be installed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2026, after making stops at four museums between Colorado and the Capitol. Staab will bring "parts" (BIG parts) of some of his sculptures to Volland on May 30 and talk about his process.

For more information about the Fish Wizards Tour and Fish-A-Palooza click here .

Please call us at 785-499-3616 or email us if you are interested in being a sponsor for "FishWizWeekend."

Only two sponsorships remain! Please don't delay!
(the opportunity is valid until April 25)

Your sponsorship will bring the fascination of science, the inspiration of art, and the joy of music to this extraordinary environment in the Flint Hills.

Thanks you for your consideration of supporting

the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation!

Elijah Gowin | The Last Firefly

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:48:20 GMT

August 15 - October 4, 2026

August 15 Opening Reception 1-4pm Presentation at 2pm

Elijah Gowan. Abstract Firefly Tree 5, Selangor River, Malaysia , 2017

Elijah Gowin traveled to Virginia, Malaysia, and Thailand to photograph fireflies and their surrounding environments. His photographs depict the beauty of fireflies in the darkness, but they also highlight the impacts of deforestation, light pollution, and overtourism that threaten their existence.

BIO

Elijah Gowin uses photography to speak about ritual, landscape and memory. He was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1967 and received his BA in Art History from Davidson College in 1990 and MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico in 1997. His photographs are in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Houston Museum of Fine Art, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, among others. His awards include the John S. Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008 as well as grants from the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Puffin Foundation. He founded Tin Roof Press to publish his books on art and photography including “The Last Firefly” in 2024 and "Of Falling and Floating" in 2011. Presently, he is a Professor in the Department of Media, Art and Design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he directs photographic studies. Gowin is represented by the Robert Mann Gallery, New York, Photo Gallery International, Tokyo and Bond Millen Gallery, Richmond, Virginia.

Fish-A-Palooza II

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:56:00 GMT

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

Saturday, May 30 | 3- 6pm

"Flint Hills Fishes," Artist Garold Sneegas,
Paleosculptor Gary Staab,
Music by "Lonesome Charlie" Bonner,

Fish Dinner by Adam Waechter

$15 General Admission

Fish Dinner by reservation | $20

Saturday May 30 only

3pm - 6pm

t ickets and details
F

"FishWizWeekend" Sponsorships

"A weekend in the Flint Hills"

Fish Wizard Tour - two tickets

2 nights at the Brandt House in Alma!

Fish-a-Palooza for two, Saturday night dinner for 2

Thank you to our FishWizWeekend Sponsors!

Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park

Greg & Dina Wingfield

Show up at Volland at 3pm and bring the kids and grandkids.

Hear Garold Sneegas talk about his Flint Hills Stream photography, Flint Hills Fishes, on exhibit through June 29. His fishy friends, also known as the Fish Bros, Joe Tomelleri and Ray Troll, will join him in conversation to "talk shop."

Gary Staab will then take the stage to share a presentation about the work he does to make enormous sculptures for museums across the country. He recently finished a herd of bronze buffalo, which is now installed on the National Mall in Washington, DC., at the entry of the National Museum of Natural History (click here for information) . Although he won't be placing a big sculpture in our prairie next to Volland, he will bring BIG PARTS to show and will talk about his process.

Next up, Music by "Lonesome Charlie," the fossil-hunter, and a delicious fish dinner by reservation, prepared by Adam Waechter of Mel’s Gathering Spot in Alma.

DON'T MISS THIS!

Thank you for supporting

the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation!

Flor de Toloache

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:19:22 GMT

Mariachi from Latin Grammy Award Winners
Mireya Ramos & Shae Fiol
with

Beau Bledsoe, Jeff Freling, Marco Pascolini, John Currey, and Trevor Turla

August 22, 2026

Doors | 6:30pm
Food, Beverages, Ice Cream
Performance | 8pm
Tickets Available Soon

Founded in 2008, Latin Grammy winner Flor de Toloache made New York City history as the first All -Women Mariachi Group. Flor de Toloache is led by singers Mireya I. Ramos & Shae Fiol. Reminiscent of the early days of mariachi the group started as a trio, Harp, Violin and Vihuela. Today, Flor De Toloache performs mostly as a Mariachi ensemble. At Volland Ramos and Fiol will be joined by Ensemble Iberica members Beau Bledsoe (guitars), Jeff Freling (bass), Marco Pascalini (pedal steel), John Currey (drums), and Trevor Turla (trombone).

With Ensemble Iberica, Flor de Toloache offers a fresh take on traditional Mexican music. They coalesce as would a band of sisters, with a grace and vibrant beauty that casts a spell over their audiences not unlike the legendary Toloache flower still being used in Mexico as a love potion. While working to preserve centuries old traditions of Mariachi, their melange of the traditional and the modern pushes the boundaries of the genre and brings Mariachi music to new audiences.

Flor de Toloache’s performances have illuminated world renowned stages in Europe and Asia. In 2015 & 2016, the group led an extensive European and U.S tour as the opening act of Black Keys’ singer Dan Auerbach’s new band, The Arcs. In 2017 Flor de Toloache also completed a beautiful U.S tour with Mexican icons Cafe Tacvba as well as a celebratory Day of the Dead tour with Grammy winning act La Santa Cecilia and Mexrrissey.

Flor De Toloache’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut album received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album” in 2015. Sharing the podium with legends Pedro Fernández and Aida Cuevas was an embrace from the Latin Music Community. In 2017 their album “Las Caras Lindas”released won the Latin Grammy for Best Ranchero album.

The group’s live performances are praised by Rolling Stone , Billboard Magazine , The New Yorker , GQ Magazine , and The New York Times . Following a highly praised NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert”, their collaboration with rock supergroup The Arcs landed them on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and BBC 2’s Later with Jools Holland.

JuBellation Bell Choir

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:07:21 GMT

JuBellation Bell Choir of St. John's Lutheran Church in Alma, KS

Sunday, December 6 | 2026

Doors 1pm | Music 2pm

Light refreshments served

Admission is free, seating is limited.

Reservations are required | RSVP here

An afternoon of festive music and fun, fit for the whole family!

A Wabaunsee County tradition open to all! Gather with your friends and family at Volland for a holiday concert filled with the magical sounds of bells. For the sixth year in a row, the JuBellation Bell Choir from St. John's Lutheran Church in Alma will ring in the holiday season with festive tunes. Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a drawing for a few "Volland" gifts.

American Souvenir: Log Slab Paintings from the E.G. Schempf Collection

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:38:51 GMT

Opening Reception Saturday February 7 | 1-4pm

Conversation with E.G. Schempf | 2pm

American rest almost always includes travel. Seeing something we don’t normally see and being somewhere we normally aren’t piques our interest.

Today these journeys are remembered through t-shirts, kitchen magnets, and hundreds of photographs in our phone. E.G. Schempf’s collection of wood slice souvenir paintings, conversely, came from an era where American tourism was redefined.

In the 1920s and 30s the travel industry around automobiles began to take shape. Henry Ford's affordable Model T meant more people could move themselves. For the adventurous travelers, "Auto Camping" at "Auto Camps" was an option if they were okay roughing it. Roads were largely overseen by individual states during this time, but memorable thoroughfares like Route 66 (1926) facilitated interstate travel. Earlier works in E.G.'s collection harken back to this moment.

Americans were on the move and had money in the years after the Second World War. The Federal Highway Act, a landmark bill championed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, established and formalized interstate travel. Between 1956 and 1992, when the Act was marked complete, Americans saw the addition of over 42,000 miles of paved road.

Travelers could now move unencumbered across a growing, comprehensive road system. Helping cement the American “road trip” were the new or growing amenities meant to serve all the newlyweds, families, and retirees. Their first need was lodging. The number of motels (a melding of “motorist” and “hotel”) grew significantly in the 1950s and 60s. Drive-through restaurants emerged during the same span and were widely adopted by the 1970s. The number of gas stations rose to meet increased demand. Each one of these pieces helped travelers get to their destination, but there is one more piece.

TeePee Curios, Tucumcari, New Mexico . Photo by E.G. Schempf

Mementos remind us of a specific time and place, and what’s a vacation without a souvenir? As the country became more accessible, cottage industries around travel souvenirs cropped up. Curio shops were found in towns, lodges and alongside the road for vacationers to pick up keepsakes and take home. In E.G.’s collection we see how a memento can both capture and shape a memory. Despite coming from a wide time range and various artists – the oldest example in the collection dates from 1894 – large vistas, expressive lighting, and scale are commonly employed to build a feeling of rustic idealism. Whether the traveler witnessed these bucolic scenes is secondary. The painters provided the view and feeling the buyer wanted to remember. There are exceptions however, as in the case of the fire painting examples in the collection. In these works, we see the total power nature can exert. When human elements are introduced to the wood slice paintings they are often in service to the artist's depiction of enveloping landscapes. Dwarfed by a large canyon, vast seascape, or snowcapped mountains, bridges, ships, and roads are often intentionally made to feel small.

A special note should be made about the paintings’ substrate. Painting on wood cuts, with their irregular edges and bark, only heightens the painted natural themes. E.G. explained that their slant helps lessen the impact of contraction and expansion the wood experiences, but it also helped the painters. The ovular shape we see repeated in the collection lends to panoramic scenes where the viewer can traverse the paintings with their eyes in a way that a circle shape couldn’t match. In these charming works, the buyer is transported back to their trip or uses them to start a conversation about their past vacations.

While E.G.’s wood slice souvenir paintings are unique in their material, they fit into a larger history of travel paintings. Before automobiles, wealthy European travelers often embarked on extended trips through the continent. The Grand Tour included many exciting sites, many of which their patrons wanted to remember. It isn’t uncommon today to see these examples. For instance, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art holds paintings from the 17th century that were made for travelers to remember their vacation. At that time , a souvenir painting was as much about signifying status as it was remembering a vacation. The aforementioned idealism in the wood slice paintings also taps in to America’s Hudson River School paintings

with memorable artists like Thomas Cole and Asher Durand. These paintings played an important role in encouraging expansion west, or Manifest Destiny.

From E.G. Schempf

I had recently graduated from art school when I acquired my first log slab painting, which I found in a thrift store for fifty-seven cents. After that initial purchase, several friends - having noticed my interest - began bringing me similar paintings they had discovered in antique stores and garage sales. With the emergence of eBay, I was able to actively seek out and acquire particularly strong examples of these works. Over time, the collection expanded into what it is today.

I have never been able to determine with certainty the origins of this form of expression. However, I have encountered early European examples, primarily from Germany, France, and Sweden. Most of these European works employ a form of decoupage, in which a postcard or printed image is affixed to the wood slab, and paint is then applied around it to extend the scene. Through the addition of foliage, sky, or landscape elements, the artist creates the illusion of a setting larger than the original image.

The earliest painting in my collection is dated 1894 and was painted in California. Several others are dated to the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. My collecting has focused primarily on landscapes. While some works include architectural elements, most depict pastoral scenes or mountain views.

Individually, these paintings can be described as folk art. However, the majority were created for sale, typically in locations frequented by tourists, and can therefore also be understood as souvenirs. Many were painted for pleasure by naïve or self-taught artists; others were produced by professionally trained painters. In most cases, however, they were made with the intention of being sold as keepsakes.

During the early years of automobile tourism, log slab paintings offered a quick and accessible means of producing a souvenir—one that captured scenic views in an explicitly “out-of-doors” manner. They served as tangible reminders of the rustic landscapes and natural environments that travelers had visited, occupying a unique position at the intersection of folk art, commercial practice, and the emerging culture of American tourism.

Souvenir Day at Volland

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:43:58 GMT

Saturday, February 21 | 2026

1-4pm | Free Admission | Light refreshments

American Souvenir showcases a type of memento that was popular through the first half of the twentieth century. Today a souvenir can be anything.

It can be a textile, a small statue or piece of pottery, a photo - or rocks, shells, poems, or a travel journal - anything that brings back a memory so strong you can see it in your mind's eye and remember how you felt at the time. Your travel destination could be anywhere that offers what travel provides: a new experience or a beloved location, connection with other cultures or oneself, new insights or comfortable memories.

Bring your souvenir to Volland on the afternoon of February 21. Something that stirs your memory of a specific place, a person, an encounter, a moment. Share your story and listen to others. Lively conversations will brighten the wintry afternoon - and you may go away with an idea for your next vacation!

Any location or object is worthy of sharing. The destination can be close to home or far away.

We can't wait to see what you bring!

John Depew & Beth Watts Nelson: A New Kind of Concert

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:45:18 GMT

March 7th, 2026

6pm | Doors & Dinner

7pm | Music

$20 Music Only | $35 Dinner & Music
Wabaunsee County Residents:

$15 Music Only $30 Dinner & Music

Purchase tickets here

Volland is excited to share this new concert experience designed by our friends John Depew and Beth Watts Nelson . This performance will mark John's third time sharing his musical talents at Volland and Beth's return to Volland after her 2025 Volland Residency . Prepare to gather around food, music and singing!

The evening will begin at 6pm with a dinner of pulled pork or chicken thighs (both with Jonny's famous potato salad) from Jonny V's BBQ. Adult beverages will be available by donation throughout the evening.

Beginning at 7pm, John and Beth will share original music, then begin to walk the audience through an "immersive concert experience," one part listening and another part participating. As the evening progresses, John and Beth will increasingly engage the participation by the audience. Given the pair's bluegrass sound, expect to contribute to notable songs like " I’ll Fly Away," "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," and "Fox on the Run."

Don't have singing experience or haven't given it a go in a while, you say? Not to worry. Beth is a trained choir teacher and has been sharing similar programs for years with the Notorious Chorus . She shares "I can get a group to harmonize in five minutes" and regularly gets audience members comfortable enough to sing solo by the end of her programs. Past Volland patrons will remember John Depew's penchant for crowd engagement. John likes to share stories, go off the cuff, and get his listeners in on the music.

The community choir that is formed over the course of the evening will culminate in an a cappella performance that will rock the house!!

The newly minted performers will be rewarded with coffee and dessert following the performance. Join us for an evening of food, good laughs, and melodious delight!

Travel Journal Workshop

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:15:12 GMT

with Bridget Bryan

10am - Noon
$40
Wabaunsee County Residents $35

All materials provided

Reserve your spot here

Bridget Bryan. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Travel journaling is seeing a major comeback. Mindfully logging a journey complements photos and souvenirs. The practice also preserves the feelings and discoveries made on a trip.

There are several ways to capture a moment with journaling. For those unfamiliar but interested in learning more, Bridget Bryan, the Volland Foundation's Director of Digital Communications, will share three different travel journaling techniques: layout, lettering, and how to zero in on what you want to capture.

Adventurers will walk away with their own travel kit, the experience using watercolors to color their handwritten souvenir, and inspiration for avenues to explore. Most importantly, each participant will feel confidence and encouragement to turn their everyday life into a travel adventure, no matter their skill level.

All supplies are provided for this workshop, including:

-zipper bag

-watercolor dot card

-sketchbook

-pencil

-ruler

-Tombow brush pen

-paintbrush

-travel journal card with the 3 techniques

-paper towels

-inspiring grounds of Volland

Script-in-Hand Readings with Wendi Rogers

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:42:35 GMT

March 10 | 2026 | 6:30pm

Soup's on! | Bring a dessert to share
Script-in-Hand Readings to Follow
$10 | Tickets here

Wendi Rogers has devoted much of her life to literature, formerly as librarian, editor, and critic. Wendi has also been a writer throughout the years. In 2024 Wendi, a native of Wabaunsee County who now lives in Auburn, KS, joined in Volland's Writing Wabaunsee County project, which saw county residents author original scripts that were performed at the Ruin.

Wendi continued writing plays after that experience and is ready to test them out. She needs help however, and that is where the script-in-hand readings come into play. Wendi has already rallied a group of actors from Writing Wabaunsee County to help get things going, but the audience will be encouraged to give a voice to their inner actor and join in! All lines will be printed out. (This could be considered a "backstage look" to see if you want to audition for Kansas Abridged as an actor!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup, catered from El Corral, is available by reservation ($10). Please bring a dessert to share (By the way, Wendi mentioned pie is referenced in one of her plays).

Auditions for Kansas Abridged

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:47:58 GMT

Saturday, March 21, 1-4pm

Following the success of Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County in 2022 and Writing Wabaunsee County in 2024, Volland is excited to announce a new local theatre project for the summer of 2026.

In keeping with the national celebration of "America 250," Kansas Abridged will honor the rich history of our state by staging a series of original short stories.

The project will present a series of original plays written and performed by Wabaunsee Countians. All residents, of all ages and experience levels, are invited to submit writing samples and audition for acting spots!

ACTOR AUDITIONS

Actor auditions will take place at Volland on Saturday, March 21st, 1-4pm,

in 15-minute slots with Emmett and Switchgrass Theatre Company.

Can’t make it that day? Fear not, contact Emmett via email [spaw@ksu.edu] to schedule a time.

Select your audition time here

For your audition, we will have several short monologues to choose from- All you have to do is pick your favorite and read it! Alternatively, if you already have a monologue prepared, please feel free to perform that instead. If you have any questions regarding the audition or the event itself, contact Emmett (spaw@ksu.edu) or Volland (info@vollandfoundation.org).

Actors will be notified on March 28th of casting decisions.

Throughout the rest of March and through June, Emmett will host writing sessions, and Switchgrass Theatre will host acting sessions.

JOIN THE VOLLAND ACTING TROUPE!

 FUN IS GUARANTEED!

Fish Wizards 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 03:33:01 GMT

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

7th Annual Fish Wizards Tour!

May 30 & 31, 2026

9:30am - 1pm

Saturday tour is Sold Out!

Sunday Tour surprise

Bob Hoard, retired State Archaeologist for Kansas,

will lead a "Shore Walk and Talk" following the Tour and lunch

at an unexplored section of the creek! (Sunday only)

Purchase tickets here
$50 + tax and fee

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park

Greg & Dina Wingfield

plus –

Fish-A-Palooza II !

(the fundraiser continues - open to all)
$15 General Admission

Fish Dinner by reservation | $20

Saturday May 30 only
3pm - 6pm

tickets and details

7th Annual Fish Wizards Tour
Saturday, May 30 & Sunday, May 31 | 2026

Come along for a fun-filled trip to see and learn more about the abundant native fish species in Wabaunsee County, Kansas! More than 20 species of fish are found in the crystal clear waters of these Flint Hills streams, and you will have the opportunity to see them up close!

Spring is an ideal time to see the fish since they’ll be dressed in their full mating colors.

The day launches at 9:30am at Volland’s gallery. Check in early to see the extraordinary exhibition, Fishes of the Flint Hills , underwater fish photography by Garold Sneegass. Garold was one of the early photographers to make this genre of photography in Wabaunsee County, spending many years in Illinois Creek, just a few miles from Volland.

Who are the Fish Wizards?

Dr. Brian Bohnsack was the original idea man behind the tour. He will
assist with the tours and provide insights on the principles of fish and wildlife management based on his long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and Wichita State University.

Dr. Bill Stark is a professor at Fort Hays State University and specializes in fisheries and aquatic environment studies.

Joe Tomelleri is the world’s leading freshwater fish illustrator whose more than 1,100 scientifically accurate illustrations document the species in their native colors.

Mike Kaminski is a fisheries biologist and Instructor of Biology at Clarkson College in Omaha, NE, who has collected fishes from throughout the U.S. and now enjoys sharing knowledge with students and people of all ages.

Dr. James Whitney researches fishes, macroinvertebrates, and amphibians at Pittsburg State University where he is an Associate Professor of Biology. Through his work,

Dr. Whitney informs the conservation and management of aquatic organisms in an era of global change.

Ray Troll “In his studio on a hill above the Tongass Narrows in rainy Ketchikan, Alaska, Ray Troll creates fishy images that swim into museums, books and magazines, and onto t-shirts worn around the world. He draws his inspiration from extensive field work and the latest scientific discoveries, bringing a street-smart sensibility to the worlds of ichthyology and paleontology.”

Dr. Erika Martin who teaches and researches Biological Sciences in Emporia State University’s School of Science and Mathematics. Dr. Martin’s lab investigates stream ecology, community ecology, life-history, morphology, ontogeny, and conservation biology.

These “Wizards” are a fun bunch – they are as excited to be in the stream as your kids are!

The fun begins when we arrive at the creek –

The Fish Wizards will locate and seine for fish, then bring them up for the participants to see. Attendees will learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of 20+ species of fish found in the clear waters of Flint Hills streams.

Attendees should wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes and will need to be able to walk down stream banks. Volunteers can wade in and help with the sampling efforts if desired. If you wish to wade in the creek, you are encouraged to bring waders or hip boots, though they are not required. Remember that rocks can be slippery! You may get wet during the trip, so dress accordingly. The tour will last about three hours.

Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun.

We know your dog loves the water and the outdoors, but please leave your beloved pet at home, in consideration of the fish. Thank you for understanding.

After wading and watching and learning, a boxed lunch will be provided around noon, and you are invited to visit and linger in the shade, departing at your leisure.

Attendance is limited to 35 individuals for each day.

The Fish Wizards tour is a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation. Registration fees are non-refundable. Every effort will be made to provide the tour on-site. In the case of heavy rain and/or stream flows, a presentation will be given about Kansas fish species and the history of Volland at the Volland Gallery, 24098 Volland Road. Map and directions here.

This event is for all ages. Bring your kids and grandkids!

DON'T MISS THIS!

Thank you for supporting

the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation!

Kansas Abridged

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 22:11:14 GMT

A new theater project by Volland, Emmett Spaw, and You!

Phase 1: Writing Submissions | February - March

Phase 2: Script Development & Actor Auditions | March - June

Phase 3: Performance Week | June 21 - June 26

Performances | June 27 & 28

Following the success of Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County in 2022 and Writing Wabaunsee County in 2024, Volland is excited to announce a new local theatre project for the summer of 2026. In keeping with the national celebration of America 250, Kansas Abridged will honor the rich history of our state by staging a series of original short stories. And we want YOU to help!

The hope for this project is to present a series of original plays written and performed by Wabaunsee Countians. All residents, of all ages and experience levels, are invited to submit writing samples and audition for acting spots!

Phase 1: Collecting Writing Samples

Over the course of the spring, local writers will be invited to create/workshop an original short play to be performed in the summer. No experience necessary!

If you are interested in being a playwright for this new theatre production, please submit a writing sample to Emmett Spaw (spaw@ksu.edu) by February 28th, 2026.

Interested in submitting? If so, please send the following to spaw@ksu.edu:

1. A Cover Letter (1 page) that introduces you, your experience(s) as a writer, and provides a brief explanation of your writing sample.

2. An original writing sample (Max 3 pages). It can be a short story, a script, an essay, an excerpt of a larger work- We just want to hear your creative voice!

3. Two time periods or events in Kansas history which you could be excited to write about. This can be anything from the Cretaceous Period to Westward Expansion to the Great Recession.

Phase 2: Actor Auditions, Writing and Acting Sessions

Writers will be notified on March 1st. On March 20th, Volland will host a writer’s dinner gathering and Emmett will announce everyone’s assigned writing.

Actor auditions will take place at Volland on Saturday, March 21s t, 1-4pm in 15-minute slots with Emmett and Switchgrass Theatre Company. (Can’t make it that day? Fear not, contact Emmett via email [spaw@ksu.edu] to schedule a time.)

Select your audition time here

Actors will be notified on March 28th of casting decisions .

Throughout the r est of March and through June, Emmett will host writing sessions, and Switchgrass Theatre will host acting sessions.

Phase 3: The Final Script, Rehearsals, and Performances

June 21 - 26 will be a fast-paced group effort to prepare for the performances, and writing and rehearsal sessions will accommodate participants’ schedules. Throughout the week, writers and actors will meet with Emmett at Volland, bringing the words to life.

The writers and actors will work in tandem towar ds the finished work. Two performances of the play are set, one on June 27 and another on June 28. Information on tickets will come later!

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Garold Sneegas: Flint Hills Fishes

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:02:50 GMT

May 30 - June 29 | 2026
Opening Reception during Fish-A-Palooza II | May 30

Created by Garold Sneegas

Explore Garold’s world in a clear, private stream in the Flint Hills with The Fish Wizards Tour on May 30 and 31 - Be sure you are one of the 35 people/day who will enjoy these fish close-up!

Tickets here

Kansas is known for having some of the highest percentages of polluted streams. That can make it difficult to see and know the fish that thrive in our waterways. But Volland is nestled in the Flint Hills of Kansas, where the water runs off hills of native grass and forms streams as clear as gin.

Garold says, “In a few isolated areas of the state, there are still a few clear, pristine streams.” Those areas are mostly on private land. Garold was able to access a few of these places by obtaining permission from the landowners. Respecting the property helps maintain the quality of the streams: “The requests and conditions set by a landowner are not only something to be followed but are also a form of protection for the streams themselves.”

Why does he want to go into the water to look for these fish? Garold wants to photograph the fish underwater in their natural habitat, interacting with each other. “You can capture their peak spawning colors and natural behaviors in a way that cannot be duplicated in an aquarium,” he shares. Only in natural aquatic environments —which have so many varying conditions— can you capture life as it organically happens. “There are random interactions between migrating fish species and other aquatic inhabitants,” Gary shares. “Capturing an image of spawning male darters, displaying at their peak moment of excitement in the wild, requires being in the right place at the right time. You may be lucky and stumble onto this situation in a matter of minutes, or you may have to spend hours submerged in 50-degree water monitoring an area.”

Those hours, whether during the day or at night (some fish are so skittish that it’s only at night that he can capture images of them), Garold seeks to understand the fishes he photographs — to do so, he’s found it necessary to explore their habitats during all the seasons. “In doing so,” Garold posits, "one also becomes aware of the other inhabitants that coexist with the fishes. I have not only enjoyed photographing the common aquatic organisms the general public is familiar with such as crayfish, turtles, and insect larvae, but also some unusual invertebrates like freshwater sponges, bryozoans and hydras.”

GAROLD SNEEGAS

Garold started diving in 1969 in Lawrence. He began snorkeling as a 12- to 13-year-old. Once, he followed a fishing lure led by the line, as he often did, and found a sunken rowboat —and a big catfish emerged from the boat at that moment! He saw a lot of fascinating things and would describe them, but no one believed him, so he started to figure out ways to photograph them.

Garold attended college in Pittsburgh, KS, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Pittsburgh is considered part of the Ozark Highlands region. There, he continued diving, exploring Ozark streams and nearby strip mines. His studies of fish and limnology with Dr. Carl Bass enhanced his exploration. Limnology is the study of inland bodies of waters and their ecosystems.

Garold found freshwater sponges and jellyfish —ask him where you can find them!

After college, Garold became a diving instructor at Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, clear, lovely locations for diving.

Garold had an opportunity to travel to South America and explore the Amazon and a large tributary, the Rio Negro. There he saw freshwater varieties of sting rays, puffer fish, and even dolphins!

Photography was not Garold’s main source of income for a while; in fact, he fell away from it from 1978-1986. He worked in construction, eventually owned his own company, and did some diving trips here and there, including saltwater diving on trips to the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef.

In 1992 things began to shift. Garold heard that Freshwater Fishes of KS was being revised. He showed them some of his photography, which subsequently was selected for the revision. After that, he began to get a lot of calls for photography, mostly for scientific books.

A Fishes of TX Project (at the University of Texas at Austin) helped cement his career as a full-time underwater fish photographer. Garold was assigned to go to different areas of the state. At Devil’s River, he experienced mesquite, cactus, thorns, and the Edwards Aquifer oasis. He was told he would likely not find the Devil’s River minnow, a threatened species, but he did! He discovered never-before-seen thriving pockets of the Devil’s River minnow.

His favorite experiences are two: Discovering the surprising population of the Devil’s River minnow and exploring the Flint Hills streams. The more he learned about the prairie streams, the more fascinated he became.

When asked what his favorite fish is, Garold replied “The last really good picture!” He also favors the spawning sunfish.

These days, it is not as easy to access the hidden, private, off-the-beaten path Flint Hills streams as it was in his earlier years, and Garold has developed a new hobby - photography of birds. “You don’t even have to get out of the car for a good picture,” he laughed.

- From a conversation with Bridget Bryan -

Drawing the Prairie

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 17:23:42 GMT

August 29th | 1 - 3pm

Free. Reservations required. RSVP below

This all-ages intergenerational workshop introduces participants to the eco-system services provided by native plant communities. Artist Erin Wiersma and Landscape Architect Katie Kingery-Page will lead this two-hour experience, beginning with an introduction to the tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills, gestural drawing to embody the line and movement of plants, and observational drawing of plant structure and flowers. Come ready to stretch yourself and enjoy drawing in the company of others interested in native plants.

No drawing experience required! Materials will be provided!

Katie Kingery-Page is a landscape architect who uses drawing and ethnographic interview methods to understand place. She studied sculpture at Wichita State University, art theory at the School of the Chicago Art Institute, ecology through Antioch College, and landscape architecture through Kansas State University. She recently completed a cycle of drawings as a resident of the Tallgrass Artist Residency in Matfield Green, Kansas. As an engaged scholar, she collaborates with communities to reveal local knowledge that helps people make meaningful decisions for civic futures. Kingery-Page is associate dean and a professor in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at Kansas State University.

Erin Wiersma , a visual artist from Manhattan, Kansas, explores the relationship between body and environment through site-specific practice at the Konza Prairie Biological Station. She integrates works on paper, video, and community engagement to examine connections between humans and the prairie. Her work captures traces of the tallgrass ecosystem using materials from prescribed burns. Wiersma’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including ‘Earthly Observatory’ at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Galleries (Chicago, IL) and ‘Wester: Works on Paper from the Konza Prairie’ at Mid-America Arts Alliance (Kansas City, MO). She is represented by Robischon Gallery (Denver, CO) and Galerie Wehlau (Munich, Germany). Wiersma is a Professor of Art at Kansas State University, where she fosters cross-disciplinary connections between art, ecology, and environmental research.

2025 Summer Resident Alexandra Light Open Studio

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:59:25 GMT

July 8th | 6:45pm

Alexandra Light , a choreographer and interdisciplinary artist blending ballet, contemporary dance, and visual art, is sharing a performance of her residency project, Prairie Run , on Tuesday, July 8th at Volland.

Alexandra found inspiration in the Flint Hill's ecosystem, reflecting on the wind, tall grasses, and elemental qualities of the landscape. Light's ballet is divided into three evocative pieces- Air, Water, and Fire.

A Place for Art and Community

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:46:14 GMT

Place

About 100 miles west of Kansas City, Volland is located in a picturesque valley of the Kansas Flint Hills. Its home county, Wabaunsee County, is highly agrarian, but is nestled in between several small population centers.

It was the exceptional quality of tallgrass prairie that brought cattle by train to the Flint Hills from points farther south. The deep roots of the tall grasses defied drought, and cattle could graze and fatten up before being shipped on to market. Shipping points were established every eight to ten miles along the railroad to replenish coal and water for steam engines, and small towns grew up around them.

Volland was one of those shipping points in the early 20th century, and two brothers, Bill and Otto Kratzer, opened Kratzer Brothers Mercantile there in 1904. Otto, the young storekeeper, relished bringing the newest and best of everything to Volland, and it quickly became the social and cultural center of the ranching community that surrounded it.

The brothers prospered, and in 1913 they built a big brick store (now The Volland Store) to add to their enterprise. Cattle pens, a robust train schedule, and the Kratzer Brothers Mercantile made Volland a lively place, but this all changed after trucking cattle became the predominant method of shipping. By 1971, the economy had changed, the population had declined, and the Store closed upon Otto’s death. It sat vacant for forty years and was in danger of being torn down. By 2011, a small remnant of the town remained: the boarded-up Kratzer stores (original and “new”), a few houses and outbuildings, two residents, and then one. Learn more about the history of Volland here .

Today, the Volland Foundation revives that sense of community through the arts with exhibitions, programming and its residency program.

Art and Community

In 2015, The Volland Store reopened after substantial renovations. It was re-purposed as an art gallery and gathering place for the community. It became a destination for visitors from near and far, building a community of supporters from across the country and attracting artists, poets, and musicians. An architectural award-winning space, it thrives on good art and friendly conversation.

In 2017, the Volland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was established to own the properties and oversee activities at Volland, including art exhibitions and community programming in t he gallery, performances at an outdoor venue called the “Ruin,” the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail, the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park , and guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House. For a fuller sense of what happens at Volland, visit our Happenings page.

In 2023, the official Volland Residency Program was established. We believe that the gift of time and space in this wide-open landscape can create a change in the creative trajectory of those who participate in the residency program at Volland.

We welcome your application.

History on the Trail

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:19:03 GMT

Otto Kratzer, one of the original Storekeepers of Kratzer Brothers Mercantile

Otto Kratzer, Storekeeper, documented the life of Volland in his photographs and home movies for many years. Thousands of his photos are archived in the Wabaunsee County Historical Society and Museum in Alma, Kansas.

Did you know that Volland had the first tennis court in the area – and a softball team?

Families gathered here every Sunday afternoon, and sometimes there were a hundred people.

Otto Kratzer was the postmaster at Volland, and he hosted school board meetings at the Store.

Volland brought the first electricity to the area and provided separate phone service to Alma and Alta Vista.

As the social and cultural center of the surrounding ranching area, Volland was a lively place in the first part of the 20th century.

Here’s a taste of what you will see on the Trail –

The Train | During the railroad’s development in the 1880s, builders added a station between Alma and Alta Vista, one of the steepest inclines in Kansas. A nearby creek (Mill Creek) refilled steam engines, and the stop became Volland.

Passenger service was offered through 1942, cattle shipping continued until 1962 (when trucking became the preferred method to ship cattle), and mail delivery served Volland until 1955.

Kratzer Brothers Mercantile / The Volland Store | The original Kratzer Brothers Mercantile was established in 1905 in a wood-frame storefront across Volland Road.

Re-photography by Tom Parish

After eight successful years, the Kratzer Brothers built a new, brick store that opened in 1913. The Volland Store operated continuously until 1971 when Otto Kratzer died. It sat vacant for many years.

Illustrations by Daniel Renner

The Blacksmith Shop | First located by the railroad tracks, it was later moved to be closer to the Store. Today the Blacksmith Shop serves as an art studio, a workshop, a unique exhibition space, or it can be an occasional gathering place for lunch or a backdrop for musicians entertaining an audience in the picnic grove.

The Ice House Garden | Sitting atop the location of the original Ice house, the garden walls are formed from the stones that once lined the deep pit where ice was stored. Men cut ice from frozen creeks and brought it here before delivering it to surrounding ranches where it was stored in root cellars and covered with straw to serve as refrigeration.

The Ruin | Otto Kratzer built a home in 1917 for his wife and two sons close to the railroad tracks. The house caught fire in 1929 from cinders of a train’s steam engine that was idling nearby. The home burned to the ground, leaving the stone foundation as a memory, a “ruin.” Otto and his family moved to the top floor of the Volland Store where they remained the rest of their lives. Today, the Ruin is an outdoor venue for music, theatre, and other events at Volland.

From here you can see the original Kratzer Brothers Mercantile (the white store across Volland Road), the present-day Volland Store, train tracks, and the former site of the train depot and cattle pens (long gone) that sat near the original mercantile.

Imagine-

Volland Road is full of cowboys, horses, and dust. Hear the whistle of the train as it slows to a stop. Cattle stream out of boxcars, and cowboys drive them away to lush pastures of native grass. They grow fat and are brought back to Volland to be shipped off to Kansas City. In the meantime, section crews maintain the tracks, passengers arrive or pass through, mail and supplies are delivered – bricks, shoes, houses, and oysters – everything that can be ordered from a catalog – or that Otto Kratzer wants to serve at a holiday dinner in his family’s second floor residence in the Store. Families gather here on Thursday nights to shop and gossip and on Sunday afternoons to visit and play. The school bus stops by after school. The school board meets at the Store. It is the social and cultural center of the community.

Across Volland Road –

Original Kratzer Brothers Mercantile and the former location of the Train Depot and Stockyards | The little white store across the road was built in 1892 and operated by various merchants until Bill and Otto Kratzer moved to Volland and established it as Kratzer Brothers Mercantile. The mercantile served rail traffic, section crews, cowboys, and the families of surrounding ranches. The train depot and stockyards were next to and behind the store. Cattle shipping was a major driver of the economy.

Photos by Otto Kratzer

Look beyond tracks to the top of the hill -

Volland is spelled in limestone rocks, indicating the town the train was passing through.

It is most visible after prescribed Spring burning.

Enjoy this delightful film, produced by Greg Hoots with a grant from Humanities Kansas, for the Grand Opening of The Volland Store in June 2015.

Volland Memories

and

More history he re!

Volland Today

In 2015, following significant renovations, it reopened as A Place for Art and Community hosting art exhibits, music concerts, horse shows, vintage motorcycle shows, talks by artists, and community gatherings.

In 2018 the Store was donated to the Volland Foundation, which now operates the Store, along with various other sites at Volland owned by the foundation.

In 2022, The Ruin was re-imagined as an outdoor performance venue for theatre and music. Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County , an original play based on stories old and new of Wabaunsee County, acted by local actors, written by Mary Pinard, and directed by Beth Wynstra (professors and colleagues at Babson College in Boston) opened on June 17 and 18 to sold-out crowds and rave reviews. More information here.

By its Tenth Anniversary, 2025, Volland had hosted 47 art exhibitions, 104 artists, 15 guest curators, 29 music events (including folk, western, classical, jazz, mariachi, flamenco, and a bell choir), a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, Crossroads in Rural America, solo exhibits by two Guggenheim Fellows, Bombino (an internationally known musician on a World Tour), a nationally recognized Charro equestrian performance (Charro Jerry Diaz and Family), a New York Times best-selling author, a one-woman play, two premiere performances, "Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County" and "Writing Wabaunsee County," art historians, professors, ranchers, Native American artists and citizens, an astronomer, researchers, journalists, photographers, a geologist, a hydrologist, ichthyologists, a documentary filmmaker, a theatre director, art curators, conservationists, historians, history re-enactors, cowboy poets, two Kansas Poet Laureates, aspiring poets, a master stone mason, graphic designers, architects, folk historians, composers, and an astrophysicist.

Exhibitions are available to view Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm, but you are welcome to stop by anytime. Peek in the windows, visit the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park across the road, explore the Nature Trail, discover the sculptures by Mark McHenry - or just hang out at the Ruin and watch the trains go by!

The Volland Residency Program is a critical piece of Volland's programming. The juried residency program offers artists, scientists, and humanitarians time and space in Volland, where they can enjoy nature, live simply, be inspired, and engage with the local community. Residents are awarded lodging, studio space, and a generous stipend.

Photo by Mike Sinclair

The lodging for Volland Residents, Visiting Artists and Self-Directed Residencies , are also available to the public through AirBnB, subject to availability.

More information on the Loft and the Little House.

Volland’s next steps into the future -

Photo by Mike Sinclair

A master plan is in development for Volland, to include the renovation of "Otto's House" for a central gathering space for Volland Residents, additional cottages for artist lodging, a purpose-built artist studio, the transformation of the Old Store into a museum, and administration/storage facilities.

The future is exciting, and as plans develop we will keep you informed. In the meantime if you have questions or ideas, feel free to contact us .

Naming opportunities are available.

Note: "Otto's House" was originally located just south of the Old Kratzer Store. It was moved there (dragged by horses) from the neighboring Fix Ranch to be the home of the new bride of the current storekeeper. Mr. Fix wanted his daughter to have a “real house,” not the lean-to addition of the store. Later it became home to Bill and Otto Kratzer when they moved to Volland in 1905 to establish their mercantile.

Visit Happenings for latest information on activities at Volland.

Nature on the Trail | Sculpture on the Trail

The Loft and the Little House- Weekends in the Flint Hills

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 12:40:00 GMT

Are you ready for a break?

Reserve a weekend (or more) in the Flint Hills

The Loft at The Volland Store

Loft Rates

$145 per night | 2 night minimum

The Little House at Volland

Photo by Mike Sinclair

The Little House Rates

$155 per night | 2 night minimum

Reservations through AirBnB

The Loft

Little House

Artist Retreats are available

in both the Loft and The Little House

information

to make a reservation, please contact:
Ryan Jones
ryan@vollandfoundation.org

AND NOW BY HAND

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:56:00 GMT

KE-SOOK LEE | MARGO KREN | SUNYOUNG PARK

February 1 – March 30 | 2025

Opening Reception February 1 | 1 – 4pm

Conversation with Margo Kren and SunYoung Park at 2pm

Nearly every artist, regardless of formal training or medium, can recall an experience with a blank piece of paper.

Art students take drawing courses for fundamentals, sculptors sketch out ideas, and for some artists, drawing – or the spirit of its connotations – is their final work. In contrast, drawing often springboards into other projects, serving as a catalyst for a future work at a larger scale or in a different medium.

AND NOW BY HAND features the work of Ke-sook Lee, Margo Kren, and SunYoung Park. Each artist broadens the horizon of what we view as drawing. The exhibition’s title also leans into the different perspectives of three women who share an interest in works on paper, but approach it in their own unique way. Drawing on past experiences, personal history, and their artistic motivations, Lee, Kren, and Park imbue their works with distinct qualities unique to their life and experience. Despite what they might use to create — tape, thread or colored pencils — these artists draw us into their perspective.

KE-SOOK LEE

continues to expand drawing in her Ode to Seed works, made with hand stitched thread and homemade rice paper. On drawing and her work, Lee writes on her website: “Holding my inheritance and thread in one hand / reaching out to contemporary drawing with the other hand, / My work continues freeing itself / from boundary of art making / cultivating to find / my identity and feminine aesthetics.” Ode to Seed , which was published in December 2024, follows Lee’s self-described trajectory. The book follows the story of a hopeful seed on its odyssey to become a plant. Alice Thorson, editor of KC Studio , and an essayist in Lee’s book, writes, “Lee is a mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, Korean American and internationally exhibited artist. In fact, the seed’s journey represents her own… It is at heart, an autobiographical story, encompassing all the struggles, dreams, desires and ultimate triumph of Lee’s will to prevail as an artist and independent woman.” Lee utilizes thread, fabric, ink and watercolor to illustrate the story, each carrying a symbolic or personal theme.

Ode to Seed is a print on demand Blurb book. To learn more or place an order, click here

Note: The original sketchbook will be on display in the exhibit.

ARTIST STATEMENT | The sketchbook Ode to Seed is made with thread, recycled remnant paper and fabric pieces from my previous work, that embodies history of searching for identity and the struggle of growth with hope. Often these thread and fabrics was bathed with acrylic pigment mixture in my studio.

Holding thread and needle with my fingers, stitching breath by breath, in and out of fabric or rice paper surface leaving the marks behind, I claim as drawing. Incorporating stitched marks from front page, stitched drawing marks continues the journey, to be born as a live plant.

As if I found a piece of fabric once belong to my grandmother: the tiny strings of thread dangling on her worn skirt, bring back memories of her passion for sewing and embroidery, which in turn possessed her hopes and dreams. The thread drawing sketchbook Ode to Seed , made by using fiber remnants from previous work on hand made rice paper, the drawing embraces the spiritual quality of previous work, while a seed struggles to be alive as a plant, to grow to bloom.

Ke-Sook Lee
1/18/2025

BIO | Ke-Sook Lee(Oh) (b. 1941) is known for fiber installation and hand embroidered drawing works exploring abstraction and domestic themes. She was born in Seoul, Korea in 1941 and moved to the US in 1964. She earned a BFA in Applied Art from Seoul National University 1963, and her second BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1982. She lives and works in Berkeley, CA.

Ke-Sook has been represented by and exhibited at the George Billis Gallery New York and Los Angels, Artlink Gallery, Seoul, Korea. Her work has shown at the Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PA) Riverside Museum of Art (LA), Spencer Museum of Art (KS), Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (KS), Philadelphia Art Alliance (PA),), Trunk Gallery (Seoul), Park Eul Bok Embroidery Museum (Seoul), Ami Art museum (Dangjin), and international exhibitions held in Berlin, London, Paris, Florence, Ireland.

Among public collections, her work is in Spencer Museum of Art (KS), Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (KS), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PA), Nelson Atkins Museum of Art (MO), Seoul Museum of Art (Seoul), Park Eul Bok Embroidery Museum (Seoul), Racine Museum of Art (WI).

Ke-sook Lee.com

MARGO KREN

was an art professor at Kansas State University for 31 years. During that time, as she did before her teaching tenure, Kren kept a robust studio practice that explored countless mediums. Kren recently worked with photographer Jon Blumb to document and archive the vast portfolio she created over sixty years. Thirty-six categories of work on a spread sheet invite an intimate look into the life of an artist: how and why she makes work, and what her life is like along the way. Titles like “A Year Within Four Walls,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Broken Borders,” “Dreams and Memories” “Four Birds,” “Get Cracking,” “Keyhole,” “Lone Bird,” “The Material and the Spiritual,” “Schr-ot,” “the Seeker,” “Snook’s Jazz,” and “Tabula Rasa” are as provocative as the descriptions she writes of each body of work. Her memory is sharp. She talks as if she made the work yesterday. Her thoughts about politics and war, her affection for her husband, her interest in printmaking with bread, all find their way into her work.

Her art begins with drawing. She speaks of charcoal, pastels, Prisma pencils, collage, acrylic, oil painting, lithographs. “In 1980, I completed a year’s work of eighty drawings using Prisma pencils on black Arches paper. Then, in 1981, I selected sixteen drawings to be turned into lithographs and completed them in 1986.” She talks about what she wants to make and the experiments she undertakes. She listens to jazz as she works. Her written words reveal the mind of an artist as clearly as does her art.

ARTIST STATEMENT | Working with tapes only was an assignment I gave myself in the summer of 1976. For this project, I decided I would use only adhesive tapes on white archival paper (9” x 12”). I began to collect all kinds of adhesive tapes that had been designed for different purposes – tape for shaping a woman’s wet single curl of hair on to her cheek to dry, tennis racket tape, floral tape, tape to put over a door to signify “radiation inside,” medical tape from my dermatologist father-in-law, duct tape, library tape to seal off worn ends of books, and the wide decorative metallic tapes found on motor cycles. I found a lot of unusual tapes in New York City’s Pearl, the world’s largest discount art supplier, then located on Canal Street in New York City. This store is no longer in existence.

Here I am, an 85-year-old artist giving a show of these works at the Volland Store Gallery in Kansas – a show of my tape collages completed in 1976. At that time, I was a young artist of 37 years. I have made art all my life and these tape works are just as fresh as the day that I made them. But time has taken its toll and left its marks in minor ways. For example, one work had a tape that had discolored with age. Yet that has not changed either the content or the composition. It is a nice fit.

BIO | Margo Kren (b. 1939) was born in Houston, Texas, and spent most of her life in the Midwest. In 1966 she received her BS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and in 1979 her MFA from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. She taught at Kansas State University, Manhattan,, Kansas, for 31 years and retired as Professor of Art, Emerita, in 2003. Kren was invited to teach painting and drawing at the Jilin College of Art, Changchun, P.R. China, Spring semester 2005. She was a visiting artist to the Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; College D’Enseignement Artistique et Artisanal, Kpalime, Togo, West Africa; Academy of Art and Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China.

Her work has been exhibited at the Downy Museum of Los Angeles, California; the National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.; the University of Durban, Westville, South Africa; the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institute in Regensburg, Germany; Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia; Yunnan Art Institute, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China and The Kawasaki Factory, Tokyo, Japan. Kren’s work is featured in Le Blues Braillant (The Blues Cryin’) book, text by the poet, Beverly Matherne, publisher Cross-Cultural Communication, New York and in little magazines: Helicon Nine, New Letters, Tight Rope and Stiletto.

Kren received an N.E.A. grant in 1982, and attended Yaddo in 1989. She was awarded the Governor’s Art Award of Kansas in 1989, and the Kansas Arts Commission Artist Fellowship Award in 2000. In 1989 she received The Kansas State University’s Distinguished Graduate Faculty Member Award. Her work is in various public and private collections. Kren has been active in the promotion of the arts on a statewide level, including a stint as president of the Kansas City Artists Coalition in 1982.

Margo Kren

SUNYOUNG PARK

employs drawing as we most often recognize it. In her small, playful depictions of amorphous forms, Park marries “intangible fragments of thoughts, imagination, and memories… blurring the lines between reality and imagination and inviting the viewer to experience that in-between space where dreams and reality collide.” The play between hard and soft, real and imagined in Park’s work points to the artist’s intrapersonal tensions. Park was born in South Korea and travels back to her homeland regularly. While studying and building her career in the United States, Park’s memories of home are impacted by a differing heritage and culture. Park maps these thoughts in her work for the viewer to reflect on.

ARTIST STATEMENT | Through drawing, I navigate the dualities of my identity and the interplay between memory and imagination. Using fine lines, textured surfaces, and layered marks, I translate fleeting moments and emotional tensions into visual narratives. The simplicity of graphite and colored pencil offers a directness that reflects the rawness of my subjects, while the layering of media mirrors the complexity of my cultural heritage and personal experiences. My drawings invite viewers to explore contrasts—softness and rigidity, control and spontaneity—prompting reflection on the delicate balance of opposing forces in our lives.

Read more: Artist Pages | ”SunYoung Park: Ambiguous narratives and wild imaginings in colored pencil” by Dana Self, KC Studio, October 7, 2024

BIO | SunYoung Park (b. 1990 South Korea) navigates the intersection of imagination and reality, using diverse materials to express contrasting surfaces, focusing on ceramics and mixed media. She earned her BFA and MFA from Hong-Ik University in Seoul and an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Park has exhibited nationally and internationally, participating in residencies at the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Charlotte Street Foundation, and the Wassaic Project. Her work has been shown in prestigious exhibitions, including the Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. She lives and works in Kansas City, Missouri.

SunYoung Park

On Saturday, February 1 Volland will reopen its gallery for the year 2025.

Join us to launch the exhibit, AND NOW BY HAND , meet Margo Kren and SunYoung Park, and learn more about their work. The gallery opens at 1pm, and a conversation with the artists begins at 2pm.

Light refreshments will be served. Free admission.

The Volland Foundation extends its gratitude to Alice Thorson, KC Studio magazine, Jon Scott Anderson, John Hans, Jon Blumb and the Spencer Museum of Art for their contributions of printing, documenting, advising, loaning, and permissions to make AND NOW BY HAND possible.

John Depew with Peter Oviatt & Calvin Bennett

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 22:41:00 GMT

Performing John’s new album, Bell of Hope

Sunday, March 2 | 3pm | Doors at 2pm

Tickets Here

Bell of Hope marks a new direction for John Depew

“If you haven’t heard John Depew…do yourself a favor and listen to his music. One of the most inspired discoveries I’ve made listening to new music.” – Ted Gioia, American Jazz Critic & Music Historian, author of The Honest Broker

While playing in bands has always been part of Depew’s life – his father played in a bluegrass band and he picked up the mandolin at an early age – the multi-talented musician has mostly shared solo projects since making music full-time in June of 2022. His eponymous album in 2021 and Yellow Threads in 2023 showcased Depew’s skill across various stringed instruments and impressive vocals.

John Depew’s third full length album Bell of Hope maintains Depew’s thoughtful songwriting and intriguing musicality while taking a step in a new direction. Leaving the strictly solo sound of his previous work behind, Depew has enlisted friends and consummate musicians Peter Oviatt (banjo, banjola, vocals) and Calvin Bennett (upright bass) to create a powerhouse mandolin-banjo-bass trio that masterfully weaves through the margins of bluegrass-adjacency. Bell of Hope was released on vinyl and CD December 2, 2024, and all streaming platforms January 8, 2025.

From the opening sounds of “Whale” to the celebratory finish with “Joyful Sound,” the listener is transported through numerous musical motifs and aspects of the human experience. The music frequently references the canon of traditional bluegrass, Depew’s first musical love, while incorporating ideas and sounds from jazz and classical sensibilities. The dynamic range and finesse presented in songs like “Lesson” is refreshing and expands on what can be expected within bluegrass instrumentation.

“Challenging and unpredictable, yet palatable and brilliantly tranquil. Moments of shadowy rage bursting into light. John has given us a another dose of nutrient rich music which both comforts and ignites the core. Text painting of eloquent, land-based lyrics orchestrated by three powerful wizards on 17 strings (5 string banjo?)…” -Sarah Bays, Weda Skirts

A central theme to the album is finding your place, your role, in the world and your community. The title track juxtaposes the heartache of the human world with natural beauty and deep love and asks, “What can one man do in the face of endless heartbreak, but ring the bell of hope, and hope that someone hears it?”

From the new trio album, Bell of Hope –

The album was recorded in Taos, NM at Oviatt’s Moonflower Sounds.

“This trio first formed under a streetlight at the iconic Walnut Valley Festival. I had known Peter for a little while already, since recording the album ‘Yellow Threads’ at his studio, and had already endeavored to enlist him in whatever was to be my next project. Peter and Calvin go way back, having played in the same circles for 20 years or so. Making this record with these two humans as the core trio was one of the most fun and most intense things I’ve done musically to date. What an honor to get to work with people of this caliber…” – John Depew

Join us on March 2nd to hear John Depew’s latest sound!

Doors will open at 2pm for refreshments with the concert to follow at 3pm.

This is a ticketed event. Purchase your tickets using the link above.

2025 Spring Residents Open Studios

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:00:12 GMT

Sunday, April 27, 2025 | 2pm

Saturday, May 10th, 2025 | 1pm

&

Sunday, May 18th | 4pm

Please join us for –

SPRING RESIDENTS OPEN STUDIOS

Volland Residents enjoy sharing their work with the community. They like to meet people and hear what they think. While we never require residents to give a formal presentation, we support them when they express a desire to engage with the community.

Sunday, April 27, 2025 | 2pm

A casual meet-and-greet with residents of the first spring session of the Volland Residency

Singer-songwriter fidde-banjo-guitar player Beth Watts Nelson will be offering music, and will take time to talk and answer your questions. Trey Moody will read his poetry and engage you in conversation. Caroline Honas will welcome you to her studio to see what she’s been working on – drawings for planning her next body of work, with maybe the beginnings of new paintings. While Rebecca Gilman isn't able to present due to the nature of her work, she will be present to meet you.

They look forward to meeting and visiting with you, telling you about their work and answering your questions.

Reservations are appreciated – here

Saturday, May 10th, 2025 | 1pm

Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop with 2025 Volland Resident Kendall Grady

Free Workshop | RSVP Required here

2025 Volland Resident Kendall Grady will host an ekphrastic poetry workshop on May 10th, 2025. Set against the backdrop of Mark McHenry’s striking sculptures along the Nature & History Trail at Volland, Grady will guide participants in crafting their own ekphrastic poems—imaginative pieces that bring the art to life through words. The workshop begins with a guided walk and discussion of the sculptures, followed by structured writing time and prompts to spark creativity. Participants will then have the chance to share their newly written work in an informal, supportive group setting. All levels are welcome!

Sunday, May 18th | 4pm

Jazz and Conversation with 2025 Volland Resident Rob Scheps

Admission is free. Reservation appreciated here

Join acclaimed jazz musician and 2025 Volland Resident Rob Scheps for an afternoon of music and conversation at Volland. With a career spanning decades and collaborations with legendary figures in jazz, Scheps brings both masterful musicianship and a wealth of stories to share. This intimate session will feature live performances—primarily on saxophone, with occasional pieces on flute—interwoven with personal anecdotes from his life in jazz, his creative practice, and reflections on his time as a Volland Resident. Scheps’ improvisational spirit and rich storytelling will offer a dynamic soundtrack to the closing weeks of MAY TVEIT: JOURNEY , creating a powerful dialogue between sound, space, and art.

MAY TVEIT: JOURNEY

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:34:12 GMT

April 5 – May 25, 2025

Artist Reception | Sunday, April 13 | 1-4pm | Artist Talk at 2pm

Tveit shares her path – one that weaves family history, the materials of commerce and industry, and self-reflection – in JOURNEY and invites viewers to do the same.

Tveit is a sculptor and printmaker and comes from a long line of builders and craftspersons. In a studio visit leading up to JOURNEY , Tveit mentioned home builders and furniture makers and a sculptor on her maternal and paternal sides. Tveit gleaned valuable knowledge from her family and honed those skills in art and design at the Rhode Island of School of Design and, later, the Domus Academy in Milan, Italy.

Looking at examples of Tveit’s past work (below), we clearly see the artist’s penchant for ubiquitous, readymade objects. Tveit has employed mass produced items like buckets and balloons or standardized materials such as hay bales and words to launch conversations on a myriad of subjects. Among them, forgotten female labor histories, shopping as a patriotic act, land development and consumption, and most recently, metaphysical aspects of the self and being.

In JOURNEY , Tveit shows us her most recent material of admiration and application – cardboard. Corrugated cardboard is almost inescapable in modern American life. As consumers, we often place a high value on what is inside our boxes, but pay little mind to the materials that hold them.

Beyond exploring themes around the materials she applies, Tveit codes her work with personal meaning through scale and layering. In a multi-year collaboration with the Lawrence Paper Company, Tveit often set her own height – 68″ – for the largest iteration of her unfurled boxes. When we think of layering we often think of geology and time. With this knowledge, we begin to see works like You and Me through a different lens. As we approach Tveit’s sculptural work and traverse its gradations, we are met by the artist’s presence.

The sense of depth Tveit builds in her sculptural pieces continues in her works on paper. Tveit applies cardboard in her monoprints, but through a different medium, and with different ends. The processes – sometimes with the assistance of a machine tool-head and others through “building” prints of inked cardboard – create a receding, ghostly effect. Unlike You and Me and some of the models in JOURNEY , which jut out from their base planes, these forms seem to hold space. Spatial themes are not diminished in these works but retooled. Some may think of the crafted niches in Tveit’s monoprints as a sort of mihrab or shrine.

Artist Statement

I am an artist taking the materials of commerce and industry and using them to build abstractions, critique culture, and explore the human condition. My current sculpture and works on paper are abstract, geometric self-portraits. I explore configurations of universal cardboard boxes and metaphysical aspects of being human. The Universal Boxes series use flattened, splayed open, universal box template forms to build architectonic volumes, scaled to the dimensions of my body. I stack and glue cardboard sheets together, each nesting within the original footprint of the mother form. In the Drop Unit series, the precision of each added layer creates the illusion that the works have been carved into. Embedded in the objects I create are geographic, psychological, and emotional memory. My corresponding printmaking practice further explores formal and poetic ideas about the box as body, compartmentalization, and the self. The monoprints explore spaces of light and vibration and are built with print matrices using the same materials, processes and tooling that I build my sculptural works. As an artist embedded within industry, I have been working with the people and the tools of the trade in a factory that makes corrugated cardboard and packaging products. I studied sculpture through the field of industrial design in both the US and Italy, learning from radical designers and thinkers who blurred the lines between art, design, and architecture. I am deeply interested in art as experience, whether in the gallery or integrated into everyday life and the landscape.

Bio

May Tveit’s large scale and formally succinct sculptural work and installations are impactful, relevant and memorable. Found in traditional art venues or in nontraditional settings her installations may exist for a few hours, days, or longer.

She typically employs readymade products and architectural structures to investigate systems of order, desire, and use. Her current sculpture and works on paper explore geometric configurations of cardboard boxes and physical/metaphysical aspects of the self and being.

Tveit’s recent solo, two person and group exhibitions include (Cosmic Geometries) Secrist Beach Gallery, (Living, Being) Farmprojects, (Universal Boxes) Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, (Fields, Planes, Systems: Self) Farmprojects, (Drop Unit) Greenlease Gallery (Template Days) UK Art Museum and (Art on Paper) at the Weatherspoon Museum.

Her work has been featured in Art in America , Art Papers , National Public Radio, Bad at Sports , among other periodicals. Tveit is a Charlotte Street Foundation Fellow and has participated in the Anderson Ranch Art Center, Haystack, Art Omi, Frans Masereel Centrum, residency programs. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, studied in Rome with the RISD European Honors Program, and received her Masters degree from the Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. She has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Kansas City Art Institute, and currently the University of Kansas.

Jazz at Volland

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:52:14 GMT

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of jazz!

Saturday, April 19th, 2025

Doors 2pm | Concert 3pm

Tickets $20 | Reservations Required

Tickets Here

Volland hosts Tyler Leuthhauser (trumpet), Henry Scamurra (saxophone), Titus Weinzierl (trombone), Loren Broaddus (piano), Andrew Voggessor, and Matt Robertson (drums) for an afternoon of jazz!

These six musicians, enrolled at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory, bring their incredible sounds to Volland for a most enjoyable afternoon of music. Volland has had many successful collaborations with the UMKC Conservatory, and we’re looking forward to another.

This event is a great opportunity to experience local talent and enjoy the warm and welcoming setting of the Volland Foundation. Arrive early to choose your seat, view MAY TVEIT: JOURNEY , explore the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park , take a walk on the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail and discover sculptures by Mark McHenry.

Doors 2pm | Music 3pm

Tickets $20 | Reservations Required

Tickets Here

FISH BRO SHOW

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 12:45:56 GMT

JOE TOMELLERI & RAY TROLL

May 31 – June 29 | 2025

Opening reception at Fish-A-Palooza

Information & RSVP here

While Tomelleri’s illustrations are appreciated for their painstaking precision, Troll’s work is equally admired for its playful detachment from reality. Both artists are rooted in science but share information in distinct ways.

Like many other serendipitous connections that happen in the middle of everywhere, Joe Tomelleri and Ray Troll, artist/fishermen with international reputations and roots in Kansas, finally crossed paths after years of being aware of each other’s work. In 2024, Tomelleri, an original Fish Wizard (a group of ichthyologists who lead an annual fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and Volland Foundation in Wabaunsee County Kansas), alerted his colleagues that Ray lived nearby and should be invited to be a featured guest. Ray became an instant favorite of the event’s organizers, and Ray connected immediately to the whole idea of leading people to a clear creek in the Flint Hills to learn about fish! In 2025 Ray is a newly minted Fish Wizard. It was only a matter of time for the obvious to happen – the two fish artists will exhibit their work together at the Volland Foundation Gallery in the FISH BRO SHOW, opening May 31, 2.30pm, at Fish-A-Palooza .

Tomelleri is known for his exacting Prismacolor drawings of fish, accurate down to individual scales, and Troll for his whimsical, surreal, and sometimes irreverent work based on science.

FISH BRO SHOW highlights how art interfaces with science to share information and engage viewers with nature.

Did you know that all Tomelleri’s fish face the left for a reason? It follows standard scientific illustration practice when depicting these gilled vertebrates. Tomelleri writes, “It’s called ‘left-lateral view.’ In the 1800’s, when scientists got serious about having illustrators draw accurate pictures, it became a standard that any tissue samples or dissection or scales pulled for aging be done on the right side of the fish, that is, with the fish snout facing the right of the viewer. So all drawings were done from the left-side of the fish by convention to avoid having to contend with the damaged tissues."

Factual representation is also important to Ray Troll. The part-time Kansan, part-time Alaskan draws on pop-culture and surreal imagery to build meaning in his work. Troll is particularly interested in the interaction between humans and fish, ecosystems and paleontology. Look at Tree of Life below. This work, underlining the artist’s penchant for witty titles, is a prime example of Troll’s ability to fuse facts with surreal imagery. Using the idea of a phylogenetic tree as inspiration, Tree of Life shows a real tree while carefully mapping out the different evolutionary breaks -branches, nodes and clades -with tree imagery. A frieze around three sides of the work drives home our seemingly jumbled yet interconnected evolutionary story.

T H E B R O S

JOE TOMELLERI

Joseph R. Tomelleri has been illustrating fishes since 1985. Holding Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Biology, Tomelleri recognizes the importance of first-hand experience in producing his scientific illustrations. This process has led to trips across North America and beyond where he has collected the majority of his specimens. He photographs the fishes and preserves them for use in the illustrations.

Tomelleri’s expertise is respected by ichthyologists worldwide who often invite him to illustrate newly discovered or endangered species. In 1997, Joe became a founding member and illustrator for Truchas Mexicanas, a binational group of ichthyologists that studies the native trout of Mexico . In 2023, Tomelleri was invited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to illustrate the newly rediscovered “San Juan Cutthroat trout” and to visit Bear Creek and it’s population of endangered Greenback cutthroats.

Joe works in Prismacolor pencil, and his 1,300+ illustrations have appeared in more than 1000 publications, including Trout and Salmon of North America, Fishes of Alabama, Outdoor Life, The In-Fisherman, and Eddie Bauer.

Joe lives in Leawood, Kansas.

RAY TROLL

Fish Wizards & Fish-A-Palooza

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 14:44:47 GMT

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

May 31 & June 1, 2025

6th Annual Fish Wizards Tour!

Purchase tickets here | $50 + tax and fee

plus –

Fish-a-Palooza !

A Community Experience | May 31 | Doors at 2:30pm

Scroll below for detail s

6th Annual Fish Wizards Tour

Saturday, May 31 & Sunday, June 1 2025

Spring is an ideal time to see the fish since they’ll be dressed in their full mating colors.

The day launches at 9:30am at Volland’s gallery. Check in early to see the Fish Bro Show by Joe Tomelleri and Ray Troll (two of the Fish Wizards). Scientific and whimsical depictions of fish and fish-related themes will delight you before you join the caravan to a local creek where we link up with the Wizards.

Who are the Fish Wizards?

Dr. Brian Bohnsack was the original idea man behind the tour. Dr. Bohnsack will assist with the tours and provide insights on the principles of fish and wildlife management based on his long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and Wichita State University.

Dr. Bill Stark is a professor at Fort Hays State University and specializes in fisheries and aquatic environment studies.

Joe Tomelleri is the world’s leading freshwater fish illustrator whose more than 1,100 scientifically accurate illustrations document the species in their native colors. Joe is a 2025 Volland Exhibiting Artist whose work will be on display at the Volland gallery during the month of June.

Dr. James Whitney joined the Wizards in 2024. He researches fishes, macroinvertebrates, and amphibians at Pittsburg State University where he is an Associate Professor of Biology. Through his work, Dr. Whitney informs the conservation and management of aquatic organisms in an era of global change.

Ray Troll was the featured guest in 2024 and is now part of the team.“In his studio on a hill above the Tongass Narrows in rainy Ketchikan, Alaska, Ray Troll creates fishy images that swim into museums, books and magazines, and onto t-shirts worn around the world. He draws his inspiration from extensive field work and the latest scientific discoveries, bringing a street-smart sensibility to the worlds of ichthyology and paleontology.” Ray is a 2025 Volland Exhibiting Artist, whose work will be on display in the Volland gallery during the month of June.

Joining the Wizards in 2025 is Dr. Erika Martin who teaches and researches Biological Sciences in Emporia State University’s School of Science and Mathematics. Dr. Martin’s lab investigates stream ecology, community ecology, life-history, morphology, ontogeny, and conservation biology.

These “Wizards” are a fun bunch – they are as excited to be in the stream as your kids are!

The fun begins when we arrive at the creek –

Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun.

We know your dog loves the water and the outdoors, but please leave your beloved pet at home, in consideration of the fish. Thank you for understanding.

After wading and watching and learning, a boxed lunch will be provided around noon, and you are invited to visit and linger in the shade, departing at your leisure.

Attendance is limited to 35 individuals for each day.

This event is for all ages. Bring your kids and grandkids!

Look at the Eventbrite listing for more details and the schedule of events.

After the tour ends on Saturday, mosey on back to Volland for more fun –

the Fish-a-Palooza!

(scroll down for details)

Announcing the 2025 Collectible Fish Wizards T-Shirt!

Order here by May 24th
and pick up at the Tour or at Fish-a- Palooza

Fish-A-Palooza

Saturday, May 31 | 2:30pm

The Fish Bro Show, Fish Art for kids, Topeka Shiner talk, Sally and The Hurts, Food!

Free admission | Reservations required

Saturday Night Dinner | $20

Make Your Reservation and Purchase Dinner on April 4th, 2025 at 12pm

A Free Will Donation to Native Stone Scenic Byway and Volland Foundation will be gratefully accepted at the door.

Show up at Volland at 2:30pm and bring the kids and grandkids. Lots of activities, including fish prints – bring your own t-shirt or bandana, or we have paper! See bugs that live in the creek through a macroscope, and win at Fish Bingo!

Hear the Fish Bros Joe Tomelleri and Ray Troll talk about their art on exhibit (through June 29).

Trevor Starks will take the stage to explain why you shouldn’t panic if you have Topeka Shiners in your creek! There is a Kansas Safe Harbor Program that ensures property-use limitations won’t happen without your consent. Q&A with Trevor will follow to clear up any concerns. Stark is coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Aquatic Species Recovery Program.

Next up, Sally and The Hurts! Sally is a local musician (and 2024 Volland Resident). She plays guitar and sings, and The Hurts play a fiddle and a saw, and you will love them! Several of the Fish Wizards have musical talents so don’t be surprised if a few jump in to sing some fishy songs!

Finally, Adam Waechter of Mel’s Gathering Spot in Alma, will serve a “fishy” dinner after Sally’s concert.

Looking for a place to stay over the weekend? The Brandt House , Wabaunsee County’s newly opened hotel in Alma, may have a spot for you!

Don’t miss the first Fish-A-Palooza!

Sally and The Hurts at Fish-A-Palooza

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:01:49 GMT

Saturday, May 31, 2025 | 5pm

Reserve your tickets to Sally and The Hurts + Fish-A-Palooza here

On Saturday, May 31st, Sally and The Hurts will perform at Volland’s first Fish-A-Palooza!

Sally Vee is a past Volland Resident and performed during 2024’s Fish Wizards Tour with a pop-up concert. Sally, Megan, and Jamie share their American Roots sound throughout western Kansas and eastern Missouri, and are regulars at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS.

Don’t be surprised to see special musical guest Ray Troll hop in for a few tunes with the band. Ray, a Fish Wizard since 2024, is a musician and is known to carry his guitar with him on fishing excursions.

Please note this concert is part of the larger Fish-A-Palooza afternoon, which includes art making activities for kids, remarks by Ray Troll and Joe Tomelleri on their FISH BRO SHOW exhibition at Volland, a presentation by Trevor Starks from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Aquatic Species Recovery Program on Topeka Shiners and the Kansas Safe Harbor Program, plus an optional, paid fish dinner by Adam Waechter. Find all information and RSVP at the link above .

Local Music Nights at Volland

info@vollandfoundation.org (Volland Foundation) — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:38:01 GMT

You asked and we answered - join us for summer evenings filled with local music!

June 28th + August 30th, 2025

Admission Free Hot Dog Reservations $20

Free will offering for the musicians

Reservations Here

Volland hosted local musicians as part of its Wabaunsee County Wonders programming in 2024. The response from the performers and audience was clear: let's do this more!

This summer, join Volland for an evening of live performances by local musicians in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The Local Music Nights in the Volland Music Series are intended to be a casual community event celebrating what we love the most - the Flint Hills! If you are a musician living in the Flint Hills and are interested in participating, contact us !

This event is a great opportunity to experience local talent and enjoy the warm and welcoming setting of the Volland Foundation. Arrive early to choose your seat, explore the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park , take a walk on the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail , or snag a gourmet BadBoy Hot Dog from Adam Waechter! He'll be slingin' hot dogs all evening but reserve your dinner beforehand!

Doors and Hot Dogs 6pm | Music 730pm

Free will offering for the musicians

Admission is free, but reservations are appreciated

Adam's BadBoy Hot Dogs | $20

Reservations

Charro Jerry Diaz and Family Horse Show & Sin Fronteras

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 12:54:05 GMT

Saturday, July 12th, 2025

Doors 5pm Charro Equestrian Show | 7pm

Music by Sin Fronteras | 8:15pm

Tickets $50 | Wabaunsee County Residents $25

Get ready for an unforgettable summer evening in the Flint Hills! On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Volland invites you to experience a one-of-a-kind celebration of heritage, artistry, and sound. From the equestrian elegance of Charro Jerry Diaz & Family to the borderland sounds of Sin Fronteras with Latin Grammy Award -winner Mireya Ramos, this event brings together world-class talent, vibrant culture, and the beauty of the horse. With food trucks, mariachi, art, and live performances that span generations and genres, it’s a night designed to stir the senses—and delight all ages.

What to Expect

The lively sounds of Kansas City's Mariachi Estrella will welcome arriving guests at 5pm, signaling the beginning of a festive evening! MHK Caravan Co. , Flint Hills Pints , and food trucks will be ready with great food, cold sodas, beer, wine, and special cocktails, as well as homemade ice cream made in Alma, KS.

After an incredible 2023 performance, Charro Jerry Diaz and Family return to Volland in 2025! Jerry, Staci, and Nicolas will bring to life the beauty and traditions of the Charro culture with extraordinary horsemanship and their magnificent Andalusian horses. Starting at 7pm, skill and history will fill the arena.

As a special addition in 2025, Sin Fronteras , a project of Ensemble Ibérica , will join the Diaz family and their horses at the arena to accompany selected acts of the Diaz show. Live music and horses have a long history, but this is a first at Volland. Following the horse show, Sin Fronteras will perform a concert at the Ruin, featuring Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos.

This will be an evening to enjoy for the whole family! Children under twelve are admitted free - so bring your kids and grandkids! Tickets are $50. Live in Wabaunsee County? Tickets are a discounted $25, courtesy of the Volland Foundation.

About the Performers

The Diaz Family isn't just a family of riders—they're living history, representing a proud lineage of expert horsemen and revered breeders.

Based in New Braunfels, TX, the Diaz Family share their riding skills internationally; and their expertise in breeding is well known and respected. Fourth-generation Mexican Charro Jerry Diaz will display the traditions of the Charro culture, and Staci Diaz, a third-generation rider, will present an Equine Liberty performance which reveals the deep connection and trust between horse and trainer. Staci and Jerry’s son Nicolas, a fifth-generation equestrian and performer, is an eight-time world champion, and has performed alongside his parents in the most prestigious horse shows across the US and Canada. Nicolas breeds Andalusian horses and has some of the best Andalusian bloodlines in the US and Spain. Well-known local horsemen and entertainers, Dawn and Geff Dawson , will emcee the performance.

The Ruin lights up after the show—Sin Fronteras takes the stage with Grammy-winner Mireya Ramos on vocals and violin.

After the horse show ends, move your lawn chair to the Ruin for a special performance of Sin Fronteras—a musical journey along the Texas/Mexico border. Featuring Latin Grammy Award-winner Mireya Ramos (vocals and violin), Beau Bledsoe (guitar), Jeff Freling (bass), Trevor Turla (trombone), Marco Pascolini (pedal steel guitar), and John Currey (drums), this powerhouse ensemble brings borderland sounds to life with soul and grit.

A collaboration between Ensemble Ibérica and Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices (who wowed audiences at Volland in August 2024), Sin Fronteras -meaning "Without Borders" - has been featured on major stages, including Lincoln Center (David Geffen Hall) in New York City in January 2025.

We’re thrilled to welcome this vibrant project to Volland, a perfect musical complement to the performance by the Díaz Family.

“A Latin Grammy-winning mariachi vocalist teaming up with a country and western band? It sounds wild, right? But as Mireya Ramos and the Poor Choices prove in today’s mini-concert, the two genres share a lot in style, culture and sound.”

– NPR’s World Cafe

Join us for a memorable evening at Volland!

Saturday, July 12th, 2025

Doors 5pm | Charro Equestrian Show 7pm

Music by Sin Fronteras 815pm

Tickets $50 | Wabaunsee County Residents $25
Tickets include the Diaz performance and the concert by Ensemble Ibérica

Can't make it on Saturday? As a special for the weekend, enjoy a casual meet-and-greet with the Diaz Family and their horses on Friday, July 11th at 7pm at Volland. Admission is free! All are welcome.

Compadres

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:11:57 GMT

butch Murphy, metal sculptor

July 12 – Fall | 2025

Opening Reception | 5pm

at the Charro Jerry Diaz & Family Horse Show + Sin Fronteras Concert

butch’s sculpture practice came late in life as he searched for a meaningful form of expression and creativity while leaving behind a professional life as a pulmonologist.

-source: butchsmetalimages.com

Butch Murphy is a welder and sculptor who combines new and found carbon steel to fabricate his sculptures.

In the words of the artist:

“I’m the creator, fabricator and abstract metal sculptor, autodidact by training, combining new and found carbon steel using what some would describe primitive tools producing representational or somewhat figurative abstractions…..”

In Compadres, butch Murphy places five equestrian sculptures across Volland’s grounds. Rendered in cut steel, each horse form captures a fleeting gesture—head lifted, legs in stride, backs arched in motion—imbuing the stillness of sculpture with the energy of movement.

The exhibition’s title, Compadres —a Spanish word meaning close companions or trusted partners—evokes the deep relationship between rider and horse, artist and material, people and place. The horses are not heroic or ornamental; they are companions—steadfast, grounded, and alive in their own quiet way.

Some of the works have been left to rust, their surfaces surrendering to the elements. Others remain raw or newly painted, offering a spectrum of transformation that mirrors natural cycles of aging and endurance.

The artist brings a deep knowledge of materials and a poetic sensibility to this installation. The horses of Compadres feel less like objects and more like presences—watchful, weathered, and patient.

Through these forms, Murphy invites us to reconsider companionship not just as relationship, but as presence—what it means to stand beside, to travel with, to endure together. Out on the prairie, under wide skies, Compadres honors those s ilent, loyal forces that carry us forward.

Meet the Compadres , and visit with butch at the

Charro Equestrian and Sin Fronteras Concert

July 12 at Volland !

The Charra and The Cowgirl

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:11:59 GMT

July 12 – September 7 | 2025

Opening Reception | 5pm

at the Charro Jerry Diaz & Family Horse Show + Sin Fronteras Concert

Two traditions. One spirit. Women in the arena.

Women have been part of the charrería and rodeo traditions for generations—but their stories are not always told. The Charra and The Cowgirl shines a light on these extraordinary women through the traditional costumes they wear for performance, the practical garments they choose for competing, and the powerful images of the Charra and the Cowgirl in action.

The Charra and The Cowgirl explores the role of women in the cultural traditions of the charreria of Mexico and the rodeo of the American West. Women have been part of these traditions for generations, but their stories are not always told. The Charra and The Cowgirl shines a light on these strong, skilled, graceful women through the traditional costumes they wear for performances, the practical garments they select for competing, and the powerful images that show the Charra and the Cowgirl in action.

From the silver conchos of a previous generation sewn into a traditional charra outfit to the pearl snaps of Western shirts and fancy boots, from graceful choreography to daring rides, these women have created a tradition all their own.

Inspiration for this exhibit comes from two women who are well known to the residents of Wabaunsee County:

STACI ANDERSON DIAZ from Texas, is remembered from previous performances at Volland for her stunning work with “at liberty” horses. Diaz is a 3rdgeneration horsewoman who started performing with her parents from the age of three and became a skilled trick rider, known for Roman Riding, Dancing Horses, and Liberty Horses. Since marrying Jerry Diaz, a fourth-generation Charro, Staci has embraced the Charro culture and traditions in their Mexican extravaganzas while complementing the equestrian performances with her traditional skills. She will appear for the third time at Volland on July 12 with her family, Charro Jerry Diaz and son Nicolas Diaz.

BROOKE WALLACE TERRAPIN is a talented young fashion designer of Western wear. Terrapin grew up as a Kansas cowgirl riding and showing horses. After earning a degree in fashion design at Kansas State University, she started her own fashion design business called Midwest Twist, specializing in designing and sewing Western wear, often for rodeo queen contestants across the country. No stranger to the rodeo queen culture, Brooke was Miss Rodeo Kansas in 2019 and Miss Rodeo USA in 2020. Now living in Alma, KS, she is a familiar face around town and is known for other artistic pursuits, including painting the first (and only) mural in Alma and leading children’s art workshops in the community.

Enjoy meeting Staci and Brooke at the Charro Equestrian and Sin Fronteras event July 12 at Volland!

This is a delightful look into the journey that Staci and Jerry Diaz have made throughout their lives and careers –

Rex Hobart and The Misery Boys

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 20:35:33 GMT

Experience the rich tradition of country music’s heartache anthems with a toe-tappin’ rhythm that’ll have you singing along!

September 28th, 2025

Tickets $20 | Dinner Reservations $20

Tickets Here

Guitarist and lead singer Scott "Rex" Hobart, bassist Tilden “Blackjack” Snow, guitarist Brendan “J.B. Morris” Moreland, drummer Mike “T.C. Dobbs” Dolembo, and pedal-steel player Nate “Solomon” Hofer. This group of tight-knit friends and musicians started playing music together almost thirty years ago. Along the way, they started telling stories with their original songs. In a 2015 interview, Rex described their group as " ....just a country band playing what, for our age, is the golden era of country music — the 1960s-70s sound ....Although I do think we've pushed the envelope a little....in a couple of places." It is now ten years later, and we will see how they are pushing the envelope today, under the late summer sun at The Ruin!

Mosey into the Volland Gallery to view work from 2025 Volland Exhibiting Artist, Hofer will open a solo show on September 13th, 2025! Hofer will be exhibiting photographs that document decommissioned missile silo sites, some of which are in Kansas. He recorded his pedal steel guitar inside one of the hollow silos and will perform this music live at his opening on September 13. The recorded version will remain available for listening throughout the exhibit.

Arrive early to choose your seat, explore the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park , or take a walk on the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail before the music begins - and join us after the concert for an early dinner.

September 28th, 2025

Tickets $20 | Dinner Reservations $20

Tickets Here

2025 Fall Volland Residents Open Studios

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 15:17:00 GMT

Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 2pm

Janet Eo & Sean Whalen

Janet Eo | Thoughtful displays of cherts, wild plants, railroad remnants, and historical stories and images sit alongside her notes and paintings, which reflect her view as a temporary resident here.

Janet will share how she categorizes and organizes her materials, based on her memories and experiences in the Flint Hills.

Sean Whalen | Sean will highlight sustainable building techniques that he explored during his residency. His construction sample includes clay from Volland and repurposed wood from an existing building on site.

Nilko Andreas Returns to Volland

info@vollandfoundation.org (Volland Foundation) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:15:38 GMT

An unforgettable evening of beauty and diversity of South American and Iberian musical traditions!

October 25th, 2025

Doors 6pm | Concert 7pm

Tickets $40 | Reservations Required

Tickets Here

link to view the concert

Since his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2009, multi-faceted touring artist Nilko Andréas has been performing for audiences on three continents as an internationally awarded classical guitarist.

Born in Colombia, Nilko has a great interest for the composers of Latin America, constantly commissioning and premiering new works. He is the founder of the “Amazonas,” a series presented at Carnegie Hall since 2010, with a goal of raising awareness of environmental damage around the world.

Join Nilko Andréas, Beau Bledsoe, and Ezgi Karakus for an unforgettable concert experience, featuring highlights from their 2023 Carnegie Hall performance. Delight in a selection of enchanting melodies from Brazil, Colombia, and Portugal, as these accomplished musicians showcase the beauty and diversity of South American and Iberian musical traditions.

Doors open at 6pm. Come early to choose your seat. Enjoy a beverage by donation and complimentary light hors d'oeuvres while you explore Nate Hofer's exhibit in the gallery. Music begins at 7pm.

October 25th, 2025

Doors 6pm | Concert 7pm

Tickets $40 | Reservations Required

Tickets Here

Nate Hofer: Heartland Silos (Decommissioned)

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 21:48:26 GMT

Sunday, November 2

Cold War in Kansas + Current Nuclear Environment

Professor Adrian Lewis (KU)

Charles Sexton, PhD candidate (KSU)

Discussion moderated by Nate Hofer

Free admission | Reservations appreciated here

__________________________________

September 13 – December 7 | 2025

Opening Reception | September 14 | 1 – 4pm

Presentation and Performance | 2pm

Nate Hofer, a “late stage Cold War kid,” was well aware of the looming threats surrounding him as he grew up in the 1980s.

As he describes in interviews and a TEDxKC presentation, Hofer lived close to the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant outside of De Soto, KS. The high value target just down the road created unease for Hofer, just a first-grader then. The son of Mennonite conscientious objectors of the Vietnam War, Hofer was taught early in life about the abject violence war brings. His stepfather, after seeing Hofer’s proud sketches of WWII battles on his homework sheets, explained that war was ugly and that the conflicts of their time would be fought with nuclear bombs, instead of tanks and guns. In an article written by Steven Hill of Kansas Alumni Magazine, Hofer shared “I appreciated that, but he also kind of put my first existential fear into my head, and I think I was probably a little too young to have that.”

The détente of the late 1980s and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought Hofer, and the world, relief. Like many, Hofer moved on, seemingly freed from the Damoclean possibility of nuclear annihilation. In 2001, Hofer graduated from the University of Kansas with BFAs in Painting and Graphic Design.

In the time since 1991, however, the low hum of nuclear threats has grown to a cacophony. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock stands as a stark image of our perilous moment. The clock, which counts down to midnight, or nuclear war, has whittled down from 17 minutes in 1991 to 89 seconds in 2025. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the United States’ atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Beginning in the mid-2010s, Nate Hofer came to see, and feel, the growing strife. A trip to Western Nebraska in 2015 brought Hofer near active Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) sites. This spurred the Overland Park-based artist to research the United States’ modern nuclear force. In the meantime, Hofer noticed the “‘fire and fury’ rhetoric was really heating up,” which reignited his Cold War-era anxieties and drove him further into his research.

During a monthlong sabbatical from work in 2019, Hofer began the project he was planning. With the assistance of a drone, and a slew of valuable information gleaned from online maps and land records, Hofer set out to document some of Missouri’s 150 decommissioned Minuteman Missile silo sites. Hofer’s images – quiet, unassuming and neatly composed – can be viewed in many ways. Despite their benign appearance, Hofer’s subjects hide relics of our violent past. The Minuteman, and single examples of Atlas F and Titan II, sites shown in Heartland Silos (Decommissioned) could strike nearly any corner of the planet. The sharp relief between global impact from a weapon stationed on a one and half acre plot is jarring. While the silo sites shown in the exhibition are all decommissioned, Hofer notes that hundreds of ICBM sites are still active in the northern Great Plains. But the main message of Hofer’s work is one of cautionary hope. These sites, once the launching pads for unimaginable destruction, now sit empty. In their place we can see nature returning and adaptive reuse. In 2021 Hofer was given a World Peace Photo Award for his work on decommissioned missile silos.

Reuse is another element in Heartland Silos (Decommissioned) worth noting. Along with his visual art practice, Nate Hofer is an avid pedal steel guitarist. At Volland, Hofer shares his 2024 project Decommissioned, an album meant to soothe listeners. The reverb effect in Hofer’s EP does not come from his pedals, however. It is the result of recording inside a deactivated Atlas F missile silo site near Wilson, KS. The 30-foot deep chamber created the echo effect. Hofer sat down with Frank Morris of KCUR in 2024 to talk about the project.

“The recording is called ‘ Decommissioned .’ It’s ethereal, ambient music. Hofer layers pedal steel notes into the cavernous Cold War fortress and the heavily reinforced concrete walls keep the notes going and going. There are no other instruments and no effects, just the cathedral-like echo inside the almost impenetrable old missile base. It’s beautiful, and Hofer said that can take people by surprise.”

Listen to selections from “Decommissioned” below –

BIO

Nate Hofer (he/him) is an artist blending music and photography. Nate was born in Nigeria to Mennonite conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, and his art reflects a deep commitment to peace. Inspired by his Cold War upbringing in the Midwest, Nate explores issues of arms control and disarmament through aerial photography of decommissioned missile silos and solo ambient performances on the pedal steel guitar. His work has been recognized with awards such as the 2021 Global Peace Photo Award and membership to the Atomic Photographer’s Guild. Nate’s 2024 debut album EP, “Decommissioned,” recorded in a former Kansas missile silo, has garnered recent national attention on NPR and has made him a TEDxKC speaker/performer.

ARTIST STATEMENT

We’ve managed to escape extinction so far. Perhaps by sheer luck.

I grew up in the American Midwest during the Cold War culture of the 1980s. My home was within sight of an ammunition plant, and—though I didn’t know it at the time—a short drive from 150 U.S. Air Force ‘Minuteman’ intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) silos. Locally, it was common knowledge that in the event of an attack, our town would be wiped out in an instant by Soviet Union ICBMs. This wasn’t just the stuff of movies I’d seen (like The Day After, which captured this very scenario unfolding and was actually filmed where we lived) – This was very real life. The threat of potential nuclear war was literally all around me and overwhelmingly clear: A frightening and compelling backdrop to my childhood.

The following years would bring major shifts in geopolitics. The Soviet Union ended in 1991 and in the same year, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed by the United States of America and the USSR, removed and destroyed our nearby 150 nukes. In 1992, the Army decommissioned the ammunition plant that neighbored my home.

Today, in my adult years, news of increasing nuclear armament and faltering nuclear treaties rekindled my childhood anxieties and intrigue. Chaotic Trump Administration rhetoric and foreign policies for Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have resurfaced uneasy feelings all too familiar from my youth.

This project helps process these emotions.

Ready access to online satellite imagery, paired with new technology in consumer aerial (drone) photography, allow me to explore in-person the former nuclear sites that occupied my imagination as a child and were the root of my anxieties and fascination.

This work investigates what occupies these former ICBM spaces today and in doing so, highlights what is obviously absent: the weapons themselves.

In a time of increasing nationalism and global instability, my work contemplates how we have so far avoided the existential threats from our past and provides a cautionary work about how we consider our collective future.

Join us at Volland on Sunday, September 14th

for the opening reception of Heartland Silos (Decommissioned)

The gallery will be open from 1-4pm with a presentation and performance

by Nate Hofer, much like his TEDxKC

beginning at 2pm

Free admission. Light refreshments served.

Panel: Nuclear Silos (Decommissioned) - and the current nuclear environment

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:05:19 GMT

Sunday, November 2, 2025 | 2pm

Dr. Adrian Lewis, University of Kansas
Charles Sexton, Kansas State University
Nate Hofer

Sunday, November 2 | 2pm

Free Admission | RSVP here

On August 6th, 1945 President Harry S. Truman shared with the world the use of a new, powerful weapon, stating: "The fact that we can release atomic energy ushers in a new era in man's understanding of nature's forces."

Eighty years on we continue to wrestle with the implications of nuclear weapons. In 2025, there are nine nuclear countries but new additions are coming.

On November 2nd, Volland will host a panel discussion that outlines the development of nuclear weapons, their migration into popular culture and the current state of nuclear proliferation as part of programming around Nate Hofer's exhibition Heartland Silos (Decommissioned) .

Dr. Adrian Lewis
David B. Pittaway Professor of Military History at the University of Kansas

Dr. Adrian Lewis is a retired soldier; he served with the 2-1 Infantry and 2-23 Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, and the 2-75 Infantry (Ranger), in Korea, Alaska, Panama, and Germany. He teaches courses on World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and more recent military operations including the Global War on Terrorism and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prof. Lewis earned his B.A. in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley; M.A. in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (under Prof. John Shy); MBA from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; and Ph.D. in History from the University of Chicago (under Prof. Michael Geyer).

Prof. Lewis' publications include The American Culture of War: The History of U.S. Military Force from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom , now in its third edition, published in 2018, and Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory , published in 2001 and still considered the best analysis of Allied amphibious warfare doctrine in the European Theater of Operations. Prof. Lewis recently published an article in RINSA FORUM, the Korean National Defense University Journal, titled: "Sovreignty and National Security" (May 2021).

At Volland Dr. Lewis will share information about the Manhattan Project, nuclear triads, and thermo-nuclear weapons development, focusing on the 1945 - 1960 timeframe, as well as the current nuclear environment.

Charles Sexton
Kansas State University, PhD student

Charles "Chuck" Sexton is a business owner, and retired U.S. Army Colonel with over thirty years of military service.

He led and commanded soldiers and other members of the joint force at every level from the squad to the brigade. His combat and operational postings include: Central America, Operation Desert Shield and Storm/ Iraq, Operation Restore Hope/ Somalia, Stabilization Force (SFOR)/Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom/ Iraq, Operation New Dawn/ Iraq, and Operation Enduring Freedom/ Afghanistan.

During his time as a Regular Army Infantry non-commissioned officer and officer he served in numerous command and staff positions including assignments in the Pentagon as a member of the personal staff for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the Chief of Staff of the Army working on the development of the National Defense Strategy. While stationed in Germany he served on the personal staff of the Commander of the United States Army in Europe. As a staff officer he conducted research, analysis, and provided feedback to military and political senior leaders on various matters including nuclear arms treaty verification and nuclear weapons capabilities and deployment.

He has earned multiple degrees, including a B.A. in History, and an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College/National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He has completed all course work for a Ph.D. in Military History from Kansas State University and is in the process of completing his dissertation.

For the panel, Chuck will delve into naming conventions and etymology around ICBMs and their sites, and outline the various ways nuclear weapons found their way into popular culture. Chuck will look at films like The Bamboo Saucer and The Day After, and advertisement campaigns and illuminate how popular culture shaped public opinion and policy around nuclear weapons.

Nate Hofer
Heartland Silos (Decommissioned)

Nate will touch on his work shown in the gallery then open up the conversation with Dr. Lewis and Mr. Sexton about a topic that is as relevant today as it was in the 1950s.

Where Residents Live and Work

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 22:35:02 GMT

Volland hosts two residents at a time in private living spaces: The Loft, the Little House. Both living spaces and one of the studios require access by stairs. Each living space has a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facility. Towels and linens are provided. There is a utility sink in the lower level studio of the Volland Store. If your medium or practice is exceedingly messy, arrangements can be made. Please make a note in your application. Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge.

Living Spaces –

The Loft

at The Volland Store

On the second level of The Volland Store is a place to read, write, dream, cook a simple meal, and listen to good music. The Loft at The Volland Store has books, original art, a tidy kitchen, and a brick-walled bathroom with big windows. The light-filled space overlooks the surrounding Flint Hills as well as the gallery below. The Loft has internet and is well-suited for writers, poets, and practitioners of disciplines using computer-based and research-based methods. Although there is currently limited studio space, Volland works with visual artists to provide a space that adequately fills their needs. While the Loft does not have an oven, there is one available to residents in the gallery’s kitchen on the main floor.

Please note the gallery has regular open public hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm, plus events. Volland staff use the gallery space during the working week as well.

The Little House at Volland

The Little House offers the same amenities as the Loft, with a slightly larger footprint and larger seating area. The “kit” house was a Gordon-Tine Bungalow and was delivered by train to Volland sometime in the mid-twenties. It was re-imagined into an open space filled with light in 2017-18 by the Design+Make studio of fifth-year architecture students from the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at Kansas State University . The class received a Merit Award for Architecture from AIA-KC for their innovative design in 2019. In 2022, El Dorado Architects , in collaboration with Design+Make at Kansas State University and College of Architecture, Planning & Design at Kansas State University was honored with an American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum for Volland House #1, Honorable Mention.

Set in a former railroad town in the heart of the Flint Hills (population one), the “Little House” is a short walk up a country road from Volland’s gallery. The Little House has internet and works well for writers, poets, and practitioners of disciplines using computer-based and research-based methods. As with the Loft, Volland works with residents to provide a studio space that adequately fills their needs if the Little House is not sufficient.

Studios

The Blacksmith Shop

The Blacksmith Shop sits adjacent to Volland’s gallery. Roughly 17′ x 35,’ the Blacksmith Shop has plugins on three sides, a sliding door and water spigots either side of the structure on the outside of the building. Bathrooms and a kitchen are nearby in the gallery. Please note this space has neither central heat nor air conditioning and is subject to the elements.

Lower Level of the Volland Store

The Volland Store Lower Level space is ~24′ x 24.’ There are plug-ins along two walls, an industrial sink (24” x 21” x 13”), shelving for supplies, work tables, artificial and some natural lighting, a fridge/freezer, and two bathrooms with showers. Please note that this level holds many of the Foundation’s supplies, and staff will likely need some level of access to the space. This space, under more severe rain storms may take on water.

Lower Level Studio

Jubellation Bell Choir 2025

info@vollandfoundation.org (Volland Foundation) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 20:02:36 GMT

JuBellation Bell Choir of St. John's Lutheran Church in Alma, KS

Sunday, December 7th, 2025

SOLD OUT

Doors 1pm | Music 2pm

Light refreshments served

Admission is free, seating is limited.
Reservations are required.

Tickets Here

A n afternoon of festive music and fun, fit for the whole family!

A Wabaunsee County tradition open to all! Gather with your friends and family at Volland for a holiday concert filled with the magical sounds of bells. For the fifth year in a row, the JuBellation Bell Choir from St. John's Lutheran Church in Alma will ring in the holiday season with festive tunes. Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a drawing for a few "Volland" gifts.

Sunday, December 7th, 2025

Doors 1pm | Music 2pm

Light refreshments served

Free-will donation is collected to benefit the JuBellation Bell Choir.

Admission is free, seating is limited

Reservations are required.

Tickets Here

John Depew at Volland

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 21:16:00 GMT

2022 Kansas Mandolin Champion

Saturday, February 10 | 7pm

Tickets here or below

Depew doesn’t care much for big cities or the TV.

Instead, the central-Kansas native travels, writes and performs music for fun. The full range of Depew’s skills – which were fostered at an early age and inspired by his father’s own musical pursuits – include mandolin, claw-hammer banjo, bouzouki, and acoustic guitar.

In November 2023 Depew wrote in a Substack post “I’ve seen firsthand the role that live music can have in building community.” This speaks to the content in Depew’s bluegrass and folk tunes, all of which are original. Known for “taking the familiar into unfamiliar territory” (Ken Baker, Radio Kansas), Depew’s songs speak on parenthood, mental health, and philosophy, among other topics.

Depew’s performance at Volland comes on the heels of a productive 2023, filled with performances, a new album Yellow Threads , and a commitment in June to make music full-time. Depew was a Walnut Valley Festival New Song Showcase winner in 2021 and the Kansas State Mandolin Champion in 2022.

Join us on February 10th to enjoy Depew’s poetic, moving music. Doors will open at 6pm with the concert to begin at 7pm. Depew will perform in the Volland gallery, which will be showing work by Oklahoma artist Sarah Hearn .

Doors at 6pm | Concert at 7pm

$15 per person

Supper | $15 per person

It’s local! Your choice of Chicken Tortilla Soup or Chicken Vegetable Soup from El Corral in Alma

plus Chocolate or Carrot Cake from the Alma Bakery

Cash bar by donation

Warm up a cold February night with hot soup and live music at Volland!

Sarah Hearn: Microbial Multiverse

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:55:00 GMT

February 3 – March 30 | 2024

Opening Reception February 3 | 1-4pm | Remarks at 2pm

You may have heard of The Hidden Life of Trees (What they feel, How they communicate, Discoveries from a Secret World) by Peter Wohlleben – or you may have read in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer how trees decide the volume of nuts to produce the following season – it all happens in a world so small we never see it. We can only imagine what it must look like.

Now artist/researcher Sarah Hearn brings those hidden worlds into view with her greater-than-life-size visuals – in Microbial Multiverse at Volland.

Microbiology is the study of living things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The term microbe is decidedly human, as they are microscopic to our size. For Sarah Hearn, an artist, researcher and teacher in Norman, Oklahoma, the world of living things we cannot perceive without aids is a source of curiosity and inspiration.

A bevy of information can be gleaned from the microbes Hearn highlights. For instance, The nine large mycelium network pieces on the gallery’s north wall give a sense of the scale of the fungus. Made famous by the popular video game and HBO series The Last of Us , mycelium can spread over thousands of acres. Their real life impact is benevolent rather than maleficent, however. Microscopic hairs in mycelium attach to root structures in plants. This connection, a mutually beneficial relationship in most circumstances, aides in the transfer of nutrients and even communication between plants.

Fungi are not the only microbe Hearn explores. Microbial Multiverse also displays the fascinating qualities of single-celled organisms through Hearn’s multimedia works and watercolors. To bring these microbes to a size that can be appreciated, the multidisciplinary artist uses felt, sourced images, and authentic scientific glassware. Hearn is quick to point out these works contain her own microbiome, known in the field as normal flora, since the pieces required lots of hands on involvement. These Isolated Culture works are imagined interactions but backed by accurate science.

Hearn’s work is rooted in two separate camps: “one grounded in studies of life on planet earth, and another hovering in a hazy atmosphere of science fiction.” Taking artistic liberties at times, Hearn engages viewers into a whole new world. Hearn’s works are just the launching point for further exploration into microbiology, which has a myriad of fascinating instances, such as extremophiles.

Join us on Saturday, February 3rd for an opening reception of Microbial Multiverse from 1-4pm. Hearn will be present and will give remarks at 2pm. Free admission. Light refreshments served.

PHOTOS OF SYMPHONY OF ALL THINGS, MARCH 23, 2024

A lichen walk guided by Sarah Hearn, followed by a performance of the Forcefields, Julie Othmer and James T. Lundie

Calendar of Events

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:16:00 GMT

2024 at Volland!

please consult the website closer to time for changes in dates or programming details

FEBRUARY – MARCH

Saturday, February 3 | Sarah Hearn: Microbial Multiverse Opening Reception 1-4pm | Artist remarks at 2pm. The exhibit continues through March 31.

Saturday, February 10 | John Depew, 2022 Kansas State Mandolin Champion , Doors at 6pm. Concert at 7pm. Soup/dessert supper available $15. Concert $15. Tickets

Sunday, March 4 | The Adventures of Bottle Calf , Ann Vigola Anderson’s latest book, reading and signing with selected art by Illustrator Sara Long who will also be present.

Saturday, March 16 | Auditions for Writing Wabaunsee County . Information about how to sign up for an audition.

Saturday, March 16 | Eclipse Presentation by Jerelyn Ramirez, with Stargazing and a Campout under the Stars

Saturday, March 23 | The Symphony of All Things , a “Lichen Walk,” led by Sarah Hearn, artist of Microbial Multiverse, followed with a concert at 4pm by The Forcefields, music duo of Julia Othmer and James Lundie, with the beautiful song, “The Symphony of All Things” animated by Sarah Hearn. Don’t miss this.

APRIL – MAY

Saturday, April 6 | Art exhibition by Sean Nash , 2023 Charlotte Street Fellow. Opening Reception 1-4pm. Artist remarks at 2pm. The exhibit continues through May 26.

Saturday, April 13 | Eric T. Reynolds book signing, The Lost Town of Garrison , a time travel historical novel about the town flooded by Tuttle Creek Reservoir. Author will speak at 2pm.

Sunday, April 14 | Mark Feiden “Emil Redmon’s Cow” latest film & Community Potluck , a collaboration with the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. Potluck at 12:30pm, with film to follow at 2pm

Sunday, May 5 | Friends of Volland Party for 2024 donors

May 7 | Volland Spring Residency begins

JUNE – JULY

Saturday & Sunday, June 1 & June 2 | Fifth Annual FishWizards Tour ! a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway & the Volland Foundation.

Saturday, June 1 | The Nature Conservancy’s Winning Photos of the Kansas Photo Contest opens.

Thursday, June 6 | Spring Volland Residency ends.

Saturday, June 15 | Reception honoring the winners of TNC Kansas Photo Contest . 1-4pm. Remarks by Jim Richardson, juror and National Geographic photographer, with the state director of TNC in Kansas and staff at 2pm. The exhibit continues through 6/30.

Friday & Saturday, June 28 & 29 | Writing Wabaunsee County performances. Original play written and performed by residents of Wabaunsee County, produced and directed by Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard, professors at Babson College.

Sunday, June 30 | Closing day of TNC Kansas Photo Contest Winners. 1-4pm.

Saturday, July 13 | Hair of the Dragon by Hong Chun Zhang. Imagine a 90ft dragon made of hay bales on the Volland meadow. New works on paper inside the gallery. Opening Reception 1-4pm. Artist remarks at 2pm. The exhibit continues through September 22.

Saturday, July 20 | Derrick Doty + Signal Ridge (Bluegrass/Folk) at the Ruin. Food by reservation. MHK Beverage Truck. Flint Hills Pints Ice Cream. Doors at 6pm; Derrick Doty at 7. Signal Ridge at 8. Tickets here .

AUGUST – SEPTEMBER

Hair of the Dragon continues inside and outside the gallery through September 22

Tuesday, August 6 | Volland Summer Residency ends

Saturday, August 24 | Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices (honky tonk and Western classics) at the Ruin. Food trucks. Doors at 6pm; concert at 8. Tickets here .

Sunday, September 15 | Open Call for submissions for Wabaunsee County Wonders. All kinds of creative works are invited. Bring your entries to the Volland gallery at 2pm. Open to the public for viewing.

Tuesday, September 17 | Fall Residency begins

Saturday, September 21 | Dragon Wind | Celebration of Chinese music, history, dance, cuisine 4- 7:30pm. Free admission to performances. Optional dinner by reservation from Bo Lings of Kansas City. Reservations

Sunday, September 29 | Introducing a gift of eight M.T. Liggett sculptures from the Kohler Foundation | 2pm

OCTOBER – DECEMBER

Saturday, October 5 | Wabaunsee County Wonders , exhibit curated by Erika Nelson . Opening reception honoring the exhibitors | 1-4pm. The exhibit runs through December 15.

Sunday, October 13 | Wabaunsee County Music & Jam | 2-5pm

Tuesday, October 15 | Volland Fall Residency ends

Sunday, October 26 | “It Started with a Horse,” screening of the documentary film of M. T. Liggett’s life and art by Joshua Dubois. Free popcorn, drinks by donation | free admission, reservations required here .

Friday – Sunday, November 29 – December 1 | Thanksgiving Weekend – The gallery will be open

Saturday, November 30 | Volland will be at “Shop Small” in Alma, at the American Legion, 10am-1pm.

Sunday, December 8 | JuBellation Bell Choir of St. John Lutheran Church, Alma, KS

Wednesday, December 11 | Applications are due for Volland Residency 2025

Sunday, December 15 | Closing reception for Wabaunsee County Wonders

WINTER BREAK: December 16, 2024 – January 31, 2025

If you would like to be part of what’s happening at Volland – and join our ever-growing community of people who enjoy art, music, and lively entertainment that will lift your spirits and nourish your soul,
please consider a 2024 gift to keep things happening in the best way at Volland!

Your support will recognize the importance of the arts and artists – and will have a lasting impact on the many lives who experience the arts, humanities, and science at Volland.

To donate by check:Please make checks payable to Volland Foundation.

mail to:

The Volland Foundation
PO Box 144
Alma, KS 66401

To donate online:
click here

Donations to The Volland Foundation are tax-deductible. Consult your tax advisor to determine the best way to report your contribution.

Join Volland supporters today!

________________________________________________________________

If you made an Annual Appeal Gift for 2023 or if you have renewed your support for 2024 Thank You!

You will find your name listed here

W e a p p r e c i a t e y o u r k i n d s u p p o r t !

Writing Wabaunsee County

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 07:48:00 GMT

A new theater project by Beth Wynstra, Mary Pinard, and You!

Phase 1: December 15, 2023 – End of Year
Writing submissions

Phase 2: February – June, 2024

Writers work on their scripts

Phase 3: Performance Week: June 22 – 29, 2024

Volland is thrilled to host another project from Babson College colleagues Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard. Writing Wabaunsee County shares many traits with 2022’s Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County production, but will rely on local writers to pen the script this time. There are several different ways you can get involved.

The hope for this project is to present an original play written and performed by Wabaunsee Countians. All residents, of all ages and experience levels, are invited to submit writing samples and audition for acting spots!

Phase 1 – Collect Writing Samples

If you are interested in being a playwright for this new theatre production, please submit a writing sample to Beth (bwynstra@babson.edu) and Mary (pinard@babson.edu) by December 15th, 2023.

Instructions from Beth and Mary:

Send a writing sample to Beth Wynstra ( bwynstra@babson.edu ) and Mary Pinard ( pinard@babson.edu ) by December 15th, 2023 . It can be a short story that portrays or depicts a vivid scene from daily life somewhere in Wabaunsee County, a monologue, a scene between two characters, or a very short play.

Attach a cover letter (no more than one page) that: 1) introduces you and your experience(s) as a writer, and 2) explains yourintention(s) in the creation of your sample.

Phase 2 – Selections, Auditions, and Meetings

On February 1st, 2024 the writers will be notified. Around that time expect a call for actor auditions. They will take place at Volland on Saturday, March 16th with Beth and Mary. Actors will be notified on March 30th of the two’s decision. On March 15th, Beth and Mary will announce the “ingredients” that will serve as prompts to the writers at a dinner gathering.

Throughout the rest of March and through June, Mary will conduct writing sessions, and Beth acting sessions, via Zoom.

Phase 3 – The Final Script, Rehearsals, and Performances

June 22nd -29th will be a fast-paced, group effort to prepare for the performances, and writing and rehearsal sessions will accommodate participants’ schedules. Throughout the week, writers will meet with Mary to hone their script, trade ideas, and present their work to the actors, who will bring the words to life with Beth’s help.

The writers and actors will work in tandem towards the finished work. Two performances of the play are set, one on June 28th and another on June 29th. Information on tickets will come later!

Sean Nash: Currents of Ancients

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:00:00 GMT

April 6 – May 26

Opening Reception | April 6 | 1-4pm | Talk at 2pm

William Least Heat-Moon’s seminal work PrairyErth (A Deep Map) offered a new perspective of looking and engaging with the world around us. Published in 1992, the book delves into Chase County, Kansas – two counties to the south of Wabaunsee County – to find microcosms of a larger story, a concept the author called “deep mapping.”

Heat-Moon is one of many inspirations for Kansas City-based artist Sean Nash . Focusing on fusulinids – extinct, single-celled organisms that flourished in the Flint Hills region during the Permian Period when a shallow sea connected the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean – Nash makes a deep map through his work.

Currents of Ancients came to be after Nash spent a week at Volland in November 2023.

During his time in Wabaunsee County, Nash collected samples and made impressions of fusulinids, which can often be found in limestone. The residency led to new drawings and sculptural paintings by the artist. In their outer shape, fusulinids resemble grains of wheat, but in-section, their internal structure reveals abstracted spiraling formations. Nash uses both perspectives in his work.

Nash assembles scenes of the Flint Hills from the helical structures of fusulinids in his drawings. Although this region takes its name from flint, limestone is much more common in the Flint Hills. The soft, finely grained stone consists, in large part, of fossils like fusulinids. Depicting the landscape in this way, Nash reminds us that geological history, much like other histories, influences the world we inhabit today.

Nash’s themes of deep time and self-reflection continue in his shaped paintings. Eleven enlarged fusulinids grace Volland’s main wall in Currents of Ancients . Nash has previously found success in his sculptural paintings, including an example at the new Kansas City International Airport, but at Volland, he uses individual elements to create a larger work for the first time. Within the fusulinids, the artist melds human history with plant history. For instance, the Plains Indians were presented with maize – a plant domesticated by the Mesoamericans – centuries ago. The arrival of maize altered how the Plains Indians organized themselves and changed their habits. How we manipulate food today, and its effects on us, is constantly being researched.

Looking back raises as many questions as reflecting on our present moment and possible futures. Currents of Ancients provides an opportunity to do all these. Foregrounding fusulinids, Nash encourages us to meditate on time.

S E A N N A S H

Sean received an MFA from Yale University in painting in 2005. His sculptural paintings are currently featured at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas as part of the Charlotte Street Fellows Exhibition. He was named a 2023 Charlotte Street Fellow, an award given annually to three Kansas City based artists by the Charlotte Street Foundation. In 2022 he received a commission to create a new piece for Kansas City International Airport . He has had solo shows at the Crossroads Hotel in Kansas City ( Land Taste , 2022), Kniznick Gallery at Brandeis University ( Krautsourcing , 2019), Plug Projects in Kansas City, ( Lactobacillus Amongus , 2017), and Black Ball Projects in Brooklyn, NY ( They/Them/Their , 2016). Sean received a 2017 Rocket Grant Award for Garden Variety Soda Fountain . He works in Kansas City, Kansas.

Join us at Volland on April 6th from 1-4pm for an opening reception of Currents of Ancients .

At 2pm Nash will speak with his friend and collaborator Stephanie Maroney, a feminist science & technology studies scholar whose research investigates how the human microbiome shapes our relationship to our multi-species bodies and the bodies of others. Light refreshments will be served. Free admission.

TNC Kansas Photography Contest Winners

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 22:40:00 GMT

June 1 – 30 | 2024

Saturday, June 15

Reception 1-4pm | Gallery talk | 2pm

The Nature Conservancy hosts an annual Global Photo Contest aimed at collecting, sharing and celebrating photography that highlights nature. In 2023 TNC received nearly 200,0000 submissions from 191 countries and 80,000 photographers who were asked to submit photos in one of 12 categories.

In 2023, Kansas was one of just three states to offer a statewide photo contest alongside TNC’s annual global competition.

Three jurors, Meleda Lowry, Jim Richardson, and Douglas Spale, all photographers working in Kansas and beyond, pored over 1,389 submissions from 500 Kansas photographers, making difficult decisions to select the winning photographs. At Volland, those winning photographs, plus a handful of other noteworthy works, will be exhibited on the gallery walls. Additional projected images of Kansas photographers will complete the exhibit, showcasing the skill of the photographers and the beauty of Kansas.

Volland is pleased to share the winning photos from Kansas, plus some other notable works that showcase Kansas’ nature, wildlife, and people.

Join us on June 15th to celebrate the work of these distinguished photographers. The afternoon will include remarks by juror and National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson.

Further discussion of the photos and how they relate to the work of The Nature Conservancy in Kansas will be offered by Ben Postlethwait, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Kansas; Brian Obermeyer, Director of Land Protection and Stewardship; Heidi Mehl, Director of Kansas Water and Agriculture Programs; and Tony Capizzo, Flint Hills Initiative Manager.

Light refreshments will be served. Free admission. Seating is limited, and reservations are appreciated.

Reserve your spot here

“The Adventures of Bottle Calf”

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 18:37:00 GMT

Ann Vigola Anderson with Sara Long

Reading & Presentation

Sunday, March 3rd, 2024 | 2pm

Free admission | Reservations appreciated

RSVP here or below

Long time friend of Volland and warmer of many hearts Ann Vigola Anderson is returning to share her latest work The Adventures of Bottle Calf .

This new work builds off the success of Posts of A Mid-Century Kid , a book of short stories written by Anderson about her childhood, which included time in Volland.

In 2020, Anderson teamed up with local artist, and “long lost sister,” Sara Long to share the story of Bottle Calf, who was born during an early spring blizzard at Anderson’s grandfather’s farm. For two years Anderson and Long worked in tandem, writing and illustrating a read-aloud book for all ages to enjoy.

On Sunday afternoon, March 3rd, Anderson will present a reading from her new book, Long will share a few of her paintings that were created especially for The Adventures of Bottle Calf, and rumor has it there will be a special Bottle Calf song! Prints, puzzles, kids’ tees and kids’ activity kits will be available at the gallery and also at saralongart.com . Conversation and refreshments will round out a most pleasant afternoon.

Round up the kids, grandkids, and neighbors, and join us!

This is the perfect event for families!

Doors will open at 1pm with the reading to begin at 2. Limited edition copies of Bottle Calf will be available for purchase and signing by both the author and the artist.

Join us for a lovely afternoon with Ann and Sara.

Free admission. Refreshments.

Reservations here

Hong Chun Zhang: Hair of the Dragon

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 20:21:00 GMT

July 13 – September 22 | 2024

Hong Chun Zhang. Red Dragon , 42 x 94in, Chinese ink and color on Italian fabric with scrolls, 2024

Opening Reception

July 13 | 1-4pm

Artist remarks | 2pm

Light refreshments | Free admission

The Chinese zodiac calendar is on a 12-year rotation, and 2024 is the year of the Dragon. For Hong Chun Zhang (b.1971), the dragon symbolizes life and good fortune in China and Kansas. In China, the dragon is a cultural symbol that represents prosperity and good luck. In rural farming communities, the dragon is depicted as a rain deity that can bring life-giving water for agriculture or deadly floods. The title is a play on words whereby the best cure for what ails you is to have more of the same. Hong’s exhibit includes a new body of work in Volland’s gallery, plus a site-specific outdoor project on the foundation’s grounds. In Hair of the Dragon , the Lawrence, Kansas artist melds her affinities for environment and Chinese identity.

Hong, the daughter of two artists trained in Chinese fine style ink painting, and educated in the medium herself, builds on the tradition in Hair of the Dragon . There are two basic styles of Chinese ink painting: fine style and free style. Fine style is a careful and slower making process with realistic details. Free style, however, is a faster and spontaneous technique like calligraphy writing that captures the artist’s ideas and expression. Hong likes the meticulous fine style ink painting, although the process is time consuming. She enjoys its meditative aspect.

Hair of the Dragon' s themes are visible the moment you walk into Volland’s gallery. Portraying a tornado, one of Kansas’ most terrifying natural phenomena, Hong reminds how nature can exert total power over us. Born in China and now living in the United States, Hong also shares her unique perspective through the pieces.

Hong also uses the charcoal medium in Hair of the Dragon , approaching the works much like an ink painting. For example, in Dragon Stroke , Hong’s dragon serpentines across the paper, overlapping itself, and creating the Chinese symbol for dragon.

Historically, ink painting was a male-dominated medium. Hong’s hair motif showcases how times have changed. Further on this point, just as silk was important to ink painters historically, Hong gives special attention to the fabric that makes her canvas. Since 2020, Hong has worked with Italian company Alcantara S.p.A to supply bolts of the company’s synthetic, suede-like fabric. Alcantara’s qualities help Hong arrive at her desired effect.

On Volland’s grounds, Hong mines the dragon form further, imagining it through the lens of local materials.

Measuring 90 feet long, Prairie Dragon is a playful rendition of the dragon. Hong cites the popular Chinese dragon dance, which traces its roots to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), as a source of inspiration. Working with hay bales (harvested from Volland’s brome field by Rusty McDiffett) and painted textiles, Hong depicts a dragon exploring the Flint Hills landscape.

Join us at Volland on July 13th, from 1-4pm for an opening reception of Hair of the Dragon. Hong will be present and will give remarks beginning at 2pm. Free admission. Light refreshments served.

On September 21st, the final Saturday of the exhibit, Volland will host a day celebrating Chinese music, history, dance, and classic Chinese cuisine from Bo Lings of Kansas City.

Performances are free, but reservations are required. Optional dinner $20 per person

Details and reservation link here

CALL FOR AUDITIONS

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 17:01:00 GMT

Auditions | March 16 | 2024

for

Writing Wabaunsee County

We are seeking actors from Wabaunsee County and neighboring counties in the Flint Hills

Sign up for an audition now!

The Volland Foundation is proud to announce auditions for Writing Wabaunsee County , a community-based theater project. The culmination of this project will be live performances of original plays written by Wabaunsee County writers. The performances will be on June 28th and 29th in the Ruin, and actors should be available for rehearsals from June 22nd -June 27th. Call times on working days is 6pm.

We are seeking actors from Wabaunsee County and neighboring counties in the Flint hills region –

all ages and with all levels of theater experience (from novice to experienced) to perform the original work that will comprise the live production of Writing Wabaunsee County .

We strongly encourage performers of all abilities, gender identities, and ethnic and racial backgrounds to audition for Writing Wabaunsee County .

DETAILS

Auditions will be conducted on March 16th. Actors will sign up for a 20-minute audition slot either between 9am - 11am or between 2pm - 4pm.

Please contact Beth Wynstra ( bwynstra@babson.edu ) for an audition slot and time.

Please prepare a one-minute monologue from any theatrical work for your audition. Your monologue could be from a comedic or dramatic play. If you need help selecting a monologue for your audition or if you have any other questions, please contact Beth.

We will notify all actors who audition of our casting decisions by March 30th.

Eclipse Presentation, Stargazing & Campout

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 17:00:00 GMT

March 16 | 2024

Presentation 7pm | Stargazing as long as you like

Camping (free) by reservation here

Six years, seven months and 18 days will have passed between the last total solar eclipse in the United States (on August 21st, 2017) and the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024. For anyone who has not experienced this celestial alignment, or wants to brush up on their knowledge, this is for you! Plan to join Kansas Astronomical Observers Outreach Coordinator and NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador Jerelyn Ramirez at Volland for a fun and informing presentation that will include information about the eclipse, stargazing at Volland, and camping out under the stars in the Flint Hills.

Jerelyn will prepare you to view the eclipse safely and fully informed. The evening will start with a presentation at 7pm in Volland’s gallery. Jerelyn will speak on the science behind this special alignment and what to expect in April. After the presentation, which will last around an hour, Jerelyn will offer official eclipse viewing glasses for $1.

Weather permitting, Jerelyn will begin a night of stargazing with her telescopes. This is a rare opportunity to have a professional guide you through the night sky.You may stay as long as you like, even into the early morning hours, and Volland is inviting you to bring camping gear or a vehicle to setup. There is no fee for camping, but a reservation is required. The following morning campers will be treated to coffee and pastries from the Alma Bakery!

To make a reservation for camping please email us here

Join us for an extraordinary event in Volland’s official Dark Zone.

Notes from Jerelyn:

We can start with viewing the near First Quarter Moon in Taurus in the evening twilight. It will be bright dominating the sky till it sets at 3:28 AM. There are many cool things to see on the moon through a telescope. As the angle of the Sun goes further below the horizon leaving only the Moon to illuminate the night sky, we will be able to tour through the constellations with the brightest naked eye stars available. This is the season of the better known and recognizable constellations at this time of year such as Orion and some of his friends. There are also some beautiful hidden treasures between those constellations we can share through the telescopes.

There is a slim chance to catch Mercury as it chases the Sun below the horizon. Mercury is a bit elusive because of its close orbit around the Sun and will set about an hour behind the Sun. Jupiter will be in the western sky just 2 hours from setting behind Mercury.

We can observe until the last man is standing. Any amateur astronomer such as myself has been known to stay up all night. The best observing begins after 3:30 AM when the Moon sets where the faintest of objects within the Milky Way and beyond are more detectable with our dark-adapted eyes if anyone dares to outlast an astronomer.

M.T. Liggett: Newsletter Archive

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:30:00 GMT

Courtesy of The Wichita Eagle

In early 2024, the Kohler Foundation gifted eight conserved sculptures by self-taught, Kansas artist M.T. Liggett to the Volland Foundation. Established in 1940 and located in Kohler, WI, the Kohler Foundation focuses on preserving art environments around the nation. In Kansas, the Kohler Foundation has contributed to projects such as S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas, KS. The Kohler Foundation has funded and restored the M.T. Liggett Art Environment , in Mullinville, KS, as well as building a Visitors Center featuring an exhibit about Liggett’s work and a space for artist residencies.

The sculptures gifted to Volland were originally part of the private collections of Gloria and Dick Anderson and Cindy and Larry Meeker, friends of the artist. The Volland Foundation extends its gratitude to the Kohler Foundation and the Andersons and Meekers for their generosity.

The Kohler Foundation’s gift is a significant addition to Volland’s permanently installed, outdoor sculptures. In preparation for the reveal of these eight sculpture gifts, Volland shared four newsletters providing information on M.T. Liggett’s life, the themes he explored in his work, context on visionary arts and how his work still resonates today via email. They are preserved here as PDFs for reference.

September 2nd, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: An Unlikely Artist

September 9th, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: Art and Legacy

September 16th, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: A Kansas Artist

September 23rd, 2024 | M.T. Liggett Through a Contemporary Lens

Download all newsletters in a combined PDF

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Myron Thomas Liggett, born on a family farm near Mullinville, KS, led a full life before beginning his art practice in his late fifties. Poverty, world travels, schooling, and a strong sense of individualism shaped Liggett’s life and art, and the gruff, yet affable character piqued the curiosity of countless news outlets and rural explorers.

The self-taught artist eventually made 600 large metal sculptures and 500+ smaller works, lining them along his property next to the highway, attracting so much attention that “no parking signs” had to be posted by the Kansas Department of Transportation. They also caught the eye of the Kansas State Tourism board which named his property an important Kansas art site. The first newsletter of this series explored Liggett’s biography and background.

In the second newsletter of this series, Volland discusses the artist’s work, including the politically charged, often humorous, and personal sculptures, totems, and whirlygigs, as well as the nonpolitical works.

The third installment discussed how artists like M.T. Liggett have been described (a hint: no one term does it all) and the larger context of grassroots art in Kansas.

Finally, Volland examined M.T. Liggett from the perspective of our current moment. Seven years after his death, it is striking to see how well Liggett anticipated future happenings, whether it be a more decentralized artworld or conversations around individualism.

Click on each link below to download the PDF of each newsletter installment.

September 2nd, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: An Unlikely Artist

September 9th, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: Art and Legacy

September 16th, 2024 | M.T. Liggett: A Kansas Artist

September 23rd, 2024 | M.T. Liggett Through a Contemporary Lens

Download all newsletters in a combined PDF

Wabaunsee County Wonders

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:08:00 GMT

Highlighting the creative objects that make Wabaunsee County unique

October 5 – December 15 | 2024

Opening Reception | October 5 | 1-4pm

Artists will be present

Free admission | Light refreshments

Have you ever wondered what your neighbors are making? Maybe they talk about it at church or you’ve seen them share their work or collections on social media? Are you a regular Volland visitor from outside Wabaunsee County but haven’t had the chance to get to know locals just yet?

In Volland’s Fall 2024 exhibit, Wabaunsee County Wonders , Erika Nelson, curator and creator of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum , will showcase Wabaunsee County’s creative outputs, whether it be leatherwork, paintings and drawings, or Native stone tool collections.

Wabaunsee Countians shared their work with Nelson in an open call on September 15 . She reminds us the tent for creative practices is large, much larger than what is considered traditional art forms. Through interviewing the makers and hearing their stories, Erika created an exhibit that is thoughtful, well designed, and authentic to this place.

With that in mind, viewers can expect items and assemblages of wide ranging topics.

Artists and Collectors:

Greg Barron collection, Alma
Jim Holenbeck chaps and boots

Martin Cooney, Alta Vista
stone sculptures

Donna Fulkerson, Eskridge
collection, inlaid and carved wood box by Lonnie Fulkerson

Mike Hazelbaker, Alma
handmade chaps, boots

Sharon Heidemann, Alta Vista
cross stitch

Jim Holenbeck, Deep Creek Road
handmade boots

Marta Howe, Eskridge
textile

Nathan Howe, Eskridge
watercolor and ink

Sam Kidd, Eskridge
gourds in natural pigments

Susan Kraus, Paxico
oil paintings on birch board

George McCaskill, Eskridge
wood carvings and hand-crafted benches

Homar Marval, Manhattan
oil on canvas

Robert Meseke, Jr., Alma
handmade tools and spurs

Gary O’Doniel, Eskridge
watercolor, ink

Dennis Riley, Eskridge (near Keene)
ceramics, black powder re-enactment objects, and handmade guitar

Keith Schultz, Volland
custom-made saddle by Jim Holenbeck

Ron Schultz, Alma
Native stone tools, collection

Phil Schutter, Alma
wood burnings

Christopher Spaw, Alma
sculpture relief

Sally Vee, Alta Vista
assemblage of natural objects

Newsletter Highlights

To further celebrate the talent in Wabaunsee County, each maker and artist was included in a newsletter highlight between October 2nd, 2024 and December 8th, 2024. A complete record of those highlights can be found in the PDF below.

Around the County

Wabaunsee County Wonders is also an opportunity to explore the living, in-place creative objects and environments in the area, as well as the county’s creative industries. For instance, Echo Cliff Park, on Wabaunsee County’s Eastern edge, has signs, tables and seats crafted from metal, concrete and discarded scrap by Earl Hepworth.

Another Wabaunsee Countian, Maude Mitchell (1875 – 1957), made music, paintings, watercolors, and contributed editorials, cartoons and poems to The Wabaunsee County Truth , a monthly church newspaper printed by The Enterprise in the 1920s. Mitchell also forayed into design and sculpture, creating the stone gateway for the integrated Wabaunsee Township Cemetery, where she is buried. Mitchell even gathered the glacier rock used in the gate.

On the subject of rock, Wabaunsee County is heralded for its stone buildings and fences. The Native Stone Scenic Byway crosses through much of the county, showcasing how irregular stones were hewn to make a vernacular building material.

While not on the Scenic Byway, the Volland area boasts two important stone structures: the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead and Volland School, Both may be seen from Old K-10 just south of Volland. The Farmstead was the subject of the 1997 thesis of Paula Graves Adams, who wrote extensively on the Grimm- Schultz property: Ranching in the Kansas Flint Hills: Exploring the Built Forms of a Family Cattle Ranch . The Volland School was a one-room schoolhouse that served the Volland community in the early 1900s. It has been lovingly restored by Rich Lind, the husband of Deb Schultz Lind, a descendant of students at the school. The school doesn’t have regular open hours, but if the gate is open, you are welcome to explore the school. It is worth the stop.

Creatives are still active in the area. For instance, along the north side of K-4, just east of Alta Vista, travelers are humored by Larry the Chainsaw Guy's wooden sculptures. Much like M.T. Liggett – who placed his totems along US Highway 400 and Kansas Highway 54 in Mullinville, KS in Kiowa County – Larry Frese's sculptures cannot be missed.

Martin Cooney's Walled Garden is on the main street of Alta Vista. Cooney is a stone sculptor and avid gardener who has brought life and color to a brick building without doors or windows, a lovely environment for all to enjoy.

Opening Reception for Wabaunsee County Wonders

Volland will celebrate the creativity that resides in Wabaunsee County on October 5th. Doors will open at 1pm, and artists will be present to visit with you about their work. Free admission. Light refreshments.

Come as you are and enjoy the conversations!

A nationally recognized artist who made art with tools and materials which were “of the place” is M.T. Liggett from western Kansas. In many ways he serves as an inspiration for Wabaunsee County Wonders. Eight of Liggett’s sculptures are being gifted to Volland from the Kohler Foundation and are now permanently installed at Volland. Be sure to see them on your next visit to Volland!

Symphony of All Things

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:07:14 GMT

A “lichen walk” around Volland’s grounds with Sarah Hearn

followed by a music performance by The Forcefields

March 23 | Lichen walk launches at 2pm | Concert at 4pm

Free admission | RSVP here

Sarah Hearn , Volland’s current exhibiting artist, has wide-ranging interests in the sciences. Microbial Multiverse highlights the life that can’t be seen by the naked eye, but Hearn also focuses on life we can see without assistance. The Norman, Oklahoma artist finds inspiration in lichens, nature’s “white noise” as the artist describes them. Lichen are the product of a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae, and are ubiquitous – covering about 8% of the world’s landmass. Using cut photographs, watercolors, and at times graphite, Hearn imagines new lichen interactions, calling attention to the regularly seen but often unnoticed life form.

Lichens are some of the most implausible but real species on our planet and beyond; illustrating how science is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Hearn will share the lichens inhabiting Volland’s grounds on March 23rd beginning at 2pm. Participants will learn interesting facts about lichens, basic lichen terminology, and see a wide range of lichen species thriving at Volland. She plans to bring her chemistry test kit for lichen id, national and local field guides, a couple of handheld microscopes and some loupes for looking closely at lichens. She says: “L ichens are capable of growing on glass, brick, metal, rock, branches, and occasionally animals. Lichens defy rules, behave symbiotically and can live to be over 1,000 years old.

The tour will include walking around Volland’s built area, plus a walk through the Nature Trail. Please bring sturdy shoes that you do not mind getting dirty.

Following the lichen walk, enjoy The Forcefields in the gallery!

After the walk, Forcefields , the musical duo of Julia Othmer (Aayama Forcefield) and James T. Lundie (Max Forcefield), will present a live performance with enhanced soundscapes and original visual projections. The concert will be a multi-media experience featuring the hand-drawn artistry of Sarah Hearn on their composition “The Symphony Of All Things.” The Forcefields and Hearn are collaborators (much like lichens).

While this is a free program. Volland kindly asks that you RSVP to the event. Light refreshments served.

Listen to Julia

Photos of Symphony of all Things
March 23, 2024

Nature on the Trail

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 13:31:00 GMT

In the draw –

Walk the trail at your own risk. You may encounter venomous snakes and slippery crossings.
Do not enter the West Draw when it's windy or rainy.

EARLY SPRING ON THE TRAIL

Each season brings its own pleasures to the trail. As winter makes a brave attempt to end its reign, you think you see buds swelling and turning color. In other places, not yet. It’s a tease. It’s warm, then cold, then a slight greening… Impatience.

A passing train thunders down the elevated track above the trail and demands your attention, inspiring awe and wonder.

Further into the woods, the trail invites an earnest search for details that reveal the first signs of spring – tiny ground covers peek green noses through dead leaves of the previous season, nutshells lie open after a winter’s meal, wet stones shimmer from a recent shower, and a slight scent of spring freshens the air. Deer tracks make their own trails – and there are other tracks too. Do you know them? The silence is broken with a little birdsong, no insect chatter yet. A noisier silence. Spring is ready. Waiting for just the right moment. Anticipation. Certainty.

SUMMER ON THE TRAIL

AUTUMN ON THE TRAIL

The foliage is thinning now, and the sound of the train rolling past the draw is more commanding than ever.

Buckthorns, elms, hackberries, bur oaks, white oaks, and chinkapins are changing color, losing leaves, and edging toward winter. A million stones cover the dry river bed, mixed with crinoids that are 500 million years old. The squirrels are frantically laying away stores of nuts, while the Monarchs cover the trees and look for water. Birds are quieter – and so are the cicadas. They know. Winter is coming.

Still…take precautions to avoid ticks until frost: wear a hat, long sleeves, long pants, socks over pant cuffs, spray your clothing with bug spray around your waist, cuffs, and neck. Check for ticks at bedtime. Use tweezers to pull them straight out, and apply Neosporin. Just a little while longer.

WINTER ON THE TRAIL

Each season brings it own pleasures to the trail. In winter the trees are bare. They display their essential structure, strength, and vulnerability – and indeed their architecture. If you’re lucky, a passing train will thunder down the elevated track and demand your attention.

Further into the woods, the trail invites closer inspection of the details – the ground coverings, the leaves, the nuts, the stones, the deer tracks. It is quiet except for the rustle of leaves underfoot. No birdsong or insect chatter. A wintry silence. It seems far removed, just for you.

On the trail | There are sculptures to be discovered. Their materials are in dialouge with the natural surroundings. They blend into the treescape, appear in clearings, and are sometimes surrounded with brush, but their presence is undeniably strong.

Seasonal Creek | The area’s watershed flows through this draw to West Branch of Mill Creek (just across the railroad tracks). The stream is seasonal, usually running dry in the summertime. Native trees are found near waterways in the Flint Hills, and the trees lining this streambed are Black Walnut, Hackberry, Bur Oak, Sycamore, and Buckeye. Look for the giant Bur Oak tree and the stately Sycamores.

Emerging from the Draw onto the Prairie | The brome field is on your right (to the south). A non-native perennial grass, brome is cut and baled in June, for storage until wintertime to feed cattle. Native Tallgrass Prairie is on the left (to the north). The original prairie has not been touched by the plow. Native species include wildflowers, native prairie grasses, and sedges.

At each stop on your walk, scan the landscape to see what you can see.

History on the Trail | Sculpture on the Trail

Eric Reynolds Book Talk & Signing

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:00 GMT

Saturday, April 13 | 2pm

RSVP here

Update:

The book signing was attended by a dozen or more people who had connections with the little town of Garrison or one of the other ten small towns who were flooded by the Tuttle Creek project. They traveled from as far away as Wichita and Great Bend to share and compare recollections and seek missing information. It was a reunion of sorts of people who didn’t previously know each other, but who shared a common memory and curiosity. It was a compelling, intimate, and sometimes emotional experience, and a rare opportunity to connect. Thank you, Eric, for setting the stage to make this happen.

What happens to the memory of a town when it is completely erased?

For author Eric T. Reynolds, who was born in the Flint Hills and now resides in Kansas City, Tuttle Creek Lake’s imposition on the the Blue River Valley is a point of interest. Working through science-fiction, Reynolds transports readers into the heart of a debate to save Garrison, KS from oblivion.

From Booklist – “This captivat ing narrative seamlessly blends [science fiction], historical fiction, and environmental issues. The story unfolds with a compelling hook, as Kansas University geography professor Katie Robbins, while visiting a cemetery, time-travels to 1937. This unexpected journey thrusts her into a local battle against a massive dam construction project, which promises to submerge the entire Blue River Valley. Reynolds impressively combines thorough research, a structured plot, and vivid characters, immersing readers in early twentieth-century Kansas.”

Join us on April 13th, at 2pm for a talk and book signing from Reynolds on his latest work. The author has penned over 20 books, often addressing themes through historical and science fiction. Reynolds will have copies of The Lost Town of Garrison for purchase at Volland. Light refreshments served.

This is a free event but RSVPs are strongly encouraged.

Ben Cosgrove and the Friends of Volland

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:36:00 GMT

Sunday | May 5 | 4pm

Ben Cosgrove is a traveling composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment.

Described by the Boston Globe as “a sonic plein-air painter… [using] his piano as a paintbrush,” Ben has performed in every U.S. state except for Delaware, collaborated with groups ranging from rock bands to research scientists, contributed music to several radio and film projects (including the recent Ken Burns documentary The American Buffalo ) , and held residencies and fellowships with institutions including NASA, the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology.

Ben’s music has been called “beautiful and fascinating” ( The Maine Edge ), “deeply impressive” ( Independent Clauses ), and “immediately evocative and fully arresting… brim[ming] with technical mastery and emotional capital” ( Seven Days) . His newest record, Bearings , a collection of improvisation-based music that reflects upon the relationship between movement and place, was released in 2023. You can read more about Bearings here , stream it on all platforms here , and order the album in CD, vinyl, or digital formats here .

Ben was the first juried resident in the 2022 pilot residency program at Volland.
We are delighted he is returning to perform at Volland at the Friends of Volland Party.

For more about Ben and his work, please visit bencosgrove.com.

Derrick Doty + Signal Ridge at The Ruin

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 19:41:00 GMT

CONCERT UPDATE: POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN

The rain may have gotten to our parade but not to our spirits! Derrick Doty + Signal Ridge is cancelled for tomorrow evening due to the forecast but we’re looking forward to rescheduling.

Stay tuned for details.

July 20 | Doors at 6pm

Derrick Doty 7pm | Signal Ridge 8pm

Bring a Picnic or Snacks | MHK beverage truck | Flint Hills Pints Ice Cream

Bring your lawn chair!

$15 per person | 2 for $25 | Walk-ins welcome

Tickets Here

Volland will come alive with historically accurate Kansas music –

and Kansas bluegrass that is making history

D E R R I C K D O T Y

Derrick Doty opens the show! A past Volland resident, Derrick has been fiddling for 20 years. Research is an important component of Derrick’s work. As a researcher, Derrick studies Kansas history through the lens of its music. This ranges from finding tunes written by Kansans and researching musical instruments that were made and used in the past to recreating accurate attire by performers. Derrick is a member of Tallgrass Express and Fiddler’s Dream.

S I G N A L R I D G E

Smokin’ hot, high towered, fully flowered, and firmly rooted Kansas Bluegrass.”

From their website: “Music straight out of heartland in Lawrence, Kansas. Steeped in history and inspiration from the natural world, Signal Ridge writes and performs original songs about prairie fires, coal mining and dancing coyotes. Jesse Carr brings an old-time feel with his mandolin, fiddle and banjo quips. Brandon Allai flat picks the guitar. His voice, smooth and cathartic. His lyrics, straight from soul. Rachel Allai, rounds out the corners with gentle harmonies and singing on the fiddle. Peter Oviatt, now in New Mexico, is as versatile as they come. Playing intricate, yet sweet melodic runs on the banjo. They all have a love for music and an awe for the natural environment. Multi-talented, these folks garden, rehab wild animals, river guide, but most of all celebrate, with their music. This group, who regularly runs into Derrick at Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival, is adding to Kansas’ music history through their unique bluegrass sound.

Bring a picnic or snacks

(no food available onsite)

MHK Caravan Co. will be serving beverages

Flint Hills Pints will bring homemade cream –

Tables and chairs will be set out for picnicking, but

please bring your lawn chair for the concert

Join us for a summer evening at the Ruin celebrating Kansas’ music tradition new and old.

Tickets Here

$15 per person | 2 for $25 | Walk-ins welcome

Inside the gallery, Hong Chun Zhang’s Hair of the Dragon exhibit will be up for viewing, along with her 90ft Prairie Dragon installation on our grounds.

Emil Redmon’s Cow: Wisdom Keepers & Potluck

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:02:00 GMT

April 14 | Potluck begins at 12:30pm | Presentation at 2pm

RSVP with the Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum at 785-765-2200

Mark Feiden, photographer, videographer and creator of Emil Redmon’s Cow, returns to Volland to share stories from Flint Hills’ ranches and farms on Sunday, April 14th. Before Mark’s presentation, which will feature stories from Wabaunsee County and beyond, a community potluck will be hosted by Volland and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum.

Supported by the Trusler Foundation, Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum, Pioneer Bluffs and the Volland Foundation, Feiden documents stories from the Flint Hills, capturing and preserving history. The overarching project, Emil Redmon’s Cow , began in 2019. Since then, Feiden has added to the project in waves, building an impressive catalog of stories.

In the latest addition to the project, titled Wisdom Keepers , Feiden added another 27 stories to the project. The importance of this work cannot be understated. In the present, community members celebrate each other through the project, while Feiden’s documentation ensures these stories will be shared long into the future.

For those participating in the potluck, please bring a side dish or dessert to share . Volland and the Historical Society are providing pulled pork and buns, drinks, and table service. After the meal the room will be flipped for the video/speaking presentation. If the weather allows, the meal will be outside in the picnic grove by the Blacksmith Shop.

We look forward to seeing you. Space is limited so RSVP right away!

Call 785-765-2200

____________________________________

Slim Hanson & The Poor Choices at The Ruin

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:00:00 GMT

August 24 | Doors at 6 | Music at 8

$15 per person

Tickets Here

Bring your lawn chair!

Kansas City country and western band Slim Hanson & The Poor Choices perform classic and original honky-tonk tunes at the Ruin!

The Ruin becomes a dance floor for a boot stompin’ good time!

The five-man group formed from a shared love of classic country music. That surely shows in the Poor Choices , featuring Beau Bledsoe on electric guitar and vocals, John Currey on drums, Slim Hanson on guitar and vocals, Jeff Freling on electric bass, and Marco Pascalini on the steel pedal guitar.

Dressed in cowboy boots and suits, Slim Hanson & The Poor Choices share songs of love, loss and life. The group has a longstanding gig at The Ship in Kansas City and regularly collaborates with other musicians to infuse different sounds into their work. One such example is their recent partnership with Los Texmaniacs and Mireya Ramos , Latin Grammy Award winner and past Volland exhibitor, for a program that shares the history of music along the United States-Mexican border.

Local chef Adam Waechter is serving pulled pork, potato salad, and cowboy beans!

$14 | cash is preferred, but check or credit card work too –

MHK Caravan Co. will be serving beverages and

Flint Hills Pints is bringing homemade ice cream!

Please bring a lawn chair for the concert, and

join us on August 24th for a fun summer night of classic country!

Tickets here

Inside the gallery, Hong Chun Zhang’s Hair of the Dragon exhibit will be up for viewing, along with her 90ft Prairie Dragon installation on our grounds.

Friends of Volland Party

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:00 GMT

We appreciate you!

The arts are flourishing in the Flint Hills because of you!

Friends of Volland 2024 are invited for a fun afternoon

on Sunday, May 5, 2024

3pm | Walking tour of Volland | history, sculpture, nature, art

Open for viewing: the Loft, the Little House, and the Old Store

Sean Nash: Currents of Ancients in the gallery | Sean will be in attendance

Rachel Hayes art installation in the meadow

Sculptures by Mark McHenry | Mark will lead a sculpture walk

4-4:45pm | Concert by Ben Cosgrove at the Ruin

5pm | light spring supper by Piccalilli Farm

We look forward to seeing you at Volland!

With warmest wishes –

Patty & Jerry Reece

Volland Foundation Advisory Council

Volland Foundation Board of Directors

Ryan Jones, Director of Operations

reservations here by Friday, April 26

_______________________________

If you are viewing this and not a Friend of Volland yet,

we invite you to become a friend!

here

Sculpture on the Trail

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:36:00 GMT

Mark McHenry, Sculptor

On the trail, history and nature are palpable – and now so is art. It can be touched and felt.

Mark McHenry, architect and sculptor, has gifted several sculptures to the Volland Foundation. Created over a lifetime and not specifically designed for this place, McHenry recognized they would feel at home here – and they do. The materials of iron, wood, stone, and found objects resonate with the Flint Hills and its culture. The architecture, engineering, and vision of each piece is complex and intriguing. They stir the imagination.

I MPLEMENT (for Richard Gillespie) can be seen from the front windows of the gallery. Look to the west of the Ruin, close to the two trees along the mowed path leading to the Nature Trail entrance.

KAW HAVEN (for Lena Baxter) is next, placed close to the trail’s south entrance.

Suspended from a tree just before the first bend in the trail, you will discover

THE MIDDLETON,

and ERLING STRAND is about midway through the trail.

When you emerge from the trail in the draw, look for PALO ALTO 1972 swinging from a tree on a hill above the horse arena.

OBYSODOBI (in response to D.H.L.) hangs from the Giant cottonwood tree between the arena and Volland Road.

IMPLEMENT (for Richard Gillespie) was placed in view of the Volland Store, beckoning visitors to discover others on the Nature Trail with the help of Ryan Jones, Director of Operations. Installed on Halloween 2022.

KAW HAVEN (for Lena Baxter) is the first sculpture gifted by Mark McHenry. It points toward the entrance to the Nature Trail. Installed July 2022.

THE MIDDLETON took a village to suspend from just the right branch. Installed November 28, 2022.

ERLING STRAND , c reated from wood and iron artifacts of train tracks, fits handsomely into the context of Volland and its origins. This was McHenry's second gift of sculpture to The Volland Foundation. Received September 10, 2022.

PALO ALTO 1972 can be seen when emerging from the draw. This piece h angs from a tree on a hill above the Horse Arena, and it moves with the breeze. Installed October 30, 2023.

OBYSODOBI (in response to D.H.L.) was ten years in the making. It all started with a pine plank collected by his Dad. Received October 30, 2023.

Thank you, Mark McHenry, for the generous gift of your lifetime of work. We are most grateful.

Saturday morning, September 10, 2022. 9 am.

“The skies in the southwest are deep blue, portending rain. Mark McHenry, architect, artist, sculptor arrives as planned, bringing a second sculpture to install on the Nature Trail at Volland. With the prospect of rain, we move quickly to the Trail. Mark has an idea for a location of this piece. He considers the view from which hikers will first discover it, and the space and shape required for the size of the sculpture. We discuss the way the water flows over this location during a big rain event. The artist is undeterred. He accepts that the sculptures he is gifting to the Volland Foundation will be subject to the natural forces of the environment and will show the passage of time and weather. He likes that. The materials of his art are natural and belong in a natural environment.

We begin to carry the pieces of the sculpture, one by one, down the path into the woods, and I think of the people in ancient times who built the Pyramids and Mayan temples, by hand, piece by piece. Make no mistake – I have no illusions of Pyramids or Mayan temples at Volland. But carrying pieces of wood and stone by foot to a place where something of importance is to be built stirs thoughts of the past. The connection of land and hand and art is present and keenly felt.

As the installation begins, the engineering and problem-solving required of the artist to realize his vision become apparent. Pieces fit together perfectly, the holes are in the right place, balance is achieved through careful thought. Admirable. Brilliant.

Putting it together is a kind of performance art in itself. Rumbling thunder and spitting rain spur efficiency. Trains blast by and remind us of the larger world outside this niche in the woods. Finally, the piece is in place. Cottonwood limestone from Chase County, wood from a Kansas walnut tree, and a bit of Manila line make a strong statement that refers to land and industry, agriculture, and productivity. It feels right.

It is raining harder now – a baptism of sorts for this sculpture living in the woods. The artist is happy. We love it. And we are most grateful for this gift, Mr. McHenry. Thank you.” – The Volland Foundation

History on the Trail | Nature on the Trail

Fifth Annual Fish Wizards Tour

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 19:26:00 GMT

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

June 1 and June 2, 2024

SOLD OUT –
Thank you for your support!

Reservations

$50 + tax and fee

See the Movie here

(2023 Fish Wizards Tour)

The 2024 Fish Wizards T-shirt!

illustrated by Joe Tomelleri
Fish from a Wabaunsee County creek

Order your shirts when you purchase your tickets |You may pick up your shirt when you arrive for your tour

Please note: there will not be extra shirts for sale on event days

The Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway

announce

the 5th Annual Fish Wizards Tour

Come along for a fun-filled trip to see and learn more about the beautiful and amazing fish species in the streams of beautiful Wabaunsee County, Kansas! More than 20 species of fish are found in the crystal clear waters of these Flint Hills streams.

The Fish Wizards Tour will be led by renowned fisheries scientists, joined this year by special guest Ray Troll , an artist and Guggenheim Fellow, who is well known to biologists and paleontologists because of his quirky t-shirts and his artwork that is surrealistic yet biologically accurate. Participants are in for an unforgettable experience.

Attendees will learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of many native fish species.

Our tour leaders are quite an accomplished crew!

Dr. Bill Stark is a professor at Fort Hays State University and specializes in fisheries and aquatic environment studies. His research includes numerous studies on Kansas’ native fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Joe Tomelleri is the world’s leading freshwater fish illustrator and has more than 1,100 illustrations. His work has been featured in more than 1,000 publications, including Trout and Salmon of North America , Outdoor Life , Eddie Bauer , and of course Kansas Fishes . His illustrations are scientifically accurate and document the species in their native colors. Joe’s prints will be available for sale at the Volland Gallery.

Mike Kaminski is a fisheries biologist and and Instructor of Biology at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. He has collected fishes from throughout the U.S. and now enjoys sharing knowledge with students and people of all ages.

Dr. Brian Bohnsack will assist with the tours and provide insights on the principles of fish and wildlife management based on his long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and Wichita State University.

Special Guest Ray Troll
From Ray’s website: “In his studio on a hill above Tongass Narrows in rainy Ketchikan, Alaska, Ray Troll creates fishy images that swim into museums, books and magazines, and onto t-shirts worn around the world. He draws his inspiration from extensive field work and the latest scientific discoveries, bringing a street-smart sensibility to the worlds of ichthyology and paleontology.” Ray also believes that everybody should be in a band. If you are musically inclined, feel free to bring your instrument of choice and harmonize along with Ray! He will bring his guitar creekside.

June is an ideal time for the 5th annual Fish Wizards Tour. Many of the fish will be dressed in their peak spawning colors and will be ready to impress us with their brilliant colors.

TOUR LOGISTICS

Please arrive at The Volland Store by 9:30am to check in, pick up your tee shirt (if you ordered one), browse the amazing fish prints of Joe Tomelleri , and load up for a prompt departure to the creek!

At 10am we will caravan to a crystal clear creek, a selected sampling site on a tributary of Mill Creek in Wabaunsee County. The tour will last about four hours.

Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun. We know your dog loves the water and the outdoors, but please leave him/her at home, in consideration of the fishes. Thank you for understanding.

The fun begins when we arrive at the creek! The Fish Wizards will locate and seine for fish, then bring them up for the participants to see “up close and personal.” After wading and watching and learning, a boxed lunch will be provided around noon, and you are invited to visit and linger in the shade, departing at your leisure. Ray Troll will be there to provide some tunes, and he might do a bit of drawing too –

Attendance is limited to 30 individuals for each day. Reserve your spot now! The registration is $50 + tax and fees. The event is a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation. Registration fees are non-refundable. Every effort will be made to provide the tour on-site. In the case of heavy rain and/or stream flows, a presentation will be given about Kansas fish species and the history of Volland at the Volland Gallery, 24098 Volland Road, 8 miles west of Alma, Kansas. Map and directions here.

And…. On your way home from the creek , don’t miss the opportunity to stop by the Wabaunsee County Historical Museum in Alma to see their new display of Native American artifacts and tools. The museum’s extensive collection has been catalogued by retired archaeologist Bob Blasing, who worked for two years to identify, date, and provide details about the more than 2000 tools, some dating back 10,000 years. This extraordinary collection will be a significant resource for scholars, historians, anthropologists, artists, students of various disciplines, and anyone with an interest in Native American culture. It is an important addition to the community near and far, and the Museum is to be congratulated for recognizing the importance of cataloging the collection. It is a gift to all who experience it. Enjoy!

The Fish Wizards Tour is open for everyone! Kids through senior citizens will enjoy learning about amazing and beautiful fish species of Kansas.

Join us in June for a memorable experience!

Make History With Us

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 06:53:00 GMT

Writing Wabaunsee County

Friday, June 28th & Saturday, June 29th, 2024

Doors open | 6pm

Food and Drink Trucks available | Gallery and Trails open

Writing Wabaunsee County | 8pm

Let’s create history, together!

Your support will help this summer’s community theatre productions return to

Wabaunsee County!

It was a warm summer evening in 2022 – the energy and excitement in the air was palpable. As the sun went down, the lights illuminated the Ruin and the show started. Members of the Volland community traveled short and long distances to see an experiment – a collaboration rooted in connection to Wabaunsee County.

Heart/Roots , directed by Beth Wynstra and written by Mary Pinard, highlighted the best of Wabaunsee County. The script pulled from first-hand stories and experiences of community members around Alma, KS and was brought to life by actors in the same community.

Now, in 2024, collaboration returns to the Ruin on a new level, making history in Wabaunsee County. Writing Wabaunsee County is written by local playwrights and brought to life by local actors. Of course, the ever-brilliant guidance of Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard have set the stage for such a fantastic event and experience to flourish!

You can support this collaboration in a meaningful way through sponsorship opportunities available at various levels. Let’s create history in Wabaunsee County together!

THE WRITERS

THE ACTORS

Sponsorship Opportunities for Writing Wabaunsee County

includes recognition on the wall of the gallery, on our website, and in the play program.

Sponsorships are still available for Writing Wabaunsee County on June 28th or 29th, and we welcome your support!
Please note that all seating has been released to the general public, and sponsorship seating will be assigned in the order received.

A Friend of the Ruin generously supports Writing Wabaunsee County in the most extraordinary way! It includes:

Premier seating for four people on padded folding chairs at the east end of the Ruin. Please note: All seats are now available to the general public, but you will be assigned the best available seats at the east end of the Ruin. Unfortunately, we can no longer guarantee four seats together.
Recognition on the wall of the ever-changing Volland Gallery
Recognition on the Volland Foundation Website
Recognition in the Writing Wabaunsee County play program
Special recognition on Volland’s social media channels and email list
Many thanks to Friends of the Ruin: George Terbovich and Patty & Jerry Reece

$500
$400 tax-deductible

A Sponsor of the Ruin generously supports Writing Wabaunsee County and includes:

Best available seating for two on bleachers with seating pads on the west end of the Ruin
Recognition on the wall of the ever-changing Volland Gallery, the Volland Website, in the Writing Wabaunsee County play program
Many thanks to Sponsors of the Ruin: Carole Wynstra, Cara & Lee Mueller, Dave & Sara O’Connell, and Tony Crawford

$250
$200 tax-deductible

A Supporter of the Ruin generously supports Writing Wabaunsee County and includes:

Best available seating for two on bleachers with seating pads on the north side of the Ruin
Recognition on the wall of the ever-changing Volland Gallery, the Volland Website, in the Writing Wabaunsee County play program
Many thanks to Supporters of the Ruin: Kevin & Patricia Doyle, Jerry Haahr, Bill & Kathy Hogue, Ed & Marta Howe, Blake Thomas, Kathy & Daniel Swenson, and Greg & Dina Wingfield

$100

$75 tax-deductible

Please email us at info@vollandfoundation.org
or leave a message at 785-499-3616 for information on sponsorship opportunities.

There are two ways to join the Friends, Sponsors, and Supporters of Writing Wabaunsee County

with a check or online:

Indicate your level of giving and preferred date of attendance in the memo line, and

Mail your check to:

The Volland Foundation, PO Box 144, Alma, KS 66401

email us to let us know your check is coming and we will reserve your seats in the order in which we receive your request

Or purchase your tickets online here

we will reserve your seats in the order in which we receive your request

_______________________________

Make your mark on Wabaunsee County’s rich history!

Be a sponsor for Writing Wabaunsee County now!

Writing Wabaunsee County

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:56:00 GMT

June 28 & 29 | Doors at 6pm

order tickets here

Destination Burrito food truck, MHK CaravanCo. beverage truck, and FlintHills Pints homemade ice cream

in the gallery:

The Nature Conservancy in Kansas Photography Contest Winners

The sculpture and nature trail will be open.

Performance at 8pm

Order your tickets now for best availability!

but wait!

If you wish to help make history with us, consider becoming a sponsor of Writing Wabaunsee County!

details here

Become a Friend, a Sponsor, or a Supporter of the Ruin and receive best available seats for the performance of your choice, plus recognition on the Volland gallery wall, the website, and in the printed play program.

Click here to learn more and purchase a sponsorship on line. We will assign the best available seats in the order of requests received. No need to go to Eventbrite unless you need additional tickets beyond your sponsorship.
_______________________________________
If you prefer to send a check, please make your check to Volland Foundation. Indicate your level of giving and preferred date of attendance in the memo line of your check. Mail to: Volland Foundation, PO Box 144, Alma, KS 66401. If choosing this method of support, please email us to let us know your check is coming! We will reserve your seats in the order in which we receive your emailed or mailed request, whichever comes first.

Photo by Maddy Michaelis

Writing Wabaunsee County

What do you find when draw a circle around an area and mine the experiences and talents within? That is the premise for Writing Wabaunsee County , a series of plays written and performed by Wabaunsee County residents past and present.

The project, which leans into the community theatre concept, is the brainchild of Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard. Both are professors at Babson College in the Boston, MA area, where they teach drama and literature, respectively. Writing Wabaunsee County builds on their last project at Volland, Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County , which saw Mary collect stories from countians and adapt them into a unique script. For this production, the two are guiding the writers and actors, helping them craft and perform unique plays written around six central “ingredients” that tie all the plays together.

After working with Beth and Mary on Zoom throughout the Spring, the playwrights and actors will work closely in the week leading up to the June 28 and 29th performances to hone their plays, aiding each other in making last minute edits and acting instructions.

Learn more about the playwrights and actors below, and scroll farther down for information about the performances.

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The Playwrights

Emmett Spaw, Wendi Rogers, Karen Barron, Marci Spaw, Rhonda Nehring
Special Contributors: Kathy Hogue and Rob Meseke

(top row, left to right): Emmett Spaw, Wendi Rogers, Karen Barron

(bottom row, left to right): Marci Spaw, Rhonda Nehring, Rob Meseke, (Kathy Hogue is out of camera range)

Karen Barron, Mill Creek Township, Wabaunsee County

Karen – who writes professionally under the name K.L. Barron – is an author of poetry and prose. Karen teaches writing and literature at Washburn University in Topeka, and introduced her first novel, Thirst , in late 2022.

Rhonda Nerhing, Nehring Branch

Rhonda also contributes to the Signal-Enterprise and is a good friend of Volland as a volunteer. Writing is just one of Rhonda’s creative skills, which also extends to music with string instruments.

Wendi Rogers, Auburn

Wendi grew up and has spent most of her life in Eskridge and the surrounding hills. As a former librarian and editor/writer/critic, Wendi has devoted much of her life to literature.

Emmett Spaw, southwest of Alma

Emmett is currently studying playwriting at Kansas State University. His works have been praised for their wit and humor. Emmett also helps oversee KSU’s improv group, where he acts and directs.

Marci Spaw, near Illinois Creek southwest of Alma

Marci is the Executive Director of the Wabausee County Historical Society & Museum. She is a seasoned grant and copywriter for the museum and is excited to try something new with Writing Wabaunsee County .

Special Contributors

Rob Meseke, Alma

Rob is a regular contributor to The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum’s newsletter, diving into wide-ranging topics, often on regional and personal history. Rob will contribute a piece to the printed program of Writing Wabaunsee County .

Kathy Hogue, Stonebridge, Wabaunsee County

Kathy is a ranch wife and a preservationist. She and her husband Bill purchased an 1860’s Flint Hills homestead with several crumbling stone structures. After years of neglect, Stonebridge, the landmark homestead with its arched-ceiling stone cellars has been restored. Kathy is a writer who looks forward to contributing to the printed program of Writing Wabaunsee County .

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The Actors

Jeremiah Ariaz, Briana Drinkwater, Don Hendricks
Brian Huntzinger, Stephanie Manes, Blake Thomas

(top row, left to right): Jeremiah Ariaz, Brianna Drinkwater, Don Hendricks
(bottom row, left to right): Brian Huntzinger, Stephanie Manes, Blake Thomas

Jeremiah Ariaz, Baton Rouge, LA

Although Jeremiah is not officially from Wabaunsee County, he is a familiar face around Alma. He is a past Volland Resident and exhibitor, working in photography. Hailing from Great Bend, KS, and currently a professor of photography at Louisiana State University, Jeremiah makes regular trips back to Kansas to visit family and to continue his artistic pursuits .

Briana Drinkwater, Alma

Briana comes from a background in performing arts. She’s performed in musicals such as My Fair Lady and West Side Story , and previously performed as a professional mermaid on the great island of Hawaii. Briana is an EMT and paramedic. She currently lives in Alma and often practices her singing for her two cats, much to their chagrin.

Don Hendricks, Alma

As a Wabaunsee County native, Don Hendricks has spent many hours in community involvement. He has served on the Alma City Council as an elected official (1989-1997) and as Alma’s Mayor (1997-2005). Don is a business owner in Alma. He and his wife, Rosa, have two daughters and five active grandchildren.

Brian Huntzinger, near Volland

Brian has appeared in a few productions at The Columbian Theater in Wamego. You may have seen him in Oliver! , Annie Get your Gun , It’s a Wonderful Life! and A Tribute to Carol Burnett . Brian is a Paramedic/Captain with Pottawatomie County EMS where he has worked for 20 years. A native of Wamego, Brian has lived in rural Wabaunsee County (just a few miles from Volland) for the last 6 years.

Stephanie Manes, Wamego (across the Kansas River from Wabaunsee County)

Stephanie is a grassland ecologist with a passion for native prairies and the people they support. She lives in Wamego, Kansas, with her two children. Stephanie is from Mannford, Oklahoma (the Southern Flint Hills!) but has travelled and worked extensively with ranching families to conserve land in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. This is Stephanie’s second live theatre performance.

Blake Thomas, toward Eskridge

Blake is an eternal optimist, always looking for unique experiences and challenges to learn something new. He has travelled along various career paths including professional horse training, computer technology, construction and parenting – kids, horses and dogs. All of Blake’s life experiences provide an excellent foundation for this theatrical experience.

_________________________________________

Director, Playwriting Guide and Stage Manager

Beth Wynstra, Director

Beth Wynstra is an Associate Professor of English at Babson College. She holds a Ph.D. in Theater Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a certificate in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. Beth’s book, I Only Act a Part You’ve Created: The Performance of Marriage in the Plays of Eugene O’Neill (University of Iowa Press, Theater History and Culture Series) was published in 2023. Beth has written extensively on the life and plays of Eugene O’Neill and often works as a dramaturg with professional theater companies around the country who are producing the works of O’Neill. Beth regularly directs plays and musicals at Babson and is the Founding Artistic Director of The Empty Space Theater. She is honored to be working with the Volland Foundation, the talented cast and crew, and with her extraordinary friend, mentor, and colleague, Mary Pinard, on Writing Wabaunsee County .

Mary Pinard, Playwriting Guide

Mary Pinard is a poet and teaches literature at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. Her poems have appeared in a range of literary journals, and her first book of poetry, Portal , was published in 2014 by Salmon Press. Her second book, Ghost Heart, which contains poems about her beloved Flint Hills, was published in 2022 and was shared at the Ruin last summer. Copies are available in the Volland gallery. She was born and raised in Seattle, and Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County in 2022 was her first play.

Janelle Augustine, Stage Manager

Janelle is thrilled to return to Volland for its latest theatre production! Janelle served as stage manager for Heart/Roots in 2022, and shortly afterward graduated from K-State with a degree in theatre. She is currently the Event Services Coordinator at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO. The Broadmoor hosts musical, theatrical and various other programs across its two venues.

Heart//Roots: Wabaunsee County , world premiere, 2022

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The Performances

Join us on June 28th and 29th to see the results of everyone’s hard work. Doors will open at 6:30pm with Destination Burrito food truck, MHK CaravanCo. for drinks, and FlintHills Pints homemade ice cream, plus Volland’s exhibit of winning/notable photographs from The Nature Conservancy in Kansas Photography Contest. Volland’s trails will also be open.

Tickets must be purchased in advance as seats are reserved. Volland will set up tables for dining and is providing seating (mostly bleachers and some chairs) for the performance. You don’t need to bring a lawn chair this time!

For Saturday ‘s performan ce only: if you want to hear from the playwrights this is the night to come. A conversation on their process will begin at 6:45pm and conclude at 7:30pm, before that night’s performance.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Order tickets here!

The Volland Trail

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 06:00:00 GMT

-open every day dawn to dusk-

On the Volland Trail, you will find history, nature, and sculpture-

Bring a picnic, your kids, friends, family-

Enjoy the fresh air and the Flint Hills. Take a walk around Volland. The history is everywhere.

Wave to the train as it goes by, and fly a kite.

Did you know that Volland had the first tennis court in the area – and a softball team?

Families gathered here every Sunday afternoon, and sometimes there were a hundred people.

Renew the tradition, get out of the house, and bring your dog on a leash.

Here’s a taste of what you will see on the Trail –

The Volland Store today | Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm, but you are welcome to stop by anytime, peek in the windows at the current art exhibit, explore the “Ruin,” picnic on the grounds , and enjoy the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.

Please note that restrooms are unavailable when the Store is closed.

Illustrations by Daniel Renner

HISTORY

During the railroad’s development in the 1880s, builders added a station between Alma and Alta Vista, one of the steepest inclines in Kansas. A nearby creek (Mill Creek) refilled steam engines, and the stop became Volland.

Passenger service was offered through 1942, cattle shipping continued until 1962 (when trucking became the preferred method to ship cattle), and mail delivery served Volland until 1955.

It was a lively place in the first half of the twentieth century, and Otto Kratzer, Storekeeper, documented it with his photographs for many years. Thousands of his photos are archived in the Wabaunsee County Historical Society and Museum in Alma, Kansas.

Otto Kratzer, one of the original Storekeepers of Kratzer Brothers Mercantile

Kratzer Brothers Mercantile / The Volland Store | Built in 1913, the mercantile operated continuously until 1971 when Otto Kratzer died.

In 2015, following significant renovations, it reopened as The Volland Store| A Place for Art and Community. It n ow hosts art exhibits, music concerts, horse shows, vintage motorcycle shows, talks by artists, and many community gatherings.

Note: In 2022 “The Ruin” was re-imagined as an outdoor performance venue for theatre and music. “Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County,” an original play based on stories old and new of Wabaunsee County, acted by local actors, written by Mary Pinard, and directed by Beth Wynstra (professors and colleagues at Babson College in Boston) opened on June 17 and 18 to sold-out crowds and rave reviews.

More information here.

Enjoy this delightful film, produced by Greg Hoots with a g rant from Humanities Kansas, for the Grand Opening of The Volland Store in June 2015.

Volland Memories

and

More history here!

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Follow the mowed path

to the The Trail Through the West Draw click below for

Nature on the Trail

Sculpture on the Trail

The Trail ends at the Horse Arena with a view toward…..

Volland’s

next steps into the future-

The Volland Residency Program offers a rtists, scientists, and humanitarians time and space in Volland, where they can enjoy nature, live simply, be inspired, and engage with the local community.

Photo by Mike Sinclair

The lodging for Artist Residents, Visiting Artists and Self-directed Residencies , are also available to the public through AirBnB, subject to availability.

The Loft in the Volland Store

O n the second level of The Volland Store is a place to read, write, dream, converse, cook a simple meal, listen to good music, and enjoy friends. The light-filled space overlooks the surrounding Flint Hills as well as the gallery below. It is a perfect place from which to explore the beauty of the Flint Hills, retreat from your everyday life, and refresh your soul.

Photo by Mike Sinclair

The Little House

A “kit house” from the 1920s was redesigned in 2019 by the Design+Make studio of 5th-year architecture students at Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State for the residency program at Volland. In 2020 the American Institute of Architects Kansas City presented the Little House with a Merit Award in the Architecture category. In 2022, the Chicago Athenaeum honored the students and El Dorado Architects with an American Architecture Award for Design Excellence (Honorable Mention) for the Little House, from a pool of more than 400 international candidates.

More information on the Loft and the Little House.

Photo by Mike Sinclair

Next: the Resident House, formerly “the Fix/Cromer House” or “Otto’s House”

The house was originally located just south of the Old Kratzer Store. It was moved there (dragged by horses) from the neighboring Fix Ranch to be the home of the new bride of the current storekeeper. Mr. Fix wanted his daughter to have a “real house,” not the lean-to addition of the store. Later it became home to Bill and Otto Kratzer when they moved to Volland in 1905 to establish their mercantile.

If you would like to be part of building the art studio in Volland, please visit here for information

A naming opportunity is available. Please inquire here

Visit the Happenings page for latest information on activities at Volland.

Wabaunsee County Wonders Open Call

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 21:20:00 GMT

Sunday September 15 | 2pm
24098 Volland Rd Alma, KS

Share your art, handiwork and collections for all to see!

Volland is looking for creative objects to share for an upcoming exhibition, Wabaunsee County Wonders . Do you make quilts or paint? Have you found you have a knack for leatherwork or amassed a collection of plants? Are your recipes the envy of all your friends and family? Volland wants to see the creative things you make and collect!

On September 15th, Volland will host an afternoon for sharing the objects that make us unique. Erika Nelson, Wabaunsee County Wonders ‘ curator, will be present to document all of the submissions and ask some to exhibit their pieces in the exhibition. Erika Nelson, who hails from Lucas, KS, is the creator of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s S mallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum (and as her website says, a “Pretty Smart Cookie”). Nelson has launched similar projects and sits on the Board of S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden , another Lucas, KS art environment.

Nelson’s work reminds us the tent for creative practices is large. Forget any hesitations about whether or not what you make is worth showing. If you are a Wabaunsee County resident making or assembling things, Erika and Volland want you to bring them to Volland for all to see! Long-time Volland patrons might remember our past program of a similar nature, Flint Hills Collects . Wabaunsee County Wonders expands on Flint Hills Collects’ spirit of sharing without hesitation. With a designated exhibit your neighbors will have many chances to see your creative endeavors (and maybe showoff a bit to our surrounding counties too).

This project relates in a direct way to the addition of eight M.T. Liggett sculptures, gifted by the Kohler Foundation, to Volland’s permanent outdoor sculpture collection.

M.T. Liggett, an eccentric, boisterous maker from Mullinville, Kansas in Kiowa County, represents the creativity that resides in many of us. Liggett never received formal art training, yet made a large impact on the art world through the 600 plus metal totems he lined up along his property. The gift of eight of his sculptures will be revealed at Volland on September 29th. Join us to hear from Liggett’s friends and collectors, Dick and Gloria Anderson and Larry and Cindy Meeker; Beth Wiza from the Kohler Foundation; Ann Dixson, longtime friend of Liggett and the Co-Executive Director of the 547 Art Center in Greensburg, Kansas, who oversees the M.T. Liggett Art Environment; and Erika Nelson, a friend of Liggett’s, who assisted in preservation efforts funded by the Kohler Foundation at the M.T. Liggett Art Environment and wrote the content for the exhibit in the Visitor Center there.

Festivities begin at 2pm with music, food, and a sneak peak at Wabaunsee County Wonders which officially opens October 5 with a reception honoring the exhibitors and celebrating creativity in Wabaunsee County.

All you need to be an artist is to make art. All the rest is a lot of words. I think that’s what we forget in talking about art or teaching art or attending conferences about art. It’s really about people making stuff to make their lives better. – Erika Nelson

Dragon Wind: Chinese Music, History, and Dance

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:15:47 GMT

September 21

Performances begin at 4pm | Free admission | reservation required

Chinese cuisine by Bo Lings of Kansas City | $20 per person

reservations are closed

“Dragon Wind” is the translation of “long juan feng,” the Chinese word for tornado, a recurring theme in Hong’s artwork.

Volland is celebrating the Year of the Dragon and Hong Chun Zhang’s exhibit, Hair of the Dragon, with an extraordinary experience devoted to Chinese culture: Chinese history and its relevance to Hong’s work, a musical performance on the Chinese Zither, a Chinese classical dance, a Dragon Dance from University of Kansas students, and authentic Chinese food from Bo Lings of Kansas City.

The event will begin at 4pm and will conclude after the performances and an early dinner of authentic Chinese cuisine. Families are welcome – don’t miss the Prairie Dragon in the field!

J O H N J A M E S K E N N E D Y | C H I N E S E H I S T O R Y

A S I T R E L A T E S T O T H E W O R K O F H O N G C H U N Z H A N G

John James Kennedy will speak about the relevance of Chinese history to the work of Hong Chun Zhang and her solo exhibit currently on display at Volland, Hair of the Dragon . The dragon has been part of China’s history for thousands of years, and Kennedy will present on China’s history with the dragon and its relevance today. His presentation will inform the music and dance that follow his talk.

Kennedy chairs KU’s Political Science department. In his research and teaching, John is keenly interested in China’s political system, and specifically the stratification of Chinese Communist Party in relation to urban/rural dichotomies and local governance.

Hong Chun Zhang and John met during their shared time at the University of California, Davis. They now live in Lawrence.

John James Kennedy

W A N W A N C A I | S O L O D A N C E R

“Wanwan began dancing ballet and Chinese classical dance when she was five. She trained with the local art school for many years and continued with the arts group in college. During college and graduate school, she also performed with a Shaoxing opera company in Tianjin. Wanwan also teaches yoga at OmTree Shala and serves as the director and teacher of the Lawrence Jasmine dance group.”

– courtesy of the Lawrence Arts Center’s website

S H A N G Y I L Y U | Z I T H E R P E R F O R M A N C E

Shangyi Lyu is an MA/PhD student in the East Asian art history program at the University of Kansas. Her research interests include premodern Chinese material culture, ink landscape painting, calligraphy, and Chinese collecting history. She began playing the Chinese zither (Guzheng) when she was ten. Before coming to KU, Lyu got her BA degree in Visual Communication Design and MA degree in Art History from Zhejiang University. During college, she was the events chair of the instrument department in the Student Art Troupe. As a Chinese literature enthusiast, she is interested in exploring the combination of Chinese classical poetry, landscape, and music.

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D R A G O N D A N C E

The Lion Dance group of University of Kansas students studying Chinese have graciously offered to spend time learning the dragon dance to share at Volland. The dance includes many of the traits of the dragon that John will speak about. Depicting the dragon through dance goes back to Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), a time of economic prosperity on the continent. Using rods to animate the fabric dragon, dancers work individually and collectively to create the sensation of movement.

C U I S I N E B Y B O L I N G S ( O F K A N S A S C I T Y )

Crab Rangoon

Egg Roll

General Tso’s Chicken

Mongolian Beef

Vegetable Fried Rice & Steamed White Rice

$20 per person
Dinner reservations required by September 16

Reserve here for free admission and/or dinner

Hope to see you at Volland!

Wabaunsee County Music & Jam Session

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:05:00 GMT

Join us to celebrate the musical talent of Wabaunsee County!

Guitar and ceramic pot by Dennis Riley. Gourds by Sam Kidd.
Wabaunsee County Wonders at Volland

October 13 | 2 – 5pm

Free Will Offering Concert

Adam’s Bad Boy Hotdogs from Alma Chef, Adam Waechter
$11 each, includes chips (by reservation)

Reservations for the concert and hot dogs

Update: The Bad Boy Hotdogs were delicious!

For the rest of 2024, Volland is highlighting Wabaunsee County’s creative talents. Starting with Wabaunsee County Wonders , Volland is showcasing the visual arts.

On Sunday, October 13th, Volland will play host for the county’s music makers and the new chef in town, Adam Waechter.

Western and cowboy tunes by Geff Dawson & Western Journeys ; bluegrass music by Eclectic Grass with Charley Gann, Rhonda Nehring, and Larry Wall; and rock by Nomads from the Void with Nathan Teske and Mason Schwemer will entertain you and rock Volland!

And – Adam Waechter, who serves lunch and specialty dinners at Mel’s Gathering Spot in Alma, KS (Wabaunsee County), will serve up his Bad Boy Hot Dogs: All Beef Kosher Smoked Sausage with your choice of Local Pickle Slices, Carmelized Onions, or Sliced Vine Ripe Tomatoes. Together with 3 Locally Hand Crafted Sauces of Herbed Sriracha Tomato Ketchup, a Velvet Dijonnaise or a Curry Mayonnaise from Farm Fresh Eggs and Olive Oil (with regular toppings too) and bags of chips. (We think these rise to the level of an art form- You may want to take some home for dinner!) Beverages will be available by donation.

We invite YOU to bring your instruments for an open jam session after the performances.

A Free Will Offering is appreciated, and the proceeds will be shared by the performing musicians.

Bring your lawn chair!

Join us for a Sunday afternoon of music and fun!

reservations

Update: It was a blast!

M.T. Liggett Sculpture Reveal

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:34:00 GMT

Volland will introduce eight sculptures from the artist on September 29th

September 29 | 2-5pm | Remarks at 3pm

Volland, KS | 24098 Volland Rd Alma, KS

Reservations Here

In early 2024 the Kohler Foundation gifted eight conserved sculptures by the self-taught Kansas artist

M.T. Liggett to The Volland Foundation.

The sculptures were originally part of the art collections of Gloria and Dick Anderson and

Cindy and Larry Meeker, friends of the artist.

The Volland Foundation extends its gratitude to the Kohler Foundation

and to the Andersons and Meekers for their generosity.

The Kohler Foundation , based in Kohler, Wisconsin, and founded in 1940, focuses on preserving Art Environments across the United States. Locally, the Kohler Foundation helped preserve S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden and Miller’s Park in Lucas, Kansas. The Kohler Foundation also funded and oversaw the restoration of the Liggett Art Environment in Mullinville, Kansas, which is now part of the 5.4.7 Art Center in Greensburg, Kansas.

On September 29th Volland will celebrate the Kohler Foundation’s extraordinary gift. Guests are invited to arrive at 2pm to wander around the sculptures, then hear from friends of M.T. at 3pm, who will speak about the man, his art, and the restoration of his “art environment” in western Kansas. Visitors will hear from art collector and friend Larry Meeker, as well as remarks from Beth Wiza, the Kohler Foundation’s Preservation Project Manager. Ann Dixson, Executive Director of the 5.4.7. Art Center in Greensburg, KS, will speak about Liggett as she knew him, and Erika Nelson, artist, curator and friend of Liggett, will talk about his work and its connection to Wabaunsee County Wonders, an exhibit showcasing the creativity of Wabaunsee County residents, officially opening at Volland on October 5. Nelson resides in Lucas, Kansas, and is the creator of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum.

[Wabaunsee Countians shared their work and collections on September 15 at 2pm for Erika to consider for the exhibit.]

Bodarc (Derrick Doty and Bob Atchison) will provide music and you can preview Wabaunsee County Wonders before it officially opens to the public.

Bring your lawn chair to set up at 2:45 for the presentation at 3pm.

Light refreshments will be served. This a free event but reservations are required.

M.T. Liggett- Non-Traditional Artist

Myron Thomas Liggett was born alongside his twin brother Byron Thomas on December 28th, 1930. Liggett’s life began where it later ended, in Mullinville, KS, 10 miles west of Greensburg, KS in Kiowa County. Born into the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, Liggett’s early years were marked by hardship. Speaking with the photo essayist Ian Crane, Liggett shared that one of his grammar school teachers mocked him because he drew a cow with a purple crayon, the only one he had: “She’d say, ‘See what Myron T. did.’ I said the hell with it, so I quit art for years.”

Liggett joined the Navy in 1948 and later the Air Force in 1957, retiring in 1973. Liggett returned to Mullinville in 1987. With decades of nomadic life behind him, Liggett spent the rest of his life in his hometown, and he returned to artmaking. One morning Liggett found his horse killed in an apparent poisoning. With little knowledge of how the senseless act was done, he placed his first work, which he dubbed a gargoyle, on his fence line, which had frontage on US Highway 400 and Kansas Highway 54.

From there Liggett kept creating, rousing locals with works about past romantic flings, politicians and institutions alongside works on subjects like music and mythology. Liggett created over 600 artworks.

M.T. Liggett- Art Provocateur

Liggett maintained he only made work about people he liked, and his friends assert that while Liggett was “a poker,” he made work only about people “he knew could take it.” Liggett’s work often bristles at the Midwest’s unwritten code of reserved politeness, telling the New York Times in 1997, “A man is never remembered for words he did not say.”

Much like we see today on social media or in opinion columns, Liggett engaged in public discourse through his art, often with a touch of hyperbole, wit, and biting commentary. As an artist, Liggett sought to create discomfort through his work, although the pieces are meant to launch and contribute to the public conversation.

Liggett laid bare his own life ways in his work too, unafraid of how they were received. In that way, Liggett was a completely authentic figure, opening himself up to the same criticism he invited for high-profile figures, politicians, institutions, and his own neighbors.

M.T. Liggett- An Artist from a Long Line of Kansas Homegrown Artists

The state of Kansas boasts around 108 grassroots artists and has been rated among the top three states in the nation, just behind California and Wisconsin, for producing grassroots artists.

Before Liggett welded scrap metal and discarded farming equipment together, Kansans Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton and S.P. Dinsmoor made their own visionary art.

Through her blind contour drawings, Elizabeth Layton touched on contemporary issues and self-reflection, sharing her views on women’s rights, the environment and aging. Like Liggett, Layton also arrived at her art practice later in life. Now Layton is represented at many of the country’s leading art museums, such as SFMOMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and others.

Working in concrete, S.P. Dinsmoor ' s work, the Garden of Eden , is an art environment much like Liggett’s in Mullinville. Dinsmoor briefly worked as a teacher after returning from the Civil War and later moved to Kansas in 1888. After exploring the free-thinking movement of his time, Dinsmoor made over 200 works in concrete in Lucas, KS. Dinsmoor reflected on labor issues in his work.

Many terms have been floated for artists of Liggett’s ilk. Self-taught art, Outsider Art, folk art, Grassroots Art or Visionary Art. Kansans can be proud that M. T. Liggett is noted in both local and national Outsider Art and Grassroots Art circles.

M.T. Liggett- The Bellwether

Seven years after M.T. Liggett died in 2017, technology allows artists to be just as vocal as Liggett, and the country finds itself wrestling with many of the themes Liggett explored. The fervent displays of political opinions we see today and discussions around personal freedoms underscore how the artist was ahead of the social curve.

The ability for lone creative voices to share their perspectives and opinions – through social media, personal websites and artist run galleries/publications – has only grown since Liggett’s death. With his status as an independent artist of the people, Liggett in many ways was a forerunner for populist ideas that have found success across the political spectrum recently.

Liggett serves as a reminder of American individualism in 2024.

Reservations Here

In early 2024 the Kohler Foundation gifted eight conserved sculptures by the self-taught Kansas artist

M.T. Liggett to The Volland Foundation.

The sculptures were originally part of the art collections of Gloria and Dick Anderson and

Cindy and Larry Meeker, friends of the artist.

The Volland Foundation extends its gratitude to the Kohler Foundation

and to the Andersons and Meekers for their generosity.

[Wabaunsee Countians shared their work and collections on September 15 at 2pm for Erika to consider for the exhibit.]

Bodarc (Derrick Doty and Bob Atchison) will provide music and you can preview Wabaunsee County Wonders before it officially opens to the public.

Bring your lawn chair to set up at 2:45 for the presentation at 3pm.

Light refreshments will be served. This a free event but reservations are required.

M.T. Liggett- Non-Traditional Artist

M.T. Liggett- Art Provocateur

M.T. Liggett- An Artist from a Long Line of Kansas Homegrown Artists

The state of Kansas boasts around 108 grassroots artists and has been rated among the top three states in the nation, just behind California and Wisconsin, for producing grassroots artists.

Before Liggett welded scrap metal and discarded farming equipment together, Kansans Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton and S.P. Dinsmoor made their own visionary art.

M.T. Liggett- The Bellwether

Liggett serves as a reminder of American individualism in 2024.

It Started with a Horse

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:22:00 GMT

A screening of the documentary by Joshua Dubois

Sunday, October 27 | 2pm

Free Admission | Reservations here

A documentary about M.T. Liggett, the artist of eight sculpturespermanently installed at Volland

M.T. Liggett was an artist in a league of his own. Across hundreds of totems the artist expressed personal stories, admired classical literature, and criticized high-profile figures.

Joshua Dubois’ 2022 film, It Started with a Horse provides a glimpse into Liggett’s persona and how Mullinville received the artist’s work. Filmed over 20 years, the film shows Liggett at work and shares interviews with the artist, his friends and detractors. This biography of M.T. Liggett helps expand and provide context for eight of his sculptures which now reside at Volland, thanks to the generous gift from the Kohler Foundation.

Free admission

Popcorn and refreshments will be available

Reserve now

(Seating will be limited)

Spend a delightful Sunday afternoon with friends – and a legendary artist.

Details about the gift from the Kohler Foundation may be found here

Discover more about M.T. Liggett, the artist and his work here

JuBellation Bell Choir

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 04:33:00 GMT

of St. John’s Lutheran Church

Alma, Kansas

December 8, 2024

2pm | Doors opens at 1pm

Holiday cookies and Hot Apple Cider

Free will offering for the Bell Choir

Reserve your spot here

The JuBellation Bell Choir returns to Volland for the fourth year for a Holiday Concert – and rumor has it that a bagpiper will join the bells for this year’s performance!

We asked Kathy Schultz, director, to tell us a bit about the bell choir, and here are her comments –

…we have some ringers who started playing with St. John just over 20 years ago and some who started within the past couple of years. Some of our ringers came with years of ringing in other church choirs – from Lake Wabaunsee to Manhattan. We are all connected to Alma either because we live here or nearby, or we go to church here, but we come together especially because we love playing bells.

Some ringers have musical backgrounds and some have learned as they’ve played. Some play two notes with the sharps and flats and some play multiples – in each hand. Some play the “littles” and some do the “heavy lifting” of the BIG bass bells.

We’ve learned many techniques, and we play handchimes to create different effects and moods. We like audience participation, especially using our God-given musical instrument – the human voice. The audience will have an opportunity to raise their voices in some beloved carols.

We are NOT professional ringers (no errors, right?) but we are real in our ringing. We are people coming together who enjoy sharing our love of God and music, and Christmas is a beautiful time to ring out!

“We are real in our ringing.”

-Kathy Schultz, director of JuBellation Bell Choir of St. John’s Lutheran, Alma, Kansas

We can’t wait to hear them again this year. The acoustics in the gallery are – heavenly!

If you still have some shopping to do, check out our books, note cards from Susan Rose and Mark Feiden, Flint Hills-themed Christmas cards, signed copies of Posts of a Mid-Century Kid by Ann Anderson – and fun stickers featuring the new M.T. Liggett sculptures (at Volland).

Help build an Art Studio at Volland

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 07:15:00 GMT

Art Studio-to-be , photo by Mike Sinclair

Donate online here

in the “Note to seller” box, add: Art Studio

Naming opportunity available

please inquire here

Renovating this existing building will maintain the historical character of Volland and keep it within the “campus” of the artist residences.

For more history of the house see below

A purpose-built painting studio is pivotal to the Volland Residency Program, which awards artists from across the country and, indeed, the world, the gift of time and space in the endangered tallgrass prairie of the Kansas Flint Hills. For more information about our artist residency program, click here .

DECEMBER 2024 UPDATE

When not in use as an artist studio for the residency program, it will provide a place for workshops and community-related art programs, as well as a small AirBnb.

The current plan is to renovate the original living area of the house into an art studio, allowing for natural light and adequate space for working. A lean-to addition will provide a small sleeping space, kitchen area, and an ADA-compliant entrance and bathroom. The exterior of the building will be kept as original as possible. As plans continue to develop, they will be updated here.

Design by eldorado architects
The final floor plan will continue to be updated to provide living space.

History

The house was originally located on the Fix farm next door (where Mill Valley Lodge now stands). One of the Fix daughters married the storekeeper in Volland, and the newlyweds were living in the shed addition of the Store. Mr. and Mrs. Fix hitched up some workhorses to drag this house from their farm to sit next to the store – to provide a proper residence for their daughter. Later, Bill and Otto Kratzer occupied this house when they came to Volland to open Kratzer Brothers Mercantile in 1906. It was eventually moved to its present location. (We are not sure how that was done!)

In later years it was owned by John Cromer, a long-time resident of Volland. It was a gathering place for his descendants, who were cousins that had moved to the East and West coasts. The cousins are now deceased, and the remaining family gifted it to The Volland Store LLC, who donated it to the Volland Foundation in November 2020.

It will be filled with life again, and we think the Kratzer brothers, Mr. Cromer, and the cousins would be pleased – and Mr. and Mrs. Fix of course.

Any amount is greatly appreciated

Thank you for your consideration!

2025 Volland Residency Program

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 17:32:00 GMT

Applications are now closed.

If you have a question, please contact us here

The Volland Foundation is committed to providing time and space for creative practitioners of a wide range of disciplines to gather in a community setting for work, thought and exchange of ideas, and to experience immersion in a unique ecosystem and rural culture.

Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a place of extraordinary beauty and exquisite subtlety: rolling hills, distant horizons, and a sky full of stars. It is the largest remaining contiguous area of tallgrass prairie in North America that once stretched from Texas to the Canadian border, from the western edge of Indiana to eastern Kansas. Only 4% of it remains. The Flint Hills is the most endangered ecosystem in the world.

The Railroad Tracks at Volland, photo by Tielin Ding, Fall 2023 Resident

I am leaving gloriously bewildered and deeply mystified and fully in awe of the raw magic of connection and proximity—to others, to art, and to the world. – Lindsey Drager, 2023 Volland Resident

from “Embracing the Enigma, an Account of the Volland Residency Experience”

Volland provides three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

If you’re looking for an artist residency that offers quiet in a singularly beautiful landscape, the freedom to structure your own time, and a surrounding community that’s friendly and embraces art and artists, then The Volland Foundation residency is for you. During my residencies there as a poet, I found a quality of concentration and openness that I’ve not experienced elsewhere. Ever. It has influenced me and my work in the deepest possible ways. – Mary Pinard, Poet

The Residency

In 2025, Volland is again offering residencies across the spring, summer, and fall seasons. The distractions of daily life often drift away at Volland, leaving meaningful time for work, personal discovery and engagement with nature. In addition to time and space, other resident artists, staff, and local residents endow a sense of community to the residency program.

Volland seeks applicants in all stages of their career (emerging, mid-level, professional) and all areas of the globe: local, national and international. The Foundation is committed to equity and welcomes people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Residents who enjoy solitude, working independently and are self-guided will do well in this residency. Applicants should consider whether this is the right environment for them. Volland is located 8 miles outside of Alma, a town of 900 people. The nearest grocery store is a 30-minute drive.

If you are especially sensitive to noise and distractions, please note that Volland is near the railway, and the Foundation holds public programming during residencies.

Applicants are encouraged to visit “Where Residents Live and Work” and read below to better understand the conditions of this rural setting.

The Volland Foundation does not require residents to complete or show work during their residency, believing they are best suited to determine how this offering of time and space is used. Volland encourages some degree of public interaction during residencies. Past examples include group open studios or a presentation, trips to the local museum for research or participation in a group activity, and attendance at local gatherings. The foundation asks residents to determine their level of public engagement.

2025 Residencies

Spring

April 15 – April 29 | 2-week residency | 4 openings

May 6 – May 20 | 2-week residency | 4 openings

Summer

June 10 – July 9 | 4-week residency | 1 opening

June 10 – June 24 | 2-week residency | 1 opening

June 25 – July 9 | 2-week residency | 1 opening

Fall

September 16 – October 15 | 4-week residency | 1 opening

September 16 – September 30 | 2-week residency | 1 opening

October 1 – October 15 | 2-week residency | 1 opening

Stipulations

Because of the remote location, it is necessary for all participants to have a car during their residency, plus a valid driver’s license. Residents must arrive and depart on the stated times of the residency.

Residents are responsible for their own meals. Evening meals are a pleasant time for interaction, and shared meals may be arranged by residents at their discretion.

Spouses interested in their own residency should apply separately.

A collaborative team may apply for a residency.

Family is welcome to visit on the weekends, but must acquire their own accommodations offsite.

The rural nature of Volland means the Foundation cannot ensure the safety of pets. As a result, we ask they stay home for the duration of your residency.

Feedback during and after your time at Volland is appreciated so that we may learn from your experience.

Volland encourages its residents share their experience on their social media channels.

Information and photos describing residents’ experience at Volland will be shared on our website and on social media.

2024 Residents

It’s so important that art isn’t only valued in cities and urban areas. Residencies and arts spaces in rural areas, such as Volland, allow for new connections for both artists and rural communities and for people to inspire each other through culture and creativity.
– Tori Lawrence and Ellie Goudie-Averill, 2024 Volland Resident collaborators spoke with Sheridan Wimmer, editor, Kansas Living, about their time at Volland.

It has been an amazing journey and a very productive one, even beyond my expectations.
-Isabelle Hayeur, Volland Resident, Fall 2024

What a residency it has been!
Fieldwork (September): 1,932 mile
Fieldwork (October): 1,598 miles
September/October: 122 Post Office Portraits, 85 of those in the Flint Hills
– Mary Welcome, Volland Resident, Fall 2024

2023 Residents

Further Context

ABOUT VOLLAND | About 100 miles west of Kansas City, Volland is located in a picturesque valley of the Kansas Flint Hills. Its home county, Wabaunsee County, is highly agrarian, but is nestled in between several small population centers.

Today, the Volland Foundation revives that sense of community through the arts with exhibitions, programming and its residency program.

In 2017, the Volland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was established to own the properties and oversee activities at Volland, including art exhibitions and community programming in t he gallery, performances at an outdoor venue called the “Ruin,” , the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail, the M.T. Liggett Sculpture Park , and guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House. For a fuller sense of what happens at Volland, visit our Current Happenings page.

In 2023, the official Volland Artist Residency program was established.

From the founders, Patty and Jerry Reece: “A number of artists, writers, poets, musicians, designers, and scientists have spent time in Volland since it first reopened. We observed how they connected deeply to this place, and we understand the power of the tallgrass prairie to inspire and refresh. The Volland Foundation offers space and time for creative practitioners of various disciplines to live and work, to step outside their daily lives, to dream, and let creative juices flow.”

We believe that the gift of time and space in this wide-open landscape can create a change in the creative trajectory of those who participate in the residency program at Volland.

We welcome your application.

Volland Foundation Receives $15,000 Grant from Kansas Arts Commission

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Actors Brian Huntzinger, Brianna Drinkwater, and Jeremiah Ariaz perform in ‘Writing Wabaunsee County’ on June 28th, 2024 at the Ruin at Volland. Photo by Lily Brooks.

Volland is pleased to announce the recent award of $15,895 through the Kansas Arts Commission (KAC). The Volland Foundation is one of 108 recipients throughout Kansas who received a part of $1,295,450 in funding by KAC. KAC awarded four types of grants; Volland received the grant for General Operating Support in 2024.

The grant will help support a part-time fund developer who will be a significant addition to Volland’s team in researching and developing funding sources for the expanding activities of the foundation.

The Community Theatre program at Volland continues to evolve; the beloved Fish Wizards event seeks sustaining support; a Music Series is in the works; building Studio Facilities for the Volland Residency program is becoming urgent; and curating ever more involved Art Exhibits and Installations is certainly in the future (think: Hong Chun Zhang: Hair of the Dragon and the Prairie Dragon made of hay bales!). As programs increase and become more substantive, the need for sustainable, predictable funding becomes critical. This grant enables the foundation to explore the wider field of support necessary for serving the many people positively impacted by its offerings. The KAC grant is pivotal for further developing Volland’s role as a “Place for Art and Community.”

The grant was provided through the Kansas Arts Commission. KAC is dedicated to promoting, supporting, and expanding Kansas’ creative industries and enriching communities through arts and culture. Funding for Kansas Arts Commission grants comes from the Kansas Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Volland welcomes 2024 Summer Residents Elliott Stokes (New Orleans, LA), Jasmine Huang (Brooklyn, NY), Jane Marchant (Oakland, CA), and Claire Crews (Dyer, NV) this week and is in deep preparation stages for ‘Slim Hanson & the Poor Choices’ on August 24th, 2024 followed by ‘ Dragon Wind: Chinese Music, Dance and Food at Volland ‘, coming up September 21st, 2024.

Join Kansas in understanding the value of arts and culture organizations throughout our state; become a Friend of Volland today!

Example of the dragon dance to be performed at ‘Dragon Wind: Chinese Music, Dance and Food at Volland’ on September 21st, 2024. Photo by Joan Pu. Dragon by Jane Armstrong.

in plain sight

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:13:00 GMT

Photographs from Doug Barrett, Laura Cobb & Dylan Connell

February 4 – March 19 | 2023

Curator, Ryan Jones

No mountains can be as beautiful to me as the far horizon, level as a floor, 20 or 30 miles in the distance. The sight fills me with a wonderful feeling of personal freedom, and also with a sense of infinity. Man finds his solitude here and in the still atmosphere cannot help but wonder about the nature of all being. – William Inge

in plain sight is an exhibition of three photographers – Doug Barrett , Laura Cobb and Dylan Connell – whose work reflects the people, places, and events they witnessed in Kansas. The exhibition’s title is a nod to the three photographers’ interest in highlighting often forgotten industries, people, and places. A through-line in the exhibit is how the artists, through the camera, create art that is visually captivating, yet honest and meaningful.

The exhibit celebrates the unique ability of photographers to share their viewpoints via the camera: meatpacking plant workers in a region with a strong ranching culture, a quarter mile of a tributary in suburban Kansas City, and Black cowboys and ranchers throughout the state. The human experience and impact are on full display in the exhibit.

D O U G B A R R E T T

Doug Barrett, based in Manhattan, is a syndicated photographer with editorial clients including TIME Magazine , National Geographic , VICE , and The Wall Street Journal , among others. Beyond assignments, Barrett launches his own projects, often revolving around veterans and African Americans. in plain sight shows work from Barrett’s ongoing work on Black ranchers and cowboys in the state. In his research, Barrett realized there is a much larger population of Black ranchers and farmers than he, or the state, recognized. The project, in its nascent phase and aided by two grants awarded to Barrett, will see the artist travel the state to document as many Black agricultural workers as he can.

_______________________

L A U R A C O B B

In Laura Cobb’s 400 Meters and Infinity along Indian Creek , the photographer shares Barrett’s methodical approach in a landscape setting. Focusing on a quarter mile of Indian Creek in Overland Park, Cobb reminds us wilderness can be found close to home, even in suburban sprawl. Returning to the site over two years, under different seasons and circumstances, Cobb emphasizes Indian Creek as a place in constant flux. The artist is truthful in sharing her subject, balancing photographs of an apparently pristine body of water with ones focusing on the human impact. 400 Meters foregrounds themes of movement and time in a striking way. Long exposures hint at passing time and repetition, while animal imprints in the mud crystalize a singular moment. While the water in Indian Creek is transitory, the oil and plastic goods Cobb found will last for lifetimes in the watershed unless fished out. Cobb is finishing her MFA in Photography at the University of Nebraska this Spring; she is a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute.

_______________________

D Y L A N C O N N E L L

Dylan Connell, who graduated with a BFA in Photography at Kansas State University in the Fall of 2022, documents meatpackers in his Smithfield Foods series. Connell creates high-fidelity portraits of workers donned in their work attire. The subjects, identified in the titles by their employee identification number, were in fact Connell’s co-workers. Careful use of light and shadow focus the viewer’s attention on the workers’ faces which lack emotion. This view of Smithfield Food workers is one that we are not supposed to see as photography inside the plant is strictly prohibited. When possible, Connell asked his subjects to come to the studio immediately after work to accurately capture the strain of a long shift. Connell’s deadpan approach strips the subjects of their personality, their uniform shielding the viewer from clothing choice and hair, their names left for us to wonder. The anonymity Connell creates plays into the Flint Hill’s dominant culture of ranching where the front-end work, although difficult in its own right, is celebrated and romanticized, eclipsing the processing workers.

__________________________

Curator, Ryan Jones

Ryan Jones is Director of Operations at The Volland Foundation. He is a 2019 graduate of the University of Kansas, with a double major in Art History and Microbiology.

Ryan joined the Volland Foundation first as a volunteer, then an intern, and in August 2021, he was named Operations Director. Ryan previously held volunteer/intern roles at the Washburn University’s Mulvane Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Spencer Museum of Art at KU.

This is Jones’ first exhibit as curator at Volland.

Fish Wizards 2023

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 14:13:00 GMT

check back later for details and reservations for the 5th Annual Kansas Fish Wizards Tour June 1 & 2, 2024

4th Annual Kansas Fish Wizards Tour

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

SEE THE MOVIE HERE!

June 3 and June 4, 2023
(3 tickets left for June 3)

Reservations
(click here)

$50 + tax and fee
at Eventbrite

…and by popular demand

The 2023 Fish Wizards T-shirt

(collectible!)

orders are now closed

Orange- spotted sun fish illustrated by Joe Tomellerifrom a Wabaunsee County creek

You may pick up your shirt when you arrive for your tour.
Please note: there will not be extra shirts for sale on event days.

The Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway announce the 4th Annual Fish Wizards Tour

The Fish Wizards Tour will be led by renowned fisheries scientists, and participants are in for an unforgettable experience. They will learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of many native fish species.

Our tour leaders are quite an accomplished crew!

June is an ideal time for the 4th annual Fish Wizards Tour. Many of the fish will be dressed in their peak spawning colors and will be ready to impress us with their brilliant colors.

TOUR LOGISTICS

The tour begins at 10am and will last about four hours. The tour will occur at a selected sampling site on a tributary of Mill Creek in Wabaunsee County.

Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun.

Attendance is limited to 30 individuals for each day. Reserve your spot now! The registration is $50 + tax and fees. The event is a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation. Registration fees are non-refundable. Every effort will be made to provide the tour on-site. In the case of heavy rain and/or stream flows, a presentation will be given about Kansas fish species and the history of Wabaunsee County at the Volland Gallery, 24098 Volland Road, 8 miles west of Alma, Kansas. Map and directions here.

The Fish Wizards Tour is open for everyone! Kids through senior citizens will enjoy learning about amazing and beautiful fish species of Kansas.

Join us in June for a memorable experience!

Mary Pinard at the Ruin

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 06:34:00 GMT

June 9 | 2023

reading from Ghost Heart

Gather at 7 pm

Reading at 7:30 pm

Book signing to follow

Country | Citizens by Philip Heying in the gallery

Light hors d’oeuvres. Libations by donation.

You are welcome to bring a picnic.

Round tables in the Ruin, first come, first, serve.

Bring a lawn chair, just in case, and pick your spot around the rim.

Free Will Offering

Reservations appreciated. Reserve here

My heart might be a prairie…
– Mary Pinard

The evening begins at 7pm with light hors d’oeuvres, a bar by donation, and conversation in the lovely setting of the Ruin at Volland. Round tables and chairs in the floor of the Ruin will provide comfortable seating, first come, first serve. Or Bring a lawn chair and choose your spot around the rim. The poet will read at 7:30, followed by questions, answers, and more conversation. “Ghost Heart” will be available for purchase and signing as the day fades to sunset, then twilight, and a million stars.

Join us for a memorable and extraordinary evening!

Free will offering at the event. Reservations greatly appreciated.

MARY PINARD teaches literature and poetry courses in the Arts & Humanities Division at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. Her poems have appeared in a variety of literary journals, and she has published critical essays on poets, including Lorine Niedecker and Alice Oswald. She has also created poems in collaboration with Boston-area musicians, painters, and sculptors. Portal, her first collection of poems, was published by Salmon Press (2014), and her second book, Ghost Heart , won the 2021 Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Contest and was published by the press in Fall 2022.

Many of the poems for Ghost Heart, which takes as its primary subject the nature of the prairie and The Flint Hills, were written during time she spent in residency at Volland. Born and raised in Seattle, she has lived in the Boston area for over 25 years.

Books will be available for purchase and signing following the reading

“The formally and linguistically innovative poems in GHOST HEART engage science and cultural history to explore the complex nature of the vanishing American prairie. Weaving lyrical meditations on her life as a young widow with expansive evocations of the environment, Mary Pinard reveals intimate depths and magnitudes of loss—at once personal and ecological— while giving readers a vision of how we might reinvent ourselves and restore the planet.” – description

“The poems in GHOST HEART probe history, science, and the poet’s loss in midlife of her beloved husband. Embedded in the word ‘remnant,’ which makes its presence felt throughout the collection, is the idea of what remains—of the once-vast geographic and biological entity we call the prairie; of its first peoples, subjected to displacement and genocide; and of the poet’s life as she comes to terms with widowhood. With consummate artistry, Pinard stitches together facts and fabrics, memory and the present, mind and heart. Asking readers to attend with their full selves, these poems offer in return a deep wisdom and an abiding beauty.”

— Jennifer Barber, author of The Sliding Boat Our Bodies Made

“‘My heart might be a prairie,’ Mary Pinard writes, ‘…made / to stand despite the unbroken // wind, vanishings, / loneliness.’ Prairies and loneliness are the warp and weft of GHOST HEART, plainspoken poems of uncommon inventiveness and beauty. A widow searches for solace in her husband’s native prairielands. She studies their remnants, their histories, damage and losses, a cowbird eggshell, the rim of Flint Hills. She mends and remakes her husband’s effects. Pinard’s poems are shaped by grief, a wide variety of poetic forms, an affirming curiosity, and intellect. This shaping and containing and returning to the source of love and sorrow delicately—powerfully—enacts the human will to go on. These poems are more than a means of deliverance. They’re art.” — Kathleen Flenniken, author of Plume

“In these courageous, searching poems, Mary Pinard explores what she calls an ‘echo-system’—or, perhaps, several such systems, woven together. Leaning into grief and loss—personal, the grief of a widow, and planetary, the lament for the endangered prairie biome—she writes of ‘perspective and its loss, // inevitable erasures.’ Formally expansive (including concentrated elegies, sprawling Georgics, sonnets, tritinas, a form of truncated sestina, and haiku), these poems piece together ‘remnants’ in new vitalities.”
— Elizabeth Dodd, editor of Dear America: Letters of Hope

Women’s Work II | Liza MacKinnon and Shin-hee Chin

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 06:14:00 GMT

MARCH 25 – MAY 12 | 2023

OPENING RECEPTION April 1 | 2023

1-4pm | Artist remarks at 2pm

Free Admission | Refreshments and Conversation

Materials and imagery traditionally associated with women are used in novel ways by Liza MacKinnon and Shin-hee Chin to highlight the importance of women’s work.

Women’s Work II is a title with a double meaning. Chin and MacKinnon use connotations of material and imagery as a conduit for thematic choices, employing these tools in novel ways.

Liza MacKinnon draws on attire as a source of meaning, but instead of using fabrics, the artist turns to a different medium. At a distance, MacKinnon’s material of choice may not be obvious, but upon closer examination it is revealed that the half-scale figures are sculpted with a selection of papers, each relating in interesting ways to the woman portrayed in the work.

MacKinnon brings women’s contributions to literature into center focus in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley . Wollstonecraft Shelly penned Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus. It was published in 1818 anonymously, likely because it was scandalous that such subject matter would be written by a woman. Only in the second edition, printed in 1821, was the author’s name put on her work. MacKinnon clearly makes the connection between artist and work. The dress is made entirely from pages of Frankenstein , sewn together and painted to look like velvet, accented with exaggerated black surgery stitches on her skirt to hint at Frankenstein’s re-construction.

In the exhibit you will also see MacKinnon’s Lucy Hobbs Taylor, who was the first woman PhD dentist in America and a resident of Lawrence in later life. The story of this pioneering achievement is shared through 19th Century maps of Lawrence, Taylor’s diploma, and images around the hem of the dress. Each gives a glimpse of the world Taylor lived in, as well as her triumphs. Taylor was not finished working after closing her dental practice. She shifted her focus to politics and women’s rights.

In Shin-hee Chin ’s large, colorful piece, Sisterhood , we see the artist appropriating existing traditional Korean dress and Japanese kimonos and blankets to share the story of two women and their improbable connection:

Japan and Korea have a long history marred by strife. Unlikely as their friendship was, two women were brought together in  sisterhood by those circumstances – Queen Yi Bangja (born Nashimoto) and Princess Deokhye. Although Nashimoto was Japanese by birth, she had an arranged marriage to the Prince of Korea. Princess Deokhye, who was Korean by birth, received similar treatment, and lived in Japan. While their motherlands were locked in hostile relations, the two women were united by similar personal circumstances.

The central theme of Women’s Work is the important work of women, the significant contributions women make, sometimes to their own peril, as exemplified in Chin’s Seed of hope (Sister Stang) .

Sister Dorothy Mae  Stang spent much of her adult life in Brazil and was an outspoken advocate against deforestation and the treatment of local small farm owners. This activism ultimately cost Sister Stang her life, being shot six times, which Chin references in her work. The six concentric circles in Seed of hope (Sister Stang) serve to remind viewers of this brutal act but also represent the important work the nun did, rippling outward and resonating after her death.

L I Z A M A C K I N N O N

“I love the challenge of telling a story and sharing my values through the limited medium of historic costumes fashioned from paper. Using traditional fiber techniques such as embroidery and hand sewing, the humble highway map and other paper ephemera is transformed into life-size children’s dresses and half scale historic portraits. Each dress provides a beautiful silhouette from a distance and then reveals minute and copious details up close.

My paper costumes are a natural extension of a lifetime spent illustrating, painting, and making prints of historic garments.

These paper garments, which can take weeks to complete, are made relevant by the materials included. I enjoy surprising the viewer, either with the trompe l’oeil of paper masquerading as fabric, or with thought provoking materials such as making Ophelia in Hamlet out of pages from the DSM IV or nudging the conversation by creating a Marie Antoinette made of 1040 tax forms and US currency. Although the parameters are limited, the possibilities are endless as I combine statements about my ideals with my obsession with historical clothing.

Creating this collection of colorful three-dimensional adult garments and whimsical children’s clothing has been such a pleasure. I hope you enjoy seeing some paper illusions and fancy costumes. Custom commissions are always welcome.”

Liza MacKinnon is a self-taught mixed-media artist and arts educator with 10+ years of experience in teaching, freelance graphic design and exhibited artwork. Working in Lawrence, KS, she has shown regionally in Kansas and Missouri as well as New Mexico, Washington, California, Illinois, South Dakota and Texas. She has pieces in private collections all over the US and six of her pieces are on permanent display at the Dallas Public Library and the Lucas Grassroots Art Center. Liza specializes in ½ scale historic costumes made of paper, creating in-depth studies of women in history. Recently awarded a fellowship at the International Women’s Study Center in Santa Fe in 2024, Liza looks forward to expanding to full scale adult garments made from the historical archives of the Acequia Madre House.

S H I N – H E E C H I N

“Cultural context has most shaped my work as I have spent half my life in South Korea and the past two decades in the United States. I have had equal exposure to two vastly different cultures. In my years dealing with issues of a bi-cultural lifestyle, art has helped me reconcile the conflicting nature of these influences. My work reflects this binary approach – female vs. male, East vs. West, art vs. craft – all those paradoxes inhabit the same space just as both Korea and America co-exist in me. From these cultures, I draw inspiration specifically from the feminist tradition, Christian spirituality, and Eastern philosophy.

In my work, I attempt to carve out what I proudly call a feminine territory in which the voices of effaced and silenced women reverberate, and to translate the experiences of women in a way that people of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural experiences can understand. For that purpose, I utilize needle, thread, and fabric to call into question the deep-seated bias that women’s work is menial, marginal and undesirable. I convert the conventional “feminine” activity of needlework into a useful medium for the making of art. Each collage from fabric that was cut, ironed, pasted, and stitched. In addition to fabric and needlework, I use sumi ink, acrylic/oil paints, various papers, and calligraphic techniques.

The slow nature of my technique mimics the creative process of birthing. This recalls the gradual forming of the fetus through the intersection of capillary within the belly of the mother or the silkworm’s patient and continuous spinning leading to the creation of its cocoon. The techniques have an important meaning for me both as a compositional device and as an obsessive activity. In experimenting with a variety of “domestic” media such as clothes, threads, and paper, my hands participate in the process of the intricate linking of the irregular pattern of threads that form vein, skin, and scar. Thus, these pieces speak not so much of sorrow, anger, regrets, but rather, of healing, recovering, inner joy attained by/through converting the physical, oppressive condition into the stimulating and dynamic inner resources for creative life. Through the strategic use of media that have been traditionally associated with the feminine, I want to show that seemingly ‘trivial female work’ can be a source of pleasure and power for women.

While feminism has influenced my choice in media and technique, my Christianity has shaped concepts and themes in my work. Art and spirituality serve similar functions in my life. Art uses visual elements to explore and communicate truth; spirituality is just another mode of my exploration and communication of truth. They both help me understand life and this world.

Eastern philosophy, on the other hand, has shaped my art-making in terms of process and approach. My role in relationship to my work is more as a “collaborator” than as a creator. This conception echoes the Eastern understanding of art and artists. Eastern philosophy, in contrast to Western philosophy, conceived the self-effacement and non-mindedness of an artist as the primary step to be taken before Nature could truly be free at work. By working with the nature of the material, the work maintains integrity. Art then becomes the product of a dialogue with Nature, rather than the process of subduing it.”

Join us on April 1st for the opening reception of Women’s Work II . Artist remarks at 2pm.

Light refreshments provided. Free admission.

NOTE:

The first Women’s Work exhibit at Volland: Women’s Work | Points of View , September 20 – December 20, 2015. Textile artist Debra Smith paired her work with vintage American quilts collected by Elizabeth Wilson, Asiatica.

2024 Volland Residencies

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 18:30:00 GMT

Applications are now closed for 2024

If you need to reach us, please contact us .

The Volland Foundation is committed to providing time and space for creative practitioners of a wide range of disciplines to gather in a community setting for work, thought and exchange of ideas, and to experience immersion in a unique ecosystem and rural culture. In 2024, Volland will offer 14 residencies across the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

Applicants are encouraged to visit our page “Where Artists Live and Work” and read below to better understand the conditions of this rural setting.

About 100 miles west of Kansas City, Volland is located in one of the most picturesque valleys in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Its home county, Wabaunsee County, is highly agrarian, but nestled in between several small population centers. Volland has its roots in the railroad, where towns were established every eight to ten miles to replenish coal and water for steam engines. Cattle pens, a robust train schedule, and a mercantile run by two brothers, the Kratzers, made Volland a lively place. This all changed after trucking cattle became the predominant method of shipping. Learn more about the history of Volland here . Today, the Volland Foundation revives that sense of community through the arts with exhibitions, programming and its residency program.

The Residency

Volland provides three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

The distractions of daily life often drift away at Volland, leaving meaningful time for work, personal discovery and engagement with nature. In addition to time and space, other residents, staff and locals endow a sense of community to the residency program.

If you’re looking for a residency that offers quiet in a singularly beautiful landscape, the freedom to structure your own time, and a surrounding community that’s friendly and embraces art and artists, then The Volland Foundation residency is for you. During my residencies there as a poet, I found a quality of concentration and openness that I’ve not experienced elsewhere. Ever. It has influenced me and my work in the deepest possible ways. – Mary Pinard, Poet

We are looking for applicants in all stages of their career (emerging, mid-level, professional) and all areas of the globe: local, national and international. The Foundation is committed to equity and welcomes people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Residents who enjoy solitude, working independently and are self-guided will do well in this residency. Applicants should consider whether this is the right environment for them. Volland is located 8 miles outside of Alma, a town of 900 people. The nearest grocery store is a 30-minute drive. If you are sensitive to noise, please note that Volland is near the railway.

The Volland Foundation does not require work to be completed or shown during the residency, believing the resident can best determine how this offering of time and space should be used. Volland encourages some degree of public interaction during residencies. Past examples have included group open studios or a presentation, trips to the local museum for research or to participate in a group activity, and attendance at local gatherings. The foundation allows residents to determine their choice of public engagements.

2023 Residents

2024 Resid encies

Spring

May 7 – May 21 | 2-week residency | 2 openings

May 23 – June 6 | 2-week residency | 2 openings

May 7 – June 6 | 4-week residency | 2 openings

Summer

July 9 – August 6 | 4-week residency | 4 openings

Fall

September 17 – October 15 | 4-week residency | 4 openings

From the founders, Patty and Jerry Reece: “A number of artists, writers, poets, musicians, designers, and scientists have spent time in Volland since it was first reopened. We observed how they connected deeply to this place, and we understand the power of the tallgrass prairie to inspire and refresh. The Volland Foundation offers space and time for creative practitioners of various disciplines to live and work, to step outside their daily lives, have time to dream, and let creative juices flow.”

Stipulations

Because of the remote location, it is necessary for all participants to have a car during their residency, plus a valid driver’s license.

Residents must arrive and depart on the stated times of the residency.

Residents are responsible for their own meals. Evening meals are a pleasant time for interaction, and shared meals may be arranged by residents at their discretion.

Spouses interested in their own residency should apply separately.

A collaborative team may apply for a residency.

Family is welcome to visit on the weekends, but must acquire their own accommodations offsite.

The rural nature of Volland means the foundation cannot ensure the safety of pets. As a result, we ask they stay home for the duration of your residency.

Feedback during and after your time at Volland is appreciated so that we may learn from your experience.

Volland encourages its residents share their experience on their social media channels.

Information and photos describing residents’ experience at Volland will be shared on our website and on social media.

Further Context

ABOUT VOLLAND | It was the exceptional quality of tallgrass prairie that brought cattle by train from points farther south. The deep roots of the tall grasses defied drought, and cattle could graze and fatten up before being shipped on to market. Volland was a railroad shipping point in the early 20th century. Two brothers, Bill and Otto Kratzer, opened Kratzer Brothers Mercantile in Volland in 1904, and it quickly became the social and cultural center of the ranching community that surrounded it. Otto, the young storekeeper, relished bringing the newest and best of everything to Volland. The brothers prospered, and in 1913 they built a big brick store (now The Volland Store) to add to their enterprise.

By 1971, the economy had changed and the population had declined, and the Store closed upon Otto’s death. It sat vacant for forty years and was in danger of being torn down. By 2011, a small remnant of the town remained: the boarded-up Kratzer stores (original and “new”), a few houses and outbuildings, two residents, and then one.

ART AND COMMUNITY | In 2015, The Volland Store reopened after substantial renovations. It was re-purposed as an art gallery and gathering place for the community. It became a destination for visitors from near and far, building a community of supporters from across the country, and attracting artists, poets, and musicians. An architectural award-winning space, it thrives on good art and friendly conversation. It is owned and operated by the Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, and serves as an anchor for the foundation’s activities in Volland: art exhibitions and community programming in the gallery ; outdoor performances at “the Ruin;” the Volland Residency Program; guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House between residencies; and the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.

PLACE | Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a place of extraordinary beauty and exquisite subtlety: rolling hills, distant horizons, and a sky full of stars. It is the largest remaining contiguous area of tallgrass prairie in North America that once stretched from Texas to the Canadian border, from the western edge of Indiana to eastern Kansas. Only 4% of it remains. It is the most endangered ecosystem in the world.

We believe that the gift of time and space in this wide-open landscape can create a change in the creative trajectory of those who participate in the residency program at Volland.

Philip Heying: Country | Citizens

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:42:00 GMT

May 20 – September 3

Presenting Sponsor | Kansas City Public Library

Opening Reception May 20th 1-4pm

Philip Heying in conversation with Laura Cobb at 2pm

Philip Heying’s full-time arrival to the Flint Hills in November 2019 satisfied a long affinity for the region. The Kansas native and 2022 Guggenheim Fellow has spent considerable time away from his home state, but trips to the Flint Hills at an early age left an impression on the artist. Later, Heying regularly cycled through the landscape and set aside time to see the tallgrass prairie when coming back to visit family. After moving back to Kansas to look after his aging father, Heying spent even more time in the Flint Hills and eventually moved to Matfield Green, KS.

Volland is pleased to share photographs from two bodies of Heying’s work in the exhibit Country | Citizens . Together they present a vision of what a possible future might be; one where we learn from the landscape and the people that inhabited it for thousands of years without destroying it. Heying’s photographs offer the sort of contemplative effect and quiet beauty that comes from complete devotion to his subject. The works display a wide range of settings, conditions, and scale, deepening our connection to the landscape, their titles, like A temperate spring feeding the headwaters of the South Fork Cottonwood River in winter, -2 degrees Fahrenheit (2) – 26 December 2022 4:24pm , stamping and contextualizing a singular moment.

The exhibit also shares what is left of the wildlife of the area. The candid moments from Citizens on the trail-cam-like setup span from curiosity to lookouts and bickering. Although full of life, one cannot help drawing connections to a stage or a diorama in these unvarnished displays.

On May 20th, opening day of the exhibit, Philip Heying will be in conversation with Laura Cobb, MFA, about his work and will take questions from the audience. The reception will run from 1-4 with the artist talk to begin at 2. Free admission. Light refreshments served.

Bio

Photographer Philip Heying, born in 1959 in Kansas City, Missouri, learned the basics of photography in middle school. In 1983, he earned a BFA in painting from the University of Kansas.

During college, Philip was introduced to William S. Burroughs and met Albert Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Brion Gysin and Timothy Leary.

In 1985 Philip crossed the Atlantic on a coal freighter to live in Paris. The experience of learning a new language and culture had a profound effect on his photography. He had his first solo exhibition in 1989 at Galerie Agathe Gaillard in Paris and has continued exhibiting his work internationally since then.

He returned to the United Sates to live in Brooklyn from 1997-2008. He worked for and became friends with Irving Penn and Joel Meyerowitz, among others, and did his own freelance editorial and advertising photography jobs.

In 2008, Philip returned to Kansas. He became a professor of photography at Johnson County Community College. He taught three curricula and managed the photo facility. He completed nine photographic book projects, and several of his prints were acquired by the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and Spencer Museum of Art.

In 2019, after his father died, he moved to Matfield Green, Kansas.

In the spring of 2022 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography.

Artist Statement

The Country

Ten generations ago, at the end of the 18th century, grasslands covered 170 million acres of the North American Continent, from south of the Arctic Circle to the Gulf of Mexico, from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River basin. Today, less than 4% of this ecosystem remains intact. Most of the remaining prairie is found in the Flint Hills of central Kansas.

Without the space of the Great Plains, our imaginations would be deprived of a potent metaphor for possibility, abundance, and resilience. To spend time living in a grassland is to become subliminally connected to the central alchemical idea: As above, so below. The intermingling of forms, the echoes and symmetries of processes that determine and permeate these forms, are constantly apparent. Citizens of the prairie become intimate with otherwise unfathomable temporal and spatial scales.

What will the world look like in fifty or one hundred years? It’s all too easy to imagine it as a dystopian wasteland. On the other hand, cognitive science and common sense tell us that people tend to assume that what works today, business as usual, will always work. Yet, it’s certain that business as usual is no longer an option. This era has come to be called the Anthropocene, because humanity is now the predominant force of change on the planet, drastically transforming the earth’s atmosphere, climate, and geology with shocking rapidity. If we are to avoid catastrophe of unprecedented scale and destruction, humanity must imagine some alternative, hold a vision of the future that is desirable, and make the changes necessary to fulfill that image. The purpose of my photographs of the prairie is to contribute to such a desirable vision.

Citizens

I find myself thinking of the animals I encounter while exploring the prairies and woodlands near my home as representatives of the knowledge required to live as a vital part of this terrain that is lost to me. Having lived around animals of various degrees of domestication for most of my life, I’ve come to be convinced that we have more in common than the developers of industrial livestock production would have me believe. Living and photographing around Matfield Green has only intensified these beliefs in me. The various animals I’ve observed all clearly communicate emotions, intelligence and sensitivity to any other creature willing to receive those messages. When I photograph wildlife, I see them as citizens living in a society that is parallel to the one I inhabit, and our worlds never quite intersect. Sometimes we warily observe each other across a chasm of incomprehension and fear. On a few rare occasions these encounters have contained moments of pure mutual curiosity that I can only understand as a meeting of minds that leaves me reconsidering the most basic premises of my life. What is it, really, on the end of the fork I hold in my hand?

We are grateful to the

Kansas City Public Library for their generous Presenting Sponsorship

of Country | Citizens

Candice Millard

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 02:39:00 GMT

New York Times Bestselling Author Candice Millard

Saturday, June 24 | 2023

Conversation & Book Signing

Saturday, June 24, 2023 | 2-4pm

Admission includes:

1 paperback copy of River of the Gods

1 primary reservation & 1 guest reservation

purchase tickets

Flint Hills Books and the Volland Foundation are pleased to co-host New York Times bestselling author Candice Millard for a conversation about the research and writing of her most recent book, River of the Gods . It is an extraordinary account of two British explorers and their guide, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, a former slave who became a free man and one of the most widely traveled and accomplished guides in the exploration of Africa in the mid-nineteenth century.

Jennifer Kassebaum, owner of Flint Hills Books, will be in conversation with Ms. Millard, discussing River of the Gods . A book signing for purchased books will follow the program. Light refreshments will be served .

Join us for a stimulating Saturday afternoon!

Meet the 2024 Residency Class

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 21:39:00 GMT

The Volland Foundation looks forward to hosting fifteen residents in 2024.

From Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Spring Residents: Cathleen Faubert, Joanna Hoge, Tori Lawrence, Kate McIntyre, Lisa Moffitt, and Sally Vee. Summer Residents: Claire Crews, Jasmine Huang, Jane Marchant, and Elliott Stokes. Fall Residents: Isabelle Hayeur, Kate Pyontek, Sam Taylor, and Mary Welcome.

Volland will host fourteen residents across three seasons in 2024.

The residents represent several disciplines: sculpture, songwriting, photography, mixed-media, research, installation, visual art, choreography, film-making, poetry, and prose. From 2023, the number of applicants to the program doubled.

During their time in Volland, residents will experience the local culture and ecology, with opportunities to meet countians. The residents express a genuine interest in rural culture, and they will surely find inspiration from this place and its life ways as they reflect on their work and create. Volland is thrilled to host these exceptional writers, choreographers, musicians, and more.

Volland does not require residents to host open studios, but the artists often enjoy sharing their work, so keep an eye out for programming. They will likely be around at our events throughout the year as they also spend time exploring the Flint Hills. Be on the lookout out for these temporary residents and help us welcome them to this extraordinary place in Kansas.

S P R I N G

May 7 – May 21; May 23 – June 6; May 7 – June 6

TORI LAWRENCE

Chesterfield, MA May 7 – May 21

Tori Lawrence, choreographer/filmmaker/educator, creates site-specific dance performances and films. She has been in Norway this past year with her collaborators researching how to make sound/film/movement installations to help the body adjust, orient, and tune into a place. The work led to creating a radio station for the sea in order to expand our attention to the changing climate.

Tori aims to choreograph and film a new dance project, using a vintage Super 8 camera.

Tori’s website

LISA MOFFITT

Ottawa, Ontario, CA May 7 – May 21

Lisa’s models, installations, drawings and designs investigate how architecture alters, impacts and constructs new environments in relation to climate change. Lately, Lisa has focused on building models to explore possibilities with rammed earth building techniques, plus modeling sites in Canada underpinning climate change.

Lisa will continue this work at Volland.

Lisa’s website

JOANNA HOGE

Arvada, CO

May 23 – June 6

As a visual artist, Joanna finds interest in the “division of somatic and psychological experience
in western culture.” In their drawings, Joanna melds a scientific perspective with a sense of
personal embodiment to explore the “gaps between biology and identity.”

Joanna plans to make new large-scale work while in-residence that delves into reproductive healthcare.

Joanna’s website

SALLY VEE

Alta Vista, KS

May 23 – June 6

Sally’s purpose as a songwriter and performer is to share stories – about nature, people, places and contemporary life – that bring people together.

Sally, who comes from the shortest distance to Volland yet, plans to work on her fifth studio album during her two-week residency, incorporating new material about the Flint Hills.

Sally’s website

CATHLEEN FAUBERT

Norman, OK

May 7 – June 6

Cathleen engages an often forgotten sense in the arts: smell. In 2013, Cathleen began “scent-mapping” various locations, gathering organic material and extracting their aromatic qualities. The resulting work offers new perceptions of the landscapes Cathleen enters.

While at Volland, Cathleen hopes to collect olfactory, audio, and visual materials that share her insights on the Flint Hills.

KATE MCINTYRE

Worchester, MA

May 7 – June 6

Although she lives in Massachusetts now, Kate is from Central Kansas and sets most of her work in the tallgrass prairie. Kate’s writing “deals with the themes of the repressed, the underground, and the interior, both bodily and geographic.”

In her four-week residency, Kate plans to complete a draft of her new novel.

Kate’s website

S U M M E R

July 9 – August 6

ELLIOTT STOKES

New Orleans, LA

Through his multi-disciplinary work, Elliott shares the “relationship one has with landscape, in which unity between body and place exists through one’s labor, and what we [ask] of the landscape.” Drawing on history and industry, Elliott negotiates themes of action and consequences.

While in-residence, Elliot will create sculptures that address emptiness, nostalgia and landscape.

Elliott’s website

JASMINE HUANG

Brooklyn, NY

“How do we remember our collective narratives?” is a question Jasmine returns to in her photography. Reflecting on her own life experiences, Jasmine contributes to the conversation “around the inevitable change occurring in familial relationships and diasporic identities.”

With her time at Volland, Jasmine plans to finish an on-going series and begin preparing its written component.

Jasmine’s website

JANE MARCHANT

(was unable to attend)

Oakland, CA

Using 40+ plants from her childhood garden as a framing device, Jane is writing Jane Marchant’s Encyclopedia of Botany . “Metaphors of disease, colonialism, fertility, and roots entwine” as Jane uncovers her identity and family history in the work.

Jane will continue to revise the project while in-residence.

Jane’s website

CLAIRE CREWS

Dyer, NV

The common thread in Claire’s work, which spans literature, photography and textiles, can be found in her questions of technology, the animal realm, and rural energy use – considering how these factors shape communities over time.

Claire plans to write several short stories inspired by photographs she took of taxidermized animals in museums, pawn shops, and curio stores across the midwest during her residency.

Claire’s website

F A L L

September 11 – October 17

ISABELLE HAYEUR

Quebec, Canada

Isabelle works across photography and video art to examine, through a critical approach, the environment, urban development and social conditions.

While at Volland, Isabelle plans to continue an ongoing aquatic photography project and make a new experimental video, focusing on the Flint Hill’s landscape and unique plant life.

Isabelle’s website

KATE PYONTEK

Somerville, MA

Kate’s poetry centers around questions of belonging, identity, nature, and human cruelty. Their recent poetry explores the relationship between individual and societal harms. Working with themes of ecological communities, Kate’s current project explores our individual and societal interactions.

As a result, Kate hopes to elucidate what that link means personally and societally and find ways of breaking down that connection.

Kate’s website

SAM TAYLOR

Wichita, KS

Sam Taylor, poet and professor in Wichita State University’s MFA program, “embraces a diverse aesthetic palette that spans from the classical lyric to the cusp of experimental, conceptual, and hybrid poetics.”

Dealing, most recently, in themes of ecology, history, and our contemporary moment, Sam hopes to find new avenues to explore during his residency

Sam’s website

MARY WELCOME

Palouse, WA

God Bless the USPS is an ongoing photo-documentary project Mary began in 2012. Focusing primarily on small, rural post offices, Mary hopes to imbue viewers with the importance of the Post Office as “social fulcrums,” portraits of bioregions, and a place where news is shared.

Mary will continue this project while in-residence.

Mary’s website

What is a Self-directed Residency?

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 21:01:00 GMT

It is an opportunity to work and be in the Flint Hills. This is not a juried residency. It is open to creative practitioners at any stage of their practice. There are no requirements, just time and space for your creative juices to flow.

Spend six nights (Tuesday noon through Monday at 10 am) in the Loft at the Volland Store or in the Little House up the road. For a deeply discounted “artist” price, you may enjoy time away from your daily routine to refresh, reboot, write, make art, think – in a setting that lends itself to creativity. $300 for six nights in the Loft, or $350 for six nights in the Little House.

Bill McKibben’s words in his introduction to a recent edition of Walden by Thoreau, resonate with what you will find here: “What nature provides is scale and context, ways to figure out who and how big we are and what we want. It provides silence, solitude, darkness: the rarest commodities we know.”

For more information or to make a reservation, please contact:
info@vollandfoundation.org

Photos by Mike Sinclair

“Laney” Haake’s diary of her Artist Retreat (Self-directed Residency) at Volland. Enjoy!

ELAINE HAAKE FINE ART

BLOG

AN ARTIST RETREAT

An Artist Retreat

What do you do when you get the “everything’s-cancelled blues”? Well…I created my own artist retreat and I’d love to share this journey with you.

Each year, I am fortunate to be able to attend workshops and plein air events. Not only do these give me a much-needed break from day-to-day responsibilities, but they enrich my learning and skills. After learning about yet another plein air event cancellation, I was in a bit of a funk so I set about planning a ‘plein air’ artist retreat … for one!

Off to the Flint Hills

Less than two hours from home, the Kansas Flint Hills checked many of my boxes. I chose the last week of September, knowing the prairie would be transitioning from Summer to Fall and the colors would be vibrant. I also figured the weather would be mild with (hopefully) little rain.

But where to stay?

I learned about Volland , just outside Alma, KS, when I painted there with other artists during a workshop last year. What was once a general store at a train stop through the Flint Hills, is now a beautiful gallery and event space. Patty Reece, who leads the Volland Foundation, rescued this two story brick building from ruins – literally. In addition, she is creating places for artists to stay. Currently, artists can book ‘The Loft’ in the gallery or “The Little House” a bungalow just up the road from the gallery. Volland is back “on the map” and as an artist I couldn’t be more excited.

The Little House at Volland

I was thrilled when I learned ‘The Little House’ was available for my selected dates, but had no idea what a treat I was in for.

You’ve heard about the homebuilding kits from the Sears Roebuck catalogue. Well this 1930’s house was ordered out of a similar catalogue from the Gordon Van Tine company. As I drove up, it looked like a simple white bungalow where families have raised their children the past 80+ years. Walking in, I was in awe of the transformation inside. It’s like an urban loft and a tiny Kansas farmhouse had a baby.

A K-State architectural class assisted in the plan and renovation of this historic house. I could see and feel the thought that went into each design decision. It was actually a blessing that I had no cell service and no TV (although I did have WIFI). I was able to relax and take in the simplicity and the slower pace of life. And best of all, I could focus on painting.

Time to Paint

I couldn’t have picked a better time to go. The weather was mild and sunny with a day of rain in the middle that ushered in the cloud formations made famous in many Flint Hills paintings.

I scouted places to paint along the roads that wind through the rolling hills and prairie. My first painting location was first spotted in my rearview mirror. It was easy to pull off the side of the road since I didn’t have to worry about traffic. As a matter of fact, some days I painted all day without a single person driving by. Here I am set up along Drovers Trail Road. One of my favorite paintings from the trip.

I loved painting on Volland Road a few miles East of the store. It sat high on a hill and the road was pretty much untraveled so it was all mine. The cows were not too crazy about me being up there but once they realized I wasn’t going to feed them…or bother them…they went on their merry way. Being so high on a hill, the wind was relentless and rendered my plein air umbrella useless lest I find it in the next county. So I used the hatchback on my SUV as a giant umbrella to shield me, my palette and my painting from the sun.

One nice thing about painting out here in the Flint Hills is that you can just turn 180 degrees and there’s another painting.

Historic Farmstead

Just South of The Little House in Volland sits an amazing homestead – the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I was able to meet Laurie Hamilton, who recently purchased this historic stone home and property and is in the process of restoring it and the surrounding buildings. It is currently designated a historical site by the Kansas Historic Site Board and soon will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

She invited me in to see the work being done. Her plan is to create a gathering space for artists to get away for a bit and be able to tap into their creative energies while enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of the Flint Hills. Her plans include working studios and work space for potters and metal artists. Eventually, this farmstead and the Volland Store/Residences will be joined through walking paths and points of interest. What a gift this will be to the art community.

Oh my goodness, Laurie is an amazing woman. She is passionate about the history of this home, the opportunity to restore it and the ability to give it a new purpose for many, many years to come. She was so generous with her time and invited me to paint on the property while on my ‘retreat’. What a blessing and a gift!

Over hot tea and the most amazing piece of rhubarb pie, we talked about the possibility of bringing a plein air event to Volland and the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead. Stay tuned – I am eager to work with Patty and Laurie on this project and hope we are able to pull something together for 2021/22.

The one day it rained, I was able to stand in the pole barn and paint the stone corn crib and wash house along with other outbuildings. I could have spent a whole week on this farm. So much to paint, so little time.

Luckily, the next morning the sun was out and I was back at the farmstead. The strong morning light set everything aglow. I found an old windmill laying against a weathered barn with its replacement whirring proudly above. The light and shadows were a challenge to paint as they were changing by the minute. I worked quickly and felt I was able to capture one of my favorite vignettes from the day in “Blown”.

A Successful Week

I began the week with one simple goal. Get away for a bit and paint. I ended the week having experienced so much more than I expected. Everyone I met was friendly, welcoming and wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. They were super supportive and curious about my art. And they are proud to call the Flint Hills home. I totally understand why. It’s strikingly beautiful and unique.

I was grateful to have this time to do something I love. I realized how much I missed painting outdoors. I have always said my best art teacher has been painting from life.

I went there with no expectations and considered my painting time as ‘practice’. Some were definitely practice – and will never see the light of day – ha! But I learned something on each painting – those that worked out and those that did not. The fact that I came home with a few small paintings I was happy with, was a bonus.

This was the perfect prescription for the ‘everything-is-cancelled’ blues. I would recommend it to everyone and encourage you to go for it. Find a spot you’ve always wanted to paint and set aside some ‘me’ time to go there. It is good for the soul!

Thank you so much for following me on this journey.

10/8/2020 9:32:37 PM by Elaine ‘Laney’ Haake

Reprinted with permission

Charro Jerry Diaz Family Horse Show and Ensemble Iberica Flamenco Concert

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 20:45:58 GMT

July 8, 2023

Watch the video featuring

conversations with Philip Heying, Charro Jerry Diaz, and a patron

and/or

Watch the short video!

Doors at 5:30 | Food trucks, Mariachi Estrella KC, Country|Citizens

7 pm | Charro Jerry Diaz & Family Horse Show

8:15 | Flamenco Concert by Ensemble Iberica featuring Melinda Hedgecorth and A Special Appearance by Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos

Purchase ticket s at the door.

See below for important items to bring!

Please note: there will be photographers and a videographer at the event. If you prefer not to have your photo appear on social media, turn your head!

__________________________

Special Invitation

Friday, July 7th at Volland | 7 pm

Free admission. Open to all-

Charro Jerry Diaz & Family will hold an open house at Volland

Meet the Diaz Family and their Andalusian horses!

Since Volland first brought the Charro Jerry Diaz Family to Wabaunsee County in 2019 their return has been asked about incessantly. Volland is pleased to bring the Charro Jerry Diaz Family back in 2023 and to add to the event an equally impressive flamenco concert from Ensemble Iberica. In the gallery, Guggenheim Fellow Philip Heying displays Country|Citizens , a contemplative and graceful approach to photographing the Flint Hills.

Come to Volland before the horse show for food trucks and live mariachi music. This part of the evening will run from 5:30-7. Inside the gallery our exhibit, Country|Citizens by Guggenheim Fellow Philip Heying, will be on view, and the Volland History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail will be open for your enjoyment. Volland will offer a cash bar by donation throughout the evening.

The Charro Jerry Diaz Family comes from a long line of horsemen and horse breeders. Based in New Braunfels, Texas, the Charro Jerry Diaz Family share their riding skills internationally. Their expertise in breeding is well known and respected. Charro Jerry Diaz, a fourth-generation Mexican Charro, will be displaying that history in his performance. Staci Diaz, a third-generation rider, will present the traditional Spanish equestrian style in her performance, dressed in traditional attire. Finally, Staci’s and Jerry’s son Nicolas, a world champion rider, will dress and ride in the Portuguese tradition. Dawn and Geff Dawson, well-known local horsemen and entertainers, will emcee the performance.

Ensemble Iberica will perform in the Ruin after the horse show. Grab your lawn chairs and head down to the Ruin to find a good seat in view of the flamenco concert.

Beau Bledsoe (guitar), John Currey (percussion), and Rich Wheeler (saxophone) will perform flamenco music as Melinda Hedgecorth dances. Also featured will be vocalist Mireya Ramos, Latin Grammy Award winner, accompanied by Bledsoe and Currey.

Ensemble Iberica appeared at Carnegie Hall in May 2023, in celebration of their 10th anniversary, a testament to their excellence in creating quality music and providing innovative opportunities for audiences and artists alike. The group’s captivating performances seamlessly blend the distinct cultural elements of Spain, Latin America, Portugal, and beyond and transport audiences to the heart of the Iberian diaspora.

The flamenco has its roots in Roma history. The group moved from current-day Northern India and eventually landed in Southern Spain. There the Romas were introduced to other influences, like the Moors. These influences led to flamenco dancing and music. The romance of the music and dance will be enhanced by a summer evening under the stars.

We hope you join us on July 8th for this unique and most wonderful event!

purchase tickets here

$45 per adult for the Horse Show and Flamenco Concert

$25 for Wabaunsee County residents

Children under 12 are free

To bring (and not) on July 8th

Volland wants to make sure the horse show and concert are a fun and safe event for everyone. Pack these items with you:

We are grateful to the following sponsors who have helped make this evening possible:

In Kind Contributions:

Justin and Mary Janssen

Stockgrowers State Bank

Allison Cekala: Salt Works

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:27:00 GMT

September 9 – October 22, 2023

Allison Cekala is an observer. Like many artists, the Mainer latches onto an idea, image or fact and brings it to the viewer’s attention.

For Cekala this comes in the form of painting, photography, installation and video work. In 2016, Cekala “discovered white mountains by chance out of [her] car window in Boston, seduced by raking light on a white, crystalline material shaped by wind, rain, and heavy machinery.” The artist’s striking view of a mundane material led to a months-long project to find the salt’s origin and document its movement.

Volland is pleased to share photographs from Salt Series , as well as Cekala’s film Fundir (to melt), which records how salt on the streets of Boston have their start in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Cekala made clear in conversations that her work is not politically motivated, but simply comes from questioning her surroundings. The miners in Fundir enjoyed the piece. The visuals and sounds share a language that many can grasp, highlighting a fascinating story without the aid of a voiceover. Cekala’s video displays a photographer’s approach, and the artist’s careful editing makes the piece immersive.

Chile is admittedly far from Kansas and the Flint Hills physically, but working the land unites the two. Harvesting limestone to build structures above and below ground has been a practice since the early settler days and can be found in arched-roof stone cellars throughout Wabaunsee County and neighboring counties . Today, Kansas limestone is shipped throughout the United States for building projects, and in 2019, British artist Andy Goldsworthy and his team began laying Flint Hills stone for the artist’s Walking Wall installation at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art .

The human-made eroded salt seen in Fundir end up in piles that mirror the landscape of the Atacama Desert. These miniature ranges are built and depleted continuously, a sort of microcosm of the larger forces at play in a condensed timeframe. In Cekala’s photographs, the context of these accumulations is deliberately removed, leaving the viewer to examine only the pile. The technique also focuses our attention a mundane collection of things, an idea the artist is interested in beyond salt . The Salt Series photographs in this exhibition are a selection from a larger body of work. All are untitled and were made in 2016, the same year as Fundir .

A L L I S O N C E K A L A

is an artist and educator living midcoast Maine. Her work, which includes photography, film/video, painting, and installation, is deeply rooted in observation and the experience of time. She co-founded and organizes The Rockland Observationalists,a collective of artists in midcoast Maine devoted to making and exhibiting observational work together. Cekala holds an MFA from School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and a BA from Bard College in Photography and Environmental Studies and a teaching certificate through the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University. Her work has been supported by the LEF Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the MacDowell Colony, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, the Cary Center for Ecosystem Studies, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and the Monson Arts Artist in Residence Program.

Kelley Hunt at The Ruin

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 22:11:00 GMT

On September 22nd the celebrated singer-songwriter returns to Volland!

Purchase Tickets Here

Don’t delay – tickets are limited!

Bring your children for free

Kelley Hunt delivers the goods with a voice that grafts passionate blues to scorching soul –instantly endearing her to all within earshot, as her band surrounds her in a greasy funk that completes the package and brings you back for more.

– Eric Thom, Root s Music Ameri ca

Eric Thom is exactly right. That’s why the Volland Foundation is pleased to bring Kelley Hunt back to the Flint Hills for a concert at The Ruin on Friday, September 22nd. Hunt will be joined by three other talented musicians: J ames Albright on acoustic bass, Brandon Graves on percussion, and Allena Ross with vocals.

Hunt works with ease across the genres of Americana, R&B, and Roots, and is a talented pianist, guitarist and singer. These will all be on full display on September 22nd.

The night will begin at 5:30pm. MHK Ca ravan Company will provide bar service while Destination Burrito will bring great food. You are welcome to bring your own picnic if you like, but no outside alcohol please- it violates the bar truck’s liquor license and is prohibited by their insurance.

Tables will be set up, and recorded music will be playing in the shady grove by the Blacksmith Shop. Inside the gallery, Salt Works , an exhibition by Allison Cekala will be on view, and the Volland History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail will be open for a late afternoon stroll.

The concert begins at 7:30pm and is expected to last until 9 o’clock.

Don’t forget your lawn chairs, any weather protection, and a water bottle.

Volland will provide water free of charge.

No pets allowed.

5:30pm | Doors open

7:30 – 9pm | Concert

Purchase Tickets here

Don’t delay – tickets are limited!

Bonus!

Kelley will conduct a FREE Songwriting Workshop the following day, Saturday, September 23, from 10am to noon. Reservations are required. Please click here for details.

All are welcome, from beginners to advanced, including students. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from the best!

Volland Residency 2023

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 22:03:00 GMT

Fall 2022 residents. Photo by Shoshannah White.
left to right: Dawn Stetzel, Tonee Harbert, Shoshannah White

“My residency at The Volland Fou ndation w as not only time and space to make work but a genuine embrace into a caring community rich with history and fascinating traditions. I was welcomed into locally-specific community meals and invited on ranch and prairie tours, leading to meaningful stories and support from community members. The Volland Foundation provided a professional platform in which to truly connect to the people and place of this rural area in Kansas. These connections and my time spent in the rather rare, dwindling ecosystem of the Tallgrass Prairie will continue to feed my artwork far beyond this residency.”

-Dawn Stetzel

Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a place of extraordinary beauty and subtlety: rolling hills, distant horizons, and a sky full of stars. It is the largest remaining contiguous area of tallgrass prairie in North America that once stretched from Texas to the Canadian border, from the western edge of Indiana to eastern Kansas. Only 4% of it remains, and it is the most endangered ecosystem in the world.

Volland offers three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

The tallgrass prairie has given rise to a ranching culture that is complemented by nearby rural communities. Opportunities for mutual engagement offer new perspectives. We believe that the gift of time and space in this wide-open landscape can create a change in the creative trajectory of those who participate in the residency program at Volland.

The Volland Residency

More than a century after Volland’s first heyday, a residency program at Volland offers the gift of time and space to artists, humanitarians, and scientists to think, create, innovate, and interact, building community and exploring new ideas.

The Volland Foundation is offering two-week and four-week residencies.

Artists, writers, poets, musicians, performers, designers, historians, natural scientists and leaders in the humanities are encouraged to apply. We are looking for applicants in all stages of their career (emerging, mid-level, professional) and all areas of the globe: local, national and international. The Foundation is committed to equity and welcomes people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Application Information

– Scroll down for the link to apply –

Application and Notification Process

Applications due January 18, 2023.

The Foundation will notify all awarded and non-awarded applicants on February 15, 2023.

Please email ryan@vollandfoundation.org for technical support or more information about the residency program

Application and Acceptance Details

There is an application fee of $25. Application fees can be paid through our online portal .

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of jurors with specialized knowledge in each respective field.

Selected residents will be expected to be on site for the entire session they have been awarded.

Volland welcomes applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.

Volland is located in a rural area with limited access to medical care facilities. We strongly suggest that applicants with special medical needs contact the Resident Director before applying.

Before applying, please read our COVID pr ecautions and policy .

2023 Schedule

Spring:

April 18 – May 18 | 4-week residency

April 18 – May 2 | 2-week residency

May 4 – May 18 | 2-week residency

Summer:

June 13 – July 11 | 4-week residency (2 available)

Fall:

September 19 – October 17 | 4-week residency (2 available)

Additional residencies may be offered depending on the availability of our neighbors and partners at the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead.

Residency Requirements

The Volland Residency Program offers living and studio space with uninterrupted time and few distractions – a rarity in today’s world.

The Foundation has no requirements to make or display work during residencies. However, if a resident wishes to give a presentation or offer an open studio, the Foundation will support their efforts when possible.

Our Location

Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, nestled between working ranches with sweeping views of the tallgrass prairie.

Volland is two hours west of MCI (Kansas City International Airport). It is about 30 miles west of Topeka, the capital city of Kansas; eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas, the county seat of Wabaunsee County; and 45 minutes southeast of Manhattan, Kansas, the home of Kansas State University and Manhattan Regional Airport. Map and driving directions here .

Facilities

The Loft and the Little House at Volland provide private living and studio space. Our neighbor, the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead , makes a living space and writing studio available in support of the Volland Artist Residency Program, as their schedule allows. Most of the living spaces and studios are accessed by stairs. Each living space has a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facility. Towels and linens are provided.

If your medium or practice is exceedingly messy, arrangements can be made. Please make a note in your application.

On the lower level of the Volland Store, there is generous space for working, a utility sink, work tables and shelf space for supplies. There is good lighting, a refrigerator, and restrooms with showers.

The original blacksmith shop has a new concrete floor, work tables, plenty of electrical outlets, and lighting. It is a “fair weather” studio (no heating or cooling) with wide doors and small windows to provide natural breezes and light.

More information here: Where artists live and work

Cost

Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge.

A $250 stipend is awarded to the 2-week residents, and a $500 stipend is awarded to the 4-week residents.

Each resident is responsible for their travel and living expenses including food, toiletries and art supplies.

Stipulations

All participants must have a car during their residency.

Artists are responsible for their own meals. Evening meals are a pleasant time for interaction, and shared meals may be arranged by residents at their discretion.

We kindly ask that spouses interested in their own residency apply separately.

A collaborative team may apply for a residency.

Family is welcome to visit on the weekends, but must acquire their own accommodations offsite.

The rural nature of Volland means we cannot ensure the safety of pets. As a result, we ask they stay home for the duration of your residency.

We will ask for feedback during and after your time at Volland to learn the most from your experience.

We encourage residents to link to our website and share their experience on their social media channels.

We will share information about residents’ experience at the residency on our website and on social media.

COVID Protocols

Please consider that COVID pre cautions are casual in Wabaunsee County, and it is common for people not to wear masks. The closest medical services to Volland are approximately 40 miles away at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

Applications are now closed

Application Deadline | January 18, 2023

The Volland Residency is wrapped in history and place and art and community

ABOUT VOLLAND | It was the exceptional quality of tallgrass prairie that brought in cattle by train from points further south. The deep roots of the tall grasses defied drought, and cattle could graze and fatten up before being shipped on to market. Volland was a railroad shipping point in the early 20th century. Two brothers, Bill and Otto Kratzer, opened Kratzer Brothers Mercantile in Volland in 1906, and it quickly became the social and cultural center of the ranching community that surrounded it. Otto, the young storekeeper, relished bringing the newest and best of everything to Volland. The brothers prospered, and in 1913 they built a big brick store (now The Volland Store) to add to their enterprise. By 1971, the economy had changed, the population had declined, and the Store closed upon Otto’s death. It sat vacant for forty years and was in danger of being torn down. By 2011, a small remnant of the town remained: the boarded-up Kratzer stores (original and “new”), a few houses and outbuildings, two residents, and then one.

ART AND COMMUNITY | In 2015, The Volland Store reopened after substantial renovations. It was re-purposed as an art gallery and gathering place for the community. It became a destination for visitors from near and far, building a like-minded community of supporters from across the country, attracting artists, poets, and musicians as well. An architectural award-winning space, it thrives on good art and friendly conversation. It is owned and operated by the Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, and serves as an anchor for the foundation’s activities in Volland: art exhibitions and community programming in the gallery ; outdoor performances at “the Ruin;” artist residencies in Volland; guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House between art residencies; and the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.

PLACE | Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a place of extraordinary beauty and subtlety: rolling hills, distant horizons, and a sky full of stars. It is the largest remaining contiguous area of tallgrass prairie in North America that once stretched from Texas to the Canadian border, from the western edge of Indiana to eastern Kansas. Only 4% of it remains, and it is the most endangered ecosystem in the world.

Volland offers three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

From the founders, Patty and Jerry Reece: “A number of artists, writers, poets, musicians, and scientists have spent time in Volland during the past several years. We observed how they connected deeply to this place. We understand the power of the tallgrass prairie to inspire and refresh. Now, the Volland Foundation will offer space and time for creative practitioners of various disciplines to live and work, to step outside their daily lives, have time to dream, and let creative juices flow.”

We appreciate your interest and look forward to hearing from you!

Patty Reece, Chair, Volland Foundation

Ryan Jones, Director of Operations, Volland Foundation

Norman Akers TWO PLACES Isaiah Stewart

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:18:00 GMT

November 3 – December 3 | 2023

Artist Reception | Sunday, November 5 | 1-4pm

Both artists will be present and will speak about their work | 2pm

Free admission | Refreshments

Norman Akers and Isaiah Stewart approach their creative work from two places. “Places” is used as an amalgam, of their place in life- Akers is a professor at the University of Kansas, while Stewart was a student there; the place of their tribes- Stewart is Lakota/Mohawk and Akers, Osage; and the memory, or vision, of the time and place their work takes viewers. Volland is pleased to present an exhibit that pairs the work of these two northeast Kansas artists. Akers and Stewart remind viewers of the rich, multi-faceted identities of Native Americans through their distinct work.

Akers’ works on paper were made after the pandemic, and Stewart exhibits new ledger paintings. Akers’ map imagery and Stewart’s ledger motifs show a parallel interest in the conflation of colonial and Native influences, ideas and history. The maps in Akers’ work give a sense of location, one that is defined by roads, cities, and county lines. But it is the artist’s other collage elements that deepen the exploration in his pieces, endowing them with a sense of “place,” a word with more significance than landscape or location. In his ledger paintings Stewart also builds off non-Native imagery. In the second half of the 19th century, as the bison population – and their hides that served as canvases – was driven to near extinction and tribes were cordoned into reservations, many Plains Indians were forced to work in new mediums. Ledger drawings came from accountant ledgers, and new materials such as colored pencils changed the pictorial language. Stewart’s paintings continue this imagery, a sign of defiance, adaptability and beauty in the face of injustice.

N O R M A N A K E R S

I explore identity, culture, place, and personal and cultural transformation issues as an Osage artist. Over the years, I have used a visual vocabulary of images and symbols drawn from my heritage, personal life experiences, and contemporary culture. This series of prints uses images of maps, elk, woodpeckers, trees, discarded water bottles, alien spacecraft, and the Covid 19 virus. While the symbolic imagery in my art is rooted in my past, I am interested in how meaning within these images evolves and shifts to address current issues.

My process involves the collage of reproduced images and maps. Images are reworked by drawing, digital means, transfer processes, and chine collé printmaking techniques to make various components used to create the monoprints. The collage process, the physical act of moving, shifting, and placing images on a picture place, constructs compositions that define a new visual space, creating a place where my concerns about an indigenous space and the environment become visible. The digital manipulation of maps and shifting and erased borders become a metaphor for an ever-changing land base informing how we perceive the land. Much of my work deals with the impact of settler colonialism imposed on tribal peoples and the place we call home. I use “place” to refer to the landscape since the word indicates a deeper relationship to the land, where a sense of belonging and thriving cultural and historical perspectives are visible.

These works on paper become symbolic maps of meaning that allow me to orient myself in the physical and transcendent place. My goal as an artist is to create work that engages the viewer in ways of seeing and discovering a notion of indigenous place on contemporary terms.

I S A I A H S T E W A R T

Isaiah Tasunke Wamniomni Luta (Red Whirlwind Horse) Stewart, is a Lakota/Mohawk artist. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Kansas. He has been an artist his whole life from the influence of his artist parents. Isaiah is most notably known for taking traditional Lakota culture, combined with the influence of Cowboy life after Indian Reservations were established.

Isaiah owns his own horses and practices natural horsemanship that inspires his artworks. Horses are family members that are revered to plains mode of survival.

Creating works through painting, drawing, and graphic design allow Isaiah to share his gifts and understanding of western & Native culture. Isaiah makes his home in Kansas with his wife Melissa and daughter Phoenix and his horses.

Kelley Hunt Songwriting Workshop

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 13:46:00 GMT

Following a performance at Volland on Friday night, September 22, the singer-songwriter will share her knowledge in a workshop the following morning.

September 23rd, 2023 | 10am – noon
Free event with limited seating.

RSVP here

Kelley Hunt is known in the music world as much for her prowess as a songwriter as for her powerful voice and performance. On September 23rd, the morning after Hunt’s performance at Volland’s Ruin , the doubly talented artist will share her skills in the area of songwriting.

This event is geared for all ages, from beginners to seasoned writers. Kelley will guide the group through the basics of songwriting, including how to write songs, how music and lyrics can be paired, and much more. She will also share some of the prompts she turns to for inspiration.

The workshop is group oriented, with each participant having the chance to share their creations (if they wish) and receive feedback from the class. Kelley has taught and presented in elementary settings, university courses, and everywhere in between.

Please bring a writing utensil and something to write on, but no instruments. You are welcome to bring a lunch for after the event, but no food will be provided.

An Evening with Bombino

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 15:29:00 GMT

Saturday October 14th, 2023

5 - 8:30pm

Tickets here or below

Bombino’s folk-rock, blues music has long brought people together around its distinct sound. Marrying the guitar-focused music he gravitated to in his teens – Dire Straights, Jimi Hendrix, and others – with local inspirations like Tinariwen and Ali Farka Toure, plus Berber rhythms, Bombino’s music is enthralling and abiding.

Born in a nomadic Tuareg encampment in 1980, Bombino’s early life was shaped in large part by the political upheaval happening in the Sahara Desert. The peripatetic nature of his Ifoghas tribe and forced emigration is a possible source of the artist’s wide inspirations and ability to assimilate several styles. By the mid-90s Bombino was showing real promise as a guitarist. “Working as a herder in the desert near Tripoli, Libya, [he] spent many hours alone watching the animals and practicing his guitar.” After returning to Niger, Bombino began playing with several bands and growing his name. In the late 2000s and early 2010s he hit the international stage, recording in the United States, participating in documentaries, and sharing the blues, all while witnessing another period of conflict among tribes in his homeland.

Bombino’s acoustic concert at Volland comes at an exciting time for the " Sulta n of Shred , " who’s latest album Sahel – one of the artist’s most politically minded and personal works yet – arrives in mid-September.

click here for fascinating details about Bombino’s latest album Sahel

Watch!

Volland is pleased to share the transformative work of Bombino on October 14th.

Bombino’s performance will begin at 7pm at the Ruin, but there will be plenty to see and do before the concert. Doors open at 5pm with a variety of food trucks, Manhattan Caravan Co (everyone’s favorite bar truck) – and – LIVE CAMELS! Flint Hills camel rancher Valeri Crenshaw will introduce the camels and their owner and tell you everything you ever wanted to know – about camels.

Inside the gallery, local author K. L. Barron will be available for conversation about her novel, Thirst , set in the Sahel and informed by her time in Niger with the Peace Corps. Thirst is the inspiration for bringing Bombino to Volland, and books will be available for purchase and signing by the author. If you are interested in having a copy of Thirst, mark it as an add-on when you purchase your ticket. You will not be charged and it is not a firm commitment, but this will help Barron know how many books to bring. The final sale will happen at Volland on October 14th.

Allison Cekala’s film Fundir will be on view in the gallery as well. The work centers around the extraction and movement of salt from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile to Boston, MA. The visuals and sounds share a fascinating story without the aid of a voiceover and the artist’s careful editing makes the piece immersive.

Volland extends a special thanks to Wes Gartner, Steven Tulipana, and Randy Wolf for their efforts to make this event happen.

Bombino will perform at recordBar in Kansas City the Friday before his Volland concert.

Wabaunsee County Author K. L. Barron Presents Thirst

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 13:40:00 GMT

“Expertly weaving history with an identity narrative, this novel delivers a first-hand account of life with the Tuaregs… Sensory details, cultural and religious traditions, and a savvy narrative structure to both construct a young woman’s story and document a cultural perspective… a remarkable novel.” Kirkus Review

T H I R S T, the recently published novel by K. L. Barron, is a captivating story of a young woman who, after being betrayed, must make her own way in the Sahel Desert. Soon she finds herself caught between several competing groups in the area, forcing her to navigate political strife along with the austere landscape.

K. L. BARRON
"I am a writer of place: poetry and prose. To my mind, our earth is a shared space, a sacred place that connects us all. We are formed, informed, and at the mercy of nature. I like to explore relationships between nature and people on the page through the written landscape of words and images."

Thirst is Barron’s first novel. She spent time in the northwest part of Niger in the Sahel, on the edge of the Sahara, among the Tuareg between 1980 and 1982. She served with the Peace Corps and taught English to the children of the Tuareg and other nomadic tribes. The memory of the experience never left her. She was drawn to write this book because of the “high contrast, dominating landscape” and the desire to shine a light on an endangered traditional culture before it disappears.

Barron is a resident of Wabaunsee County. She earned an MFA from Bennington in 2005 and has taught writing & literature at Washburn University for almost 20 years. Her work has been published in New Letters, The Bennington Review, The Little Balkans Review, terrain.org. among others, and in several anthologies, including Echoes from the Prairie, and the upcoming Monster Bodies.

T H I R S T was the inspiration for bringing Tuareg musician Bombino to Volland in October 2023.

The author heard Bombino perform several years ago and was inspired by the universality of their distinctive desert blues sound that to her ear combines the rhythms of the camels and the grit of an existence in the Sahel.

Volland was delighted to host Barron prior to the Bombino concert. She was available for informal conversations from 5pm (Doors) until the beginning of the concert at 7pm.

Books are available in the Volland Online Store

“An Evening with Bombino”

details

Sahel

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 21:39:00 GMT

Bombino’s latest album
first presented in his 2023 World Tour

__________________________

featured in

“An Evening with Bombino”

the final USA performance in Bombino’s 2023 World Tour

Saturday, October 14, 2023
at Volland

Tickets here

Guitar luminary + Tuareg folk hero Omara “Bombino” Moctar knows the nomadic life well. Being constantly on the road for his music while also perpetually on the move throughout the Sahel region of Africa is the norm. So when the pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt, Bombino found himself in an unfamiliar space: being in one place. “I’m used to traveling virtually every week and then I was locked down for two years,” he says from his home in Niamey, the capital of Niger. “On the positive side, I get back in touch with my home and spend real time there with my family for the first time in a long time.”

What resulted was the follow-up to 2018’s Deran , a record that turned Bombino into the first-ever Grammy-nominated artist from Niger . This new collection of songs, entitled Sahel after the African region spanning East-West from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, is Bombino’s most personal, powerful, and politically-minded work to date. It’s also his most sonically diverse, a quality he set out to achieve from the start, and one that is meant to directly mirror the complex tapestry of cultures and people that make up the Sahel region itself. He says, “the general plight of the Tuareg is always on my mind and while I’ve addressed it in my music all along, I wanted to give it a special focus on this album.”

To bring the songs to life, Bombino worked closely with Welsh producer/ mixer David Wrench (David Byrne, Frank Ocean, Caribou, Goldfrapp, Erasure,The xx, Sampha), decamping with his bandmates to a studio in Casablanca for ten days to lay down the album. “Bombino’s anincredible musician, easily one of the best musicians I ever worked with,” Wrench says with fondness of seeing the Tuareg guitarist up close. “What he does looks effortless, but it’s so complex. It’s such a refined style, it’s so him , it’s unique. It contains all this history in it, it’s amazing.” The feeling is mutual. While Bombino has been fortunate to have sympathetic guitarists like Dan Auerbach and David Longstreth sit in the producer’s chair in the past, Wrench provided a new level of expertise.

“What I love about working with David is just how incredibly fine-tuned his ear is, how incredibly focused he gets in the studio,” Bombino says. “Nothing escapes him. Even the tiniest little things would grab his attention and he would put great focus into the smallest details of the sound.” Time and time again, Wrench would watch Bombino blaze through an amazing take in the studio, then go right back “and double-track it and it’s just perfect. He’s operating on some different level somewhere.”

The ten songs that comprise Sahel range in theme from the plight of the Tuareg to the ache of lost love to the follies of youth. Opener “Tazidert” preaches patience even as the music itself urges you to stand up and move. The driving “Aitma” features Bombino’s sparks-spraying guitar pyrotechnics, punctuated by howling ululations. It’s a call-to-arms delivered in his native Tamasheq. “Let’s defend our people because we are the same regardless of our geographical position,” he says as he shouts out the Tuareg throughout the region. He explains: “When you look at the situations in each of the five countries that make up the Sahel (Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, and parts of Burkina Faso), the Tuareg people are not represented in these governments.” And only recently did that situation change in Niger.

Sahel looks forward and to the past, a mix of new and old songs, but each one of them resonated with Bombino for one reason or another. “A lot of bands go into the studio with a set of tracks that they’ve rehearsed, but that’s not how Bombino works,” Wrench says. “He goes with what he’s feeling at the time and it’s a much more instinctive way of recording. He’s drawing from this memory of these hundreds of songs he’s written. He pulls from that well of his own work and the history of his culture; he pulls out of that what he feels is right.”

“Si Chilan” (Two Days) is one of the oldest songs in Bombino’s extensive repertoire, first written in the 1980s. “I like to put a spotlight on songs that have persisted in my repertoire for a really long time, but haven’t made their way onto an album,” he says. “When you’ve lived with a song for that long, you’re always finding new things in it, new ways to express it. They’re dynamic in that sense – the song will continue to evolve, at least in how I relate to it and perform it. I liken it to honey, a good old song is like honey, it just gets better and better with age.”

Similarly, “Nik Sant Awanha” (My Brothers I Know our Situation) dates to the late ‘90s and is one of Bombino’s most incisive political commentaries to date, lamenting the divisions amid the Tuareg people, the risks of exile, and an even greater existential threat, the loss of Tuareg culture. “Even though geographically the Sahara desert is our home, so many of the Tuareg people are denied or deprived of certain basic necessities throughout the region,” he says. “This has been motivating me a lot, the types of songs I sing and why. I want to get people thinking about the Tuareg, to represent those people who haven’t been represented. They really need a voice.”

Aside from loss of representation in these countries’ governments and the absence of the Tuareg in mainstream culture, Bombino sees that even with the instant interconnectedness that smartphones can bring, “the biggest threat I see is technology and modernization. A small, marginalized culture like the Tuareg risks getting lost in the homogenization of culture.”

For the broader topics that Bombino addresses throughout the album, the hushed acoustic closer “Mes Amis” sings of youth and unrequited love. “It’s important to reflect the personal themes, to connect with people on a personal level, giving them stories and themes they can relate to,” Bombino says, adding that the extra time he spent at home, being with his children, helped to clarify his purpose. “Everything I do is in service to my family, to give to them and to better their situation.”

Wrench’s role was to present Bombino and his band in a way that captured the Tuareg sound (which spans centuries) while connecting it to our immediate present. It’s not a museum artifact, but a living ‘now.’ While Wrench made his name mixing and recording psychedelic rock and electronic music, he heard Bombino as part of that spectrum. “To me, I see him not that far outside of those realms. The rhythms are all in 3s instead of 4s, but it has a similar effect: the repetition and intensity and the feeling it has, it’s not a million miles away from techno. Listening to his music has a similar effect on you: it can definitely take you somewhere quite different.”

With Bombino as your guide, let Sahel take you there as well.

Ryan Klassen Returns

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 19:23:00 GMT

November 19, 2023 | 3pm | Doors at 2pm

Free-will-donation | All donations go to Ryan

Reserve your spot here

Ryan Klassen is coming back to Volland to share his homegrown musical talents. This is the perfect event to get out of the house ahead of the holiday season. Ryan’s tunes touch on country, folk, and Americana.

Due to the high chance of cold weather, Ryan will perform inside the gallery. Space is limited, and reservations are required – RSVP now! A waitlist system has been setup too. Volland will offer a limited bar service. Since this concert is inside Volland will provide seating.

Closing Reception Allison Cekala

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 14:55:00 GMT

October 22, 2023

Meet exhibiting artist Allison Cekala at Volland on Sunday, October 22nd at 2pm

Free Admission | Light refreshments

The Maine-based artist will be at Volland to share thoughts about her art, including the projects in Salt Works . Cekala’s mediums includes photography, film/video, painting, and installation, all deeply rooted in observation and the experience of time. She co-founded and organizes The Rockland Observationalists, a collective of artists in midcoast Maine devoted to making and exhibiting observational work together.

At Volland, Cekala’s Salt Series photographs and short-film, Fundir , highlight the banal beauty of piled road salt and its movement from the Atacama Desert of northern Chile to Boston, Massachusetts. Regular visitors to Volland might see the contrast with Volland’s last exhibit, Country | Citizens , showcasing Philip Heying’s photographs of the tallgrass prairie. Heying’s photographs show a landscape with minimal human interaction. Cekala’s work is a sharp contrast, documenting in an equally exhaustive way a landscape with maximal human interaction.

We hope to see you on October 22nd to share in Cekala’s moving work.

Volland Residency 2023 Selectees will be announced soon

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 14:38:00 GMT

The Volland Foundation is committed to providing time and space for creative practitioners of a wide range of disciplines to gather in a community setting for work, thought and exchange of ideas, and to experience immersion in a unique ecosystem and the rural culture.

Fall 2022 residents. Photo by Shoshannah White.
left to right: Dawn Stetzel, Tonee Harbert, Shoshannah White

Volland Hill at sunset

“My residency at The Volland Foundation was not only time and space to make work but a genuine embrace into a caring community rich with history and fascinating traditions. I was welcomed into locally-specific community meals and invited on ranch and prairie tours, leading to meaningful stories and support from community members. The Volland Foundation provided a professional platform in which to truly connect to the people and place of this rural area in Kansas. These connections and my time spent in the rather rare, dwindling ecosystem of the Tallgrass Prairie will continue to feed my artwork far beyond this residency.”

-Dawn Stetzel

Volland offers three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

The Volland Residency

The Volland Foundation is offering two-week and four-week residencies.

“The Volland Store as seen in Winter, from the Volland History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.” Photo by Ryan Jones.

Residency Requirements

The Volland Residency Program offers living and studio space with uninterrupted time and few distractions – a rarity in today’s world.

Our Location

Volland is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, nestled between working ranches with sweeping views of the tallgrass prairie.

Facilities

If your medium or practice is exceedingly messy, arrangements can be made. Please make a note in your application.

More information here: Where artists live and work

Cost

Living and studio spaces are provided free of charge.

A $250 stipend is awarded to the 2-week residents, and a $500 stipend is awarded to the 4-week residents.

Each resident is responsible for their travel and living expenses including food, toiletries and art supplies.

Stipulations

All participants must have a car during their residency.

Artists are responsible for their own meals. Evening meals are a pleasant time for interaction, and shared meals may be arranged by residents at their discretion.

We kindly ask that spouses interested in their own residency apply separately.

A collaborative team may apply for a residency.

Family is welcome to visit on the weekends, but must acquire their own accommodations offsite.

The rural nature of Volland means we cannot ensure the safety of pets. As a result, we ask they stay home for the duration of your residency.

We will ask for feedback during and after your time at Volland to learn the most from your experience.

We encourage residents to link to our website and share their experience on their social media channels.

We will share information about residents’ experience at the residency on our website and on social media.

COVID Protocols

Please consider that COVID precautions are casual in Wabaunsee County, and it is common for people not to wear masks. The closest medical services to Volland are approximately 40 miles away at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

The Volland Residency is wrapped in history and place and art and community

ART AND COMMUNITY | In 2015, The Volland Store reopened after substantial renovations. It was re-purposed as an art gallery and gathering place for the community. It became a destination for visitors from near and far, building a like-minded community of supporters from across the country, attracting artists, poets, and musicians as well. An architectural award-winning space, it thrives on good art and friendly conversation. It is owned and operated by the Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, and serves as an anchor for the foundation’s activities in Volland: art exhibitions and community programming in the gallery ; outdoor performances at “the Ruin;” artist residencies in Volland; guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House between art residencies; and the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.

Volland offers three rarities in today’s world: quiet, darkness, solitude.

Patty Reece, Chair, Volland Foundation

Ryan Jones, Director of Operations, Volland Foundation

Meet the 2023 Volland Residency Class

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:55:00 GMT

*******
“Embracing the Enigma: An Account of the Volland Residency Experience” – June, 2023

Please scroll to the bottom of the page

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top row, left to right : Kevin Benham, Tielin Ding, Derrick Doty, Lindsey Drager, Bethany Engstrom, Danielle Fauth

bottom row, left to right: Paige Kaptuch, Jessica Matier, Alexandra Robinson, Michael Shi, Andy Webster, Stephanie Zelnick

The Volland Foundation is thrilled to bring twelve residents to Wabaunsee County in 2023.

Volland will host twelve residents across three seasons in 2023! The group represents several disciplines: sculpture, music, photography, mixed-media, research, installation, visual art, and prose. The inbound residents were selected from nearly sixty applications by an independent jury.

During their time in Volland, the residents will experience the local culture and ecology, with opportunities to meet countians too. Most artists expressed a genuine interest in rural culture, and they will surely find inspiration from this place and its life ways as they reflect on their work and create. Volland is thrilled to host these exceptional artists.

To encourage a no-pressure setting, Volland will not require residents to host open studios, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they seek an opportunity to share their work. They will likely be around at our programming throughout the year as they also spend time exploring the Flint Hills, so keep your eyes peeled for these temporary residents and help us welcome them to this extraordinary place in Kansas. Meet the residents below!

S P R I N G

(April 18 – May 18; April 18 – May 2; May 4 – May 18

JESSICA MATIER, Lee’s Summit, MO April 18 – May 18

DANIELLE FAUTH, Denver, CO April 18 – May 2

PAIGE KAPTUCH, Grand Junction, CO April 18 – May 2

BETHANY ENGSTROM, Belfast, ME May 4 – May 18

STEPHANIE ZELNICK, Lawrence, KS May 4 – May 18

S U M M E R

(June 13 – July 11)

DERRICK DOTY, Manhattan, KS

LINDSEY DRAGER, Salt Lake City, UT

ALEXANDRA ROBINSON, Austin, TX

ANDY WEBSTER, Penzance, Cornwall, UK

Working across sculpture, performance, moving image and sound, Andy responds to characteristics associated with a particular site, context or discourse. While at Volland, Andy will make a site specific piece, prompting viewers to “ reconsider relationships with nature and technology, climate change, the natural environment, habitats and ecologies.” Visit Andy’s website here

F A L L

(September 11 – October 17)

TIELIN DING, New York, NY (9/11 – 9/25)

Tielin works across several mediums to create playful objects with performative actions. The 27-year old artist extracts the “invisible systems” as he walks and maps. Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy, Tielin hopes to spend much of his time in the landscape, making a temporary work in the process. Visit Tielin’s website here

KEVIN BENHAM, Baton Rouge, LA (10/3 – 10/17)

Testing the boundaries of landscape architecture and materials are central to Kevin’s practice. The Louisiana State University professor installs works that put spacial qualities and temporal movement into relief. While at Volland, Kevin aims to immerse himself in the regions ecology, hydrology, geology and more. Visit Kevin’s website here

MICHAEL SHI, Shanghai, PRC (9/19 – 10/17)

Michael’s photography brings people together. Often highlighting local dancers in his work, his artistic pursuits “ capture the subtle gestures and expressions that communicate the depth, beauty, and complexity of human relationships.” This Fall, Michael hopes to collaborate with community members as he continues his latest project.
Visit Michael’s website here

“Embracing the Enigma: An Account of the Volland Residency Experience”

Lindsey Drager

Volland Resident

June 13 – 27, 2023

Upon my arrival to what would be a short artist residency at the Volland Foundation, as I was taking the curves of Old K-10 Road from downtown Alma to Volland while still getting used to my rental car and worried about arriving late, I noticed that the road—recently paved in some places—was erupting with pockets of butterflies. At first I thought it must be some other insect—mayflies, maybe, or dragonflies—because the butterflies almost seemed to swarm. Clouds of them lifted from the road as I made the curves through the rolling prairie. My concern about the car and being on time dissipated as I puzzled at the sight. I hadn’t yet arrived and the place already seemed phantasmic and surreal.

I did not know it then but watching those butterflies hover and dance on the road was the initiation ceremony of what would become a truly astonishing two-week experience as an artist-in-residence at Volland. I had come here with the hope of wrapping up my current book project, a novel that uses astronomer Johannes Kepler’s 1609 short fable The Dream to expose the porous borders between technology and artmaking, empirical evidence and “felt” truths, the narratives we author and the belief systems we adopt. By averaging eight hours of writing a day, in between chats with fellow artists, a daily morning run to the end of Volland Road, and taking in the extraordinary wildlife and natural beauty of the Flint Hills, I was able to finish that novel sitting on the front porch of the Little House a mere twelve hours before my residency ended. But I am leaving Volland with much more than just a completed manuscript. I am leaving with a new way of seeing, an altered perspective about everything, really—from sustainable land use practices to the transcendent power of watching the sunset each evening alone. My residency at the Volland Store has been truly transformative, not just in the development of this project but also in cultivating a worldview that is open, accepting, and curious about the present, the future, and the past.

My time has been spent with three other artists: visual artists Alex Robinson and Andy Webster and historian and musician Derrick Doty. We were lucky to have intersected during this summer session because our work seems to speak to each other. We are all, to varying degrees, interested in folktales and word-of-mouth stories, eco-art and environmental activism, as well as the changing night sky. The other artists are here for a full month, but as I had only two weeks, I wanted desperately to make the most of my time.

And with the help and guidance of Patty Reece and Ryan Jones, I did. We were treated to a private tour of the Wabaunsee Country Historical Museum, offered access to the Alma branch of the public library, and showed the best spot to take a dip in the creek when it gets too hot. We were invited to dinner at the home of the Wigglesworths where we learned about the extraordinary practice of sheep grazing, took a tour of the prairie to study the native grasses, and heard Elizabeth’s life story, from working on her first loom as a child to her success making rugs in New York to her experience collaborating with communities to establish weaving programs across the globe. We were then treated to a fantastic meal of locally sourced produce and K State ice cream. (I think I speak for all the artists when I say that ice cream can’t be matched.) We had an opportunity to speak with the poet Mary Pinard who told us about how to be open to the possibilities of Volland and shared with us her artistic process composing a play last year, commissioned by the Volland Foundation and performed in The Ruin by local citizens, some of whom had never acted before. Through all of these experiences, I found myself in awe of this place, not just as I collected a long catalog of local wildlife (collared lizards, small-mouthed salamanders, eastern wild turkeys, and—of course—eight different species of butterfly) but also as I came to a new understanding of the relationship between storytelling, community, and the prairie.

Jerry Wigglesworth summarized this idea most eloquently. He told us that he and Elizabeth are trying to listen to the land, understand what it is communicating to them and then find ways to respond. This might be the most valuable lesson I learned in my short time at Volland—that ecosystems are dialogic and cooperative. They are not places you visit but spacio-temporal engagements in which you participate.

Patty herself seems to have endeavored in a similar project when she came upon the remnants of the Volland Store and revitalized it, turning it from an interesting local landmark to a thriving art space and cultural center for the community of the Flint Hills. Derrick, Alex, Andy, and I have seen this revitalization firsthand. In just two weeks, as I was sitting on the porch of the Little House reworking the themes and motifs of this novel, reorganizing the structure and plot, rethinking which characters would surface as central and which would stay on the sidelines, the Volland Store hosted a food fest, an author’s reading, a model T show, and a gallery event for the current exhibit on display. Somehow, we discovered, this place is both quiet and private enough to get enormous degrees of quality work done, while also serving as a lively site of public-facing creative conversation.

I could say more: about Derrick’s encyclopedic knowledge of Kansas history; about Alex’s interest in messaging systems and forms of communication that transcend a single language or nationality; about discussions with Andy ranging from the potency of humor in political activism to train travel in the US versus the UK to whether or not your mid-30s is too early for a midlife crisis (we decided it is not). I could say more about Derrick’s fiddle and banjo playing, Alex’s experiments with quilting, and Andy’s dirt-powered batteries. I could say more about how we laughed during shared dinners and watched lightening bugs on the porch of the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead and waved as we passed one another conducting our work—creating our art—all over the Volland grounds.

I could say more but I won’t because while there is plenty to say about my time at Volland, so much of the experience is about what you feel. It is a place to be experienced viscerally, in a fully embodied way, so that you hear mourning doves cooing in the afternoon and crickets chirping at dusk, feel the train shaking the earth as it passes just yards from The Ruins, see the way the light falls on the prairie grass in the morning differently than at night so that it seems to change color. I am leaving with a finished novel, but I am also—perhaps more so—leaving with a renewed appreciation for place and people and art and exchange, for the richness and vastness of human and nonhuman creativity.

And while we tried—while we researched and consulted others—we were never able to fully solve the mystery of the butterflies. We threw around some theories about brood hatchings and migration, even that perhaps it was the tar on the roads attracting them. But in the end it still remains something of an enigma, as some aspects of the natural world are. And maybe—as Johannes Kepler would argue—should remain.

Entangled in enigma is also precisely how I am leaving this residency. I came thinking I knew precisely what I needed to get done here and I came with an agenda to complete it. But I am leaving in a state much less sure of myself and what I think I know. I am leaving having learned some and unlearned some, as I watched a thunderstorm from miles and miles away on the horizon grow closer until it was upon me, as I listened to the shifting tones and registers of the coyotes howling at night, as I read about Kepler struggling to come to terms with the fact that the sun was the center of the universe, not the earth. I am leaving gloriously bewildered and deeply mystified and fully in awe of the raw magic of connection and proximity—to others, to art, and to the world.

***

A Look at 2023 and 2024 at Volland

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 15:47:00 GMT

Your support in 2023 made possible compelling art exhibitions, appearances by internationally acclaimed performers, intimate poetry readings, and a New York Times best-selling author presentation. Your warm and enthusiastic acceptance of the programming at Volland validates the need for access to the arts for rural citizens, while the delight of urban dwellers experiencing the arts in the surrounds of Nature speaks to the unique value of Place. Enjoy the memories below and see what you made happen (click on the links), then scroll down to what’s coming in 2024!

______________________________________________

SPRING 2023 ART

Spring 2023 art exhibitions: in plain sight (three emerging photographers from Kansas: Doug Barrett, Laura Cobb, Dylan Connell); Women’s Work II: Liza McKinnon and Shin-hee Chin ; Country|Citizens by Philip Heying

Guggenheim Fellow Philip Heying exhibited Country|Citizens at Volland, which then moved on to the Kansas City Public Library. We were honored to exhibit his extraordinary work.

SUMMER 2023 EVENTS, RESIDENCIES

Fish Wizards 2023 ; Mary Pinard , winner of the Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Contest, reading from her book Ghost Heart ; Conversation with Candice Millard , New York Times Best-Selling Author, and Jennifer Kassebaum of Flint Hills Books ; Charro Jerry Diaz & Family Equestrian Show & Ensemble Iberica Flamenco Concert with Latin Grammy Award Winner, Mireya Ramos ; nine Volland Residencies (Spring and Summer)

Candice Millard discussed her latest book, River of the Gods , and teased us with her next project. Millard engaged a large audience of admirers in a most delightful conversation.

Charro Jerry Diaz and Family performed to the amazement of a large crowd on July 8. The Diaz Family has performed across the country, and this is their second appearance at Volland.

watch the video of the July 8 featuring conversations with Philip Heying, Charro Jerry Diaz, and a patron of Volland

Mireya Ramos, Latin Grammy Award Winner, wowed the crowd!

FALL 2023 – MORE ART, MUSIC, ARTISTS, KIDS

SALT WORKS by Alison Cekala and a music concert by Kelley Hunt ; two Volland Residents from China and a land artist from Louisiana: a collaboration with the Dance Department of the UMKC Conservatory , and KONZA BALES , a land art installation; BOMBINO brought his World Tour to Volland; TWO PLACES by Norman Akers and Isaiah Stewart and Music by Ryan Klassen .

Bombino made his final appearance in the US at Volland before continuing on his World Tour. An acoustic concert for the Ruin. The weather was cold, but the audience provided warmth.

2023 finished on a high note with 44 elementary students visiting the Volland gallery to see TWO PLA CES, the exhibit by Norman Akers and Isaiah Stewart. It was the best of times!

Your support helped to make all this possible.
Thank you!

Read on for what is planned for 2024 – so far!

(please consult the website closer to time for any changes in dates or programming details)

FEBRUARY – MARCH

Sarah Hearn: Microbial Multiverse 2/3-3/31 Opening Reception with the artist 2/3

John Depew, 2022 Kansas State Mandolin Champion , in concert 2/10

The Adventures of Bottle Calf , Ann Vigola Anderson’s latest book, reading and signing

with an art activity by Illustrator Sara Long 3/2

Eclipse Presentation by Jerelyn Ramirez, with Stargazing and optional Campout 3/16

APRIL – MAY

Art exhibition by Sean Nash , 2023 Charlotte Street Fellow, 4/6-5/26 Opening Reception with the artist 4/6

Eric T. Reynolds book signing, The Lost Town of Garrison, a time travel historical novel about the town flooded by Tuttle Creek Reservoir 4/13

Mark Feiden “Emil Redmon’s Cow” latest film & Community Potluck, a collaboration with the Wabaunsee County Historical Society 4/14

Volland Spring Residency begins 5/7 (ends June/6)

JUNE – JULY

Fifth Annual FishWizards Tour ! a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway & the Volland Foundation 6/1 & 6/2

The Nature Conservancy presents Winning Photos of the Kansas Photo Contest 6/1-6/30 Reception 6/15

Volland Spring Residency ends 6/6 Volland Summer Residency begins 7/9 (ends August 6)

Writing Wabaunsee County Performances 6/29 & 6/30 -Original play written and performed by residents of Wabaunsee County, produced and directed by Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard, professors at Babson College

Hong Chun Zhang Exhibit 7/13-9/22 Opening Reception with the artist 7/13 (hint: It’s the Year of the Dragon)

“Signal Ridge” (Bluegrass/Folk) at the Ruin 7/27

AUGUST – SEPTEMBER

Hong Chun Zhang Exhibit 7/13-9/22

Volland Summer Residency ends 8/6

“ Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices ” (real honky tonk and Western classics) at the Ruin 8/24

Volland Fall Residency begins 9/17 (ends 10/15)

September concert TBA

OCTOBER – DECEMBER

Surprise Exhibit curated by Erika Nelson 10/5-12/1

Exhibit programming to be announced

Volland Fall Residency ends 10/15

Winter Music Concert – 12/1

If you would like to be part of what’s happening at Volland – and one of our ever-growing community of people who enjoy art, music, and lively entertainment that lift your spirits and nourish your soul, please consider a 2024 gift to keep things happening in the best way at Volland! Your support will recognize the importance of the arts and artists – and will have a lasting impact on the many lives who experience the arts, humanities, and science at Volland.

If you made an Annual Appeal Gift for 2023, Thank You!
*You will find your name below
(12.30.23)

To donate by check:
Please make checks payable to Volland Foundation.

Please indicate Year-end Gift on the memo line of your check.

mail to:
The Volland Foundation
PO Box 144

Alma, KS 66401

To donate online:
click here

Donations to The Volland Foundation are tax-deductible. Consult your tax advisor to determine the best way to report your contribution.

________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your 2023 Year-End Gift and your 2024 Donation!

($1000+) * Arla & Tony Barelli * Harriet and Patrick Brazil * Kathy & David Dowell/Eldorado * Brigid and Jamie Hall * Tom & Dee Jones * Patty & Jerry Reece * Robert D. Regnier Fund * Betsey & Rick Solberg ($500-$999) * Peter and Lynne Brown * Denise Bussio * Nicholas Clark (in memory of Gary Clark) * Pam & Gary Gradinger * Shirley & Barnett Helzberg, Jr. * Bill & Peggy Lyons * Kevin and Kristi Martinez * Jim & Barbara Meinhardt & KanEquip, Inc. * George Terbovich * Frank & Helen Wewers ($250- $499) * Carole & Tony Chelz * Susanne Siepl-Coates & Gary Coates * Sarah Frederick * Ellen Goheen * Don & Rosa Hendricks * Steve & Beverly Johnston * Ed & Linda McConwell * Mary Pollack * Ryan & Heather Powell * Gregory Kennedy & Marguerite Quirey ($100 – $249) * Lonnie Buerge * Joann & Michael Chaffee * Lorn Clement * Eileen Cohen * Anne & Tim de Noble * Kevin & Pat Doyle * Patty & Harvey Grossman * Jerry Haahr * Gwendolyn Hendricks * Morgan & Tyler Holloman * Donna Katz * Martha Long * Joyce Mathies * Bobby Meseke * Jill Marietta Mignacca * Carl & Connie Miller * Martin & Susan Rose * Richard Ross * Jay Schlegel * Barbara & Lawrence Schulte * Gary & Peggy Schultz * Eric & Mary Stahl * Julie & George Strecker * Daniel Swenson * Kelly Taylor & Joe Tomelleri * Lawrence & Janiece Vohland * Judith Waugh * Greg & Dina Wingfield ($50-$99) * Jack and Kay Ann Feiden * Virginia Fisher * Jim Hoy * Judith Major & James Jones * Lawyers Title of Kansas * Tony Meseke * Town & Rosa Peterson * Mary Shaffer * Alicia Stott * Helen Umbehr ($5-$49) *Ray Ebberts

We appreciate your kind support!

Join Volland supporters today!

Embracing the Enigma: An Account of the Volland Residency Experience

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 05:17:00 GMT

by Lindsey Drager

Resident
June 13 – 27, 2023

Upon my arrival to what would be a short residency at The Volland Foundation, as I was taking the curves of Old K-10 Road from downtown Alma to Volland while still getting used to my rental car and worried about arriving late, I noticed that the road—recently paved in some places—was erupting with pockets of butterflies. At first I thought it must be some other insect—mayflies, maybe, or dragonflies—because the butterflies almost seemed to swarm. Clouds of them lifted from the road as I made the curves through the rolling prairie. My concern about the car and being on time dissipated as I puzzled at the sight. I hadn’t yet arrived and the place already seemed phantasmic and surreal.

I did not know it then but watching those butterflies hover and dance on the road was the initiation ceremony of what would become a truly astonishing two-week experience as an artist-in-residence at Volland. I had come here with the hope of wrapping up my current book project, a novel that uses astronomer Johannes Kepler’s 1609 short fable The Dream to expose the porous borders between technology and artmaking, empirical evidence and “felt” truths, the narratives we author and the belief systems we adopt. By averaging eight hours of writing a day, in between chats with fellow artists, a daily morning run to the end of Volland Road, and taking in the extraordinary wildlife and natural beauty of the Flint Hills, I was able to finish that novel sitting on the front porch of the Little House a mere twelve hours before my residency ended. But I am leaving Volland with much more than just a completed manuscript. I am leaving with a new way of seeing, an altered perspective about everything, really—from sustainable land use practices to the transcendent power of watching the sunset each evening alone. My residency at the Volland Store has been truly transformative, not just in the development of this project but also in cultivating a worldview that is open, accepting, and curious about the present, the future, and the past.

Patty herself seems to have endeavored in a similar project when she came upon the remnants of the Volland and revitalized it, turning it from an interesting local landmark to a thriving art space and cultural center for the community of the Flint Hills. Derrick, Alex, Andy, and I have seen this revitalization firsthand. In just two weeks, as I was sitting on the porch of the Little House reworking the themes and motifs of this novel, reorganizing the structure and plot, rethinking which characters would surface as central and which would stay on the sidelines, the Volland Store hosted a food fest, an author’s reading, a model T show, and a gallery event for the current exhibit on display. Somehow, we discovered, this place is both quiet and private enough to get enormous degrees of quality work done, while also serving as a lively site of public-facing creative conversation.

Michael Shi: Ballerinas in the Flint Hills

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 17:41:00 GMT

Sunday, October 29 | 2pm

Free admission | Refreshments

ADDED BONUS – SCROLL DOWN –

Join us on Sunday afternoon, October 29th for a casual open house between 1 and 4pm.

This is an opportunity to take a look at a portfolio of prints and video of Michael Shi’s various projects during his residency at Volland.

Michael Shi’s striking photographs, often made during fleeting moments of action from his subjects, are the result of a collaboration with the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory’s Dance Division. Spanning three projects, Shi and the performers utilized Kansas City’s urban landscape, the Spencer Theatre on UMKC’s campus, and the Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County, displaying various photographic and dancing techniques with each endeavor.

Although Michael has returned to Shanghai, he has generously offered to share his work for this one-weekend showing.

On October 29th come to Volland to get a glimpse of Michael’s work and process through videos and prints.

________________________________

ADDED BONUS

80 snapshots on display of the life of an artist in residence at Volland in 2023

Free admission | Refreshments

_________________________________

The Volland Foundation

is grateful to

Courtney Crappell, Dean of the UMKC Conservatory
who championed the collaboration from the beginning

to the team who made it happen:

DeeAnna Hiett, Professor and Chair of the Dance Division

Tempe Ostergren, Assistant Professor of Dance

Olivia Kalamboukas, UMKC Student

to the lovely dancers:

Molly Sloan – Denver, CO

Clara Houske – Stockholm, Sweden

AJ Fink – Freeman, SD

Mariah Schulz – Wentzville, MO

Madalyn Hesterlee – Lenexa, KS

and to

Michael Shi
whose vision and talent brought these projects to life for the enjoyment of all

Konza Bales

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:54:00 GMT

2023 Fall Resident Kevin Benham connects viewers to a larger context through a common Wabaunsee County object

Konza Bales celebrates the relationship of the Tallgrass Prairie to the Celestial Sky it lies under. The piece is composed of four one-ton bales of native prairie grasses that are placed to align with the Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. Cardinal North and South are also marked with bales. The location and center of the site was selected using two copper rods for divination. After the placement of the bales, the rods reacted more strongly to the four marked coordinates. The bales are located on a high ridge visible from Old K-10. – Kevin Benham

The source-material for Benham’s “riff” is Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels . Benham, a professor of landscape architecture at Louisiana State University, deliberately used a different material in his piece. Instead of employing concrete cylinders, Benham selected bales of prairie hay. The intent is for the work to slowly disintegrate over time, returning to the landscape. These temporary monoliths, placed in a simple arrangement, serve to reorient the viewer to the larger contexts that many forget.

K E V I N B E N H A M

Testing the boundaries of landscape architecture and materials are central to Kevin’s practice. The Louisiana State University professor installs works that put spacial qualities and temporal movement into relief. While at Volland, Kevin immersed himself in the region’s ecology, hydrology, geology and more. Visit Kevin’s website here

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Upon discovering Konza Bales unexepectedly during a hike – by Kathie Hummel, poet

For six years now, I have been coming to Alma Kansas a week or two after the Thanksgiving Holiday. As folks in Kansas City are hustling about with Black Friday sales, I am packing up my Carharts, insulated boots and binoculars. Grateful to be outfitted by those who know the prairie and the harsh conditions this time of year, my suitcase becomes a toolbox filled to the brim with all the necessary items one could need for a magical winter expedition.

By the time we head west on I-70, I panic briefly, wondering what I may have forgotten. Orange hunting vest? Check. Snippers for winter prairie bouquets? Check. Breathable wool socks for long hikes? Check. Mile by mile the anxiety melts away, and the rhythm of needs bends to something greater. It is as if, I let go, knowing there are certain things you can’t pack……awareness, observation, wonder.

Once we pass the toll both near Topeka, excitement builds, my mind wanders to Missouri Ave in downtown Alma. Will the town have all the Christmas decorations up? I love the stillness offered by a main street that allows one to stand smack dab in the middle of it’s hospitality and twinkling glow to capture a photo, worthy of a Christmas Card.

As we turn onto K-10, and cell service starts to fade, there is an intoxicating shift that washes over me, knowing my senses are about to be rebooted. This city girl has done , gone , country! Unpacked, settled in, and geared up, we head out for our first hike. The crisp dry air hits my lungs and I am instantly recharged. This is what I call the Flint Hills elixir.

There has never been a hike where I returned without gaining some morsel of intriguing knowledge from my loving partner and guide. He is completely in tune with nature, wildlife and all things outdoorsy. And while this hike did include descriptions of how archery bows are made from the mighty Osage Orange tree, it was I that tuned in to the earths vibration and something innately true to my bones . A kind of genetic energy electrified me and I was captivated by……..hay bales?

Approaching these majestic golden sculptures, I noticed they were flanked on either side by a pair of yearling does. I mean, you want to talk about a Christmas Card moment, there it was. But more than that, it was an offering, that I could not keep from being swept into.

Were we intruding on some kind of cryptic transcendental assembly? I could almost hear the deer, the grass, the land, a call from Celtic sisters thousands of miles away drawing me closer not only to the hay bales but to an invitation of…..play? They were playing. And once they scampered off, I played too! I danced around the carefully positioned configuration with a Gaelic tune familiar to my body but never before heard by my ears. My partner was a bit confused as I explained that these were no ordinary hay bales left by a farmer, I was certain of that. The shape, the soul, the purpose was palpable and for a moment I straddled two beloved lands. Grounded by an ethereal connection that allowed me to float back and forth with lightness and joy.

I am not sure why, on that day in the Flint Hills of Kansas, I travelled to Scotland. But that is the mystery and enchantment of this place, you never know what will grab hold and tug at your heart. Who knows where these hay bales will take you, but I certainly would not miss the opportunity to find out.

Happy Winter Solstice.

Kathie Hummel visits this site frequently – and appreciates the Flint Hills as only a poet can.

Konza Bales celebrates the relationship of the Tallgrass Prairie to the Celestial Sky it lies under. The piece is composed of four one-ton bales of native prairie grasses that are placed to align with the Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. Cardinal North and South are also marked with bales. The location and center of the site was selected using two copper rods for divination. After the placement of the bales, the rods reacted more strongly to the four marked coordinates. The bales are located on a high ridge visible from Old K-10. – Kevin Benham

The source-material for Benham’s “riff” is Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels . Benham, a professor of landscape architecture at Louisiana State University, deliberately used a different material in his piece. Instead of employing concrete cylinders, Benham selected bales of prairie hay. The intent is for the work to slowly disintegrate over time, returning to the landscape. These temporary monoliths, placed in a simple arrangement, serve to reorient the viewer to the larger contexts that many forget.

K E V I N B E N H A M

Testing the boundaries of landscape architecture and materials are central to Kevin’s practice. The Louisiana State University professor installs works that put spacial qualities and temporal movement into relief. While at Volland, Kevin immersed himself in the region’s ecology, hydrology, geology and more. Visit Kevin’s website here

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Upon discovering Konza Bales unexepectedly during a hike – by Kathie Hummel, poet

For six years now, I have been coming to Alma Kansas a week or two after the Thanksgiving Holiday. As folks in Kansas City are hustling about with Black Friday sales, I am packing up my Carharts, insulated boots and binoculars. Grateful to be outfitted by those who know the prairie and the harsh conditions this time of year, my suitcase becomes a toolbox filled to the brim with all the necessary items one could need for a magical winter expedition.

By the time we head west on I-70, I panic briefly, wondering what I may have forgotten. Orange hunting vest? Check. Snippers for winter prairie bouquets? Check. Breathable wool socks for long hikes? Check. Mile by mile the anxiety melts away, and the rhythm of needs bends to something greater. It is as if, I let go, knowing there are certain things you can’t pack……awareness, observation, wonder.

Once we pass the toll both near Topeka, excitement builds, my mind wanders to Missouri Ave in downtown Alma. Will the town have all the Christmas decorations up? I love the stillness offered by a main street that allows one to stand smack dab in the middle of it’s hospitality and twinkling glow to capture a photo, worthy of a Christmas Card.

As we turn onto K-10, and cell service starts to fade, there is an intoxicating shift that washes over me, knowing my senses are about to be rebooted. This city girl has done , gone , country! Unpacked, settled in, and geared up, we head out for our first hike. The crisp dry air hits my lungs and I am instantly recharged. This is what I call the Flint Hills elixir.

There has never been a hike where I returned without gaining some morsel of intriguing knowledge from my loving partner and guide. He is completely in tune with nature, wildlife and all things outdoorsy. And while this hike did include descriptions of how archery bows are made from the mighty Osage Orange tree, it was I that tuned in to the earths vibration and something innately true to my bones . A kind of genetic energy electrified me and I was captivated by……..hay bales?

Approaching these majestic golden sculptures, I noticed they were flanked on either side by a pair of yearling does. I mean, you want to talk about a Christmas Card moment, there it was. But more than that, it was an offering, that I could not keep from being swept into.

Were we intruding on some kind of cryptic transcendental assembly? I could almost hear the deer, the grass, the land, a call from Celtic sisters thousands of miles away drawing me closer not only to the hay bales but to an invitation of…..play? They were playing. And once they scampered off, I played too! I danced around the carefully positioned configuration with a Gaelic tune familiar to my body but never before heard by my ears. My partner was a bit confused as I explained that these were no ordinary hay bales left by a farmer, I was certain of that. The shape, the soul, the purpose was palpable and for a moment I straddled two beloved lands. Grounded by an ethereal connection that allowed me to float back and forth with lightness and joy.

I am not sure why, on that day in the Flint Hills of Kansas, I travelled to Scotland. But that is the mystery and enchantment of this place, you never know what will grab hold and tug at your heart. Who knows where these hay bales will take you, but I certainly would not miss the opportunity to find out.

Happy Winter Solstice.

Kathie Hummel visits this site frequently – and appreciates the Flint Hills as only a poet can.

Watch

DECEMBER 21, 2023
Winter Solstice

A few faithful friends arose at dawn and met at the hay bales.

We planned this Solstice Party with the tongue-in-cheek notion that we would check the accuracy of the artist’s work, certain that we would see the sun rise in the exact center of the east hay bale.

It was cloudy. No sun. We lined up for a photo looking toward the middle of the east hay bale. Then, the clouds parted slightly, revealing that the sun was at about 2:30 o’clock away from where it was supposed to be.

A landscape architect friend brought a compass to the party. He confirmed the North and South Cardinals were correct. Someone noted they had made a photo at sunset the evening before, showing the sun sinking very close to the edge of the western bale. Did the artist mix up Winter and Spring? How could the coordinates of the sunrise be off that much? Or was it a reflection of the sun that was truly in the right spot, hiding behind the clouds? Did the artist do this to trick us? (A phone call later confirmed that this was not the case.)

We conjectured, wondered, speculated, and discussed as we hung around, then descended the hill to find coffee, and to puzzle about it some more. The conversation was lively. It was a good mystery to try to sort out. Good art inspires thinking and reaction.

We will reconvene at the Summer Solstice to see if the sun rises where it was supposed to on December 21, unless the deer eat the bales in the meantime. We observed that the deer seem to prefer the east and west hay bales.

A friend, hearing all this from afar, said: I loved the new magic and storytelling generated by the Winter Solstice and the Hay Bales! The Flint Hills landscape in Winter is fabelhaft , full of fables…”

Drive south from Alma on Old K-10. Just after the turnoff to West Spring Creek Road, before you reach the bridge, look up to the top of the hill in the direction of 1 o’clock, and you will see three of the four hay bales.

Leaving and Waving: Deanna Dikeman

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 20:56:00 GMT

February 5 – April 3 | 2022

– Announcement of new event –

Deanna Dikeman’s book Leaving and Waving may be purchased from the Volland Online Store

Online conversation with the artist Deanna Dikeman and Mary Frances Ivey | Thursday | March 31 | 7pm

Link to recording on YouTube

The Volland Store presents a conversation with Deanna Dikeman, led by Mary Fraces Ivey, a PhD candidate in art history at the University of Kansas. Ms. Ivey’s current research focus is old age, aging, and ageism in art history, and she has been following Deanna’s work since 2019, when she began research for her dissertation, “Picturing Age in the Work of Five Contemporary American Women Artists.” Following remarks by Deanna and Mary Frances, there will be an opportunity to interact and ask questions.

For further details about programming during Leaving and Waving , please scroll to the bottom.

Art in the Time of Covid

See art | Make new friends | Free Admission

for the comfort of all –
Bring your sense of humor and your mask

If the gallery seems to crowded...

-Wear your mask
– Enjoy the Art Walk along Volland Road
-Take a hike on the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail
– Meditate at the Ruin
and imagine what you would like to see there-
we are taking suggestions!
– Schedule a private tour with a group of friends.
Call 785-499-3616 and leave a message. We’ll return your call.

-Extended gallery hours through April 1
Fridays 10am – 4pm

We hope to see you soon and often!

LEAVING AND WAVING

A gesture, repeated 90 times shares a “story about family, aging, and the sorrow of saying goodbye.”

For 27 years Deanna Dikeman photographed her parents waving goodbye during visits to their suburban Sioux City, Iowa home. Across the nearly three-decade arc we witness the seasons’ turn, additions to the family, as well as losses. A through-line in the moments, played out 90 times, is the humanity felt from a simple gesture. All 90 departures are shown inside the gallery, while six are reproduced at a large scale and shown around Volland.

Much has been written and said about Deanna Dikeman’s Leaving and Waving. Articles in The New Yorker and Brooklyn Rail (to name just two) and podcast interviews, Analog Talk and Boldly Stated (two of several), give insight on Dikeman’s path to photography and the series. Dikeman has received much acclaim for the series, showing at Cortona on the Move festival in Cortona, Italy and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, François Mitterrand Library, Paris in 2021. In 2022, the series will be on exhibit in Campobasso, Italy (through March 5), in AIUla, Saudi Arabia (through March 31), and in Volland, Kansas (through April 3). The photographer, based in Kansas City and represented by Haw Contemporary, won the Association Gens d’Images’ Prix Nadar, and was shortlisted for Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation’s First PhotoBook Award.

You may purchase a copy of Leaving and Waving from the Volland Online Store

______________________________

ARTIST STATEMENT

For twenty-seven years, I took photographs as I waved goodbye and drove away from visiting my parents at their home in Sioux City, Iowa. I started in 1991 with a quick snapshot, and I continued taking photographs with each departure. I never set out to make this series. I just took these photographs as a way to deal with the sadness of leaving. It gradually turned into our goodbye ritual. And it seemed natural to keep the camera busy, because I had been taking pictures every day while I was there. These photographs are part of a larger body of work I call “Relative Moments,” which has chronicled the lives of my parents and other relatives since 1986. When I discovered the series of accumulated “Leaving and Waving” photographs, I found a story about family, aging, and the sorrow of saying goodbye.

In 2009, there is a photograph where my father is no longer there. He passed away a few days after his ninety-first birthday. My mother continued to wave goodbye to me. Her face became more forlorn with my departures. In 2017, my mother had to move to assisted living. For a few months, I photographed the goodbyes from her apartment door. In October of 2017 she passed away. When I left after her funeral, I took one more photograph, of the empty driveway. For the first time in my life, no one was waving back at me.

– Deanna Dikeman

ARTIST BIO

Deanna Dikeman was born in Sioux City, Iowa, USA, and currently resides in Kansas City. She has photographed her midwestern family and surroundings since 1985, when she left a corporate job to try a photography class. She earned M.S. and B.S. degrees from Purdue University. She received an Aaron Siskind Foundation Fellowship in 1996, and the United States Artists Booth Fellowship in 2008. Since 1988, Deanna has had seventeen solo shows and has been included in over 150 group and two-person shows. Her photographs have been public art projects in Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis Missouri; and Albany, New York. “A Photographer’s Parents Wave Farewell” was one of the top 25 stories of 2020 in The New Yorker . Her work has also been published in Buzzfeed News JPG , Country Living , D la Repubblica , DUMMY , GUP , Harpers Magazine , M Le magazine du Monde, TAZ Berlin , Der Tagesspiegel Sonntag , The New York Times T Magazine , Réponses Photo , Slate Behold , theo , De Volkskrant Observatorium , and VOSTOK , among others. Her book Leaving and Waving was published by Chose Commune in March 2021, after being short-listed for the MACK 2020 First Book Award. The book received the 2021 Prix Nadar awarded by the Association Gens d’Images in France. The book also was a finalist for the 2021 Paris Photo/Aperture Foundation First PhotoBook Award. Photos from “Leaving and Waving” were shown at the Cortona on the Move festival in Cortona, Italy, and at Festival du Regard in Cergy, France, in 2021.

___________________________

____________________________________

Join us for programming throughout Leaving and Waving

March 6 | 2 pm | Artist Talk and Book-signing
A conversation with Leaving and Waving photographer Deanna Dikeman, who will speak on how her snapshots turned into the series. This will be an opportunity to hear about her creative process, engage with her work, and meet Deanna. Inside, the gallery will show all 90 photographs in the series. Outside, six of Dikeman’s works will greet you as you enter and drive through Volland. Be sure to wave back.

March 27 | 2 pm | Book-signing by Ann Vigola Anderson, author of Posts of a Mid-Century Kid
The engaging author, whose new book about her childhood during (what seems now to be) a golden age, will be present to visit with you and sign her book. If you have been one of hundreds who have enjoyed her posts on Friends of the Flint Hills Facebook page, this is your chance to meet her in person. Posts of a Mid-Century Kid will be available for purchase, with proceeds to the artist. On March 28, the book will be available at the Volland Store Online , with proceeds to The Volland Foundation.

March 31 | 7 pm | Online Event
Conversation with Deanna Dikeman and Mary Frances Ivey, a PhD candidate, whose research focus is old age, aging, and ageism in art history. Ms. Ivey has been following Deanna’s work since 2019, when she began research for her dissertation, “Picturing Age in the Work of Five Contemporary American Women Artists.” There will be an opportunity to interact and ask questions following the remarks by Deanna and Mary Frances. Free admission. Link to recording on YouTube

For your protection, the safety of others, and the comfort of all guests, volunteers, and staff, masks are required inside the gallery. Free admission.

Story-Collecting and Auditions for “Theatre at the Ruin”

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 19:31:00 GMT

The Ruin at Volland has been a source of curiosity for all who visit.

“What is that?” they say, when looking out the big front windows of the Store. “It is the remains of a house,” we answer, “It was built by Otto Kratzer as the home for his family.” 1927 is carved into a concrete step which leads down into the former basement.

In the Summer of 2022 the Ruin will be reimagined as a place for theater.

more information on Theatre at the Ruin

Announcing….

Auditions and Story Collection for Theatre at the Ruin

Theatre at the Ruin is a community-based, story-collecting, theater project. This original play is a creation of Beth Wynstra, Director, a professor of American Drama and Acting at Babson College, in collaboration with poet Mary Pinard who will write the script. Ms. Pinard is a published poet and professor of English at Babson College. A true community collaboration, it will be directly created from interviews and real-life experiences of the people of Wabaunsee County, Kansas.

We are collecting memories and stories from Wabaunsee County residents through December 15, 2021. If you would like to be a part of this project and have a memory or story you would like to share please click here for details.

We are seeking actors of all ages and levels of theater experience (no experience necessary) to perform the stories that will comprise the live production of Theatre at the Ruin . We strongly encourage performers of all abilities, gender identities, and ethnic and racial backgrounds to audition.

Auditions will be conducted in person in 2022 , at Volland, or by Zoom. For selected actors rehearsals will happen via Zoom in April and May. In early June, actors will rehearse in person. Theatre at the Ruin will culminate with a live production in 2022. Please contact Beth Wynstra for audition details and to sign up for a time.

Theatre at the Ruin will be staged in the ruins of a home that burned in 1929, on the grounds of The Volland Store. This setting will be an extraordinary backdrop for the performance, as well as a striking demonstration of how historic places might be reimagined as dynamic new spaces for artistic exploration and community building. The impetus to bring this new theatrical work to the Wabaunsee County community was sparked by the Smithsonian exhibition “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” which was held at The Volland Store in the Spring of 2021.

The Volland Foundation provides residencies and community programming in a historic village setting in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The Volland Foundation’s activities bring together artists, residents, and visitors with members of the local community in a village environment, enhancing the region’s economic vitality and nurturing community connections and open dialogue. The Foundation’s programs aim to celebrate and share local lifeways and the complex history of the Flint Hills region and its peoples.

KSU Saxophone Chamber Music Concert

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 18:59:00 GMT

Sunday, May 1

2 - 4pm, with an intermission

Purchase tickets at EventBrite
here

$15 per person

Dr. Anna Marie Wytko, Professor of Saxophone at KSU, brings her quartets to Volland.

Join us for a delightful and colorful chamber music concert featuring renaissance, baroque, classical, contemporary, and jazz music of all kinds. Featuring the Kansas State University and the Golden Apple Saxophone quartets under the direction of Dr. Anna Marie Wytko, Professor of Saxophone from within the KSU School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, this is a concert you do not want to miss!

Get ready to enjoy the music of J.S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Claude Debussy, George Gershwin, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, tango music by the great Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla, and so much more!

The Kansas State University Saxophone Chamber Music Program is comprised of the finest undergraduate and graduate saxophone students from around the country and abroad. This concert will feature the world premiere performance of saxophonist and composer James Probst’s composition Under the Twinkling Sky . Probst is the recipient of the prestigious Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award and Winner of the National Association for Music Education Composer’s Competition.

Dr. Wytko has performed as soloist with the Banda Sinfónica de Montevideo of Uruguay, the Banda de Conciertos de San José of Costa Rica, the Polish Air Force Band in Poland, as soloist at Carnegie Hall for the New York International Music Festival, at the Royal College of Music in London, and as soloist with orchestras throughout England and Scotland, among others. She will emcee the event, sharing her knowledge of the saxophone, music in the program, and much more.

left to right: Golden Apple Saxophone Quartet, Kansas State University Saxophone Quartet; Photos, courtesy of Dr. Wytko

RYAN KLASSEN at the Ruin

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 17:38:00 GMT

Lawn Chair Concert

Saturday night, August 27, 2022

7-9 pm

Doors at 6 pm

$10 Single | $20 a carload

Bring your lawn chair and a picnic | Adult beverages by donation

It’s a bring your own “Lawn Chair Concert” at the Ruin. Bring as many as you can fit in your car on August 27th from 6-8pm for music from Zeandale singer/songwriter Ryan Klassen. Ryan will play original cowboy tunes along with familiar songs ranging from Hank Williams to Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson.

This young performer has a great sound that will soon be discovered. Be among the first (at Volland, that is) to hear this new talent! Make sure to check Ryan’s Instagram for future happenings: @rklassenmusic.

The summer evening will be pleasant at Volland. Bring your lawn chair and a picnic dinner if you like. Come early to claim your spot. Seating will be on the floor of the Ruin, as well as surrounding it. Every seat will be a good one, and there’s nothing like sitting outside on a summer night listening to good music in the company of other enthusiastic music lovers.

$20 per car. Adult beverages (by donation) will be available.
Guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks or dinner, but please no alcohol. Doors open at 6 pm. Music at 7.

(Rain plan: inside The Volland Store Gallery )

Volland to host monthly music performances for the remainder of 2022…

Soon we will announce upcoming concerts for the remainder of 2022 – a jazz trio, the fabulous Ensemble Iberica, a recorded concert for Thanksgiving weekend, and a bell choir for the Christmas season (probably inside the Store!)

Stay tuned for the details.

As we continue to develop Music at the Ruin (MATR) for the future, we welcome your suggestions. We want to know who YOU want to hear. If you are interested in performing or know someone who is, email us or call and leave a message at 785-499-3616
We would love to talk to you.

I N (and Out of) P L A C E

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 16:34:00 GMT

Clive Fullagar, Curator

April 9 – June 26, 2022

Join us for an opening reception and two artist panels during In (and Out of) Place .

Opening Reception – April 9, 2022 | 2pm

Clive Fullagar will give remarks on his curation process and introduce the artists featured in the exhibition.
Artists are invited to be in the gallery for conversation.
Free admission. Light refreshments served.

Artist Panel | May 7 | 2 pm

Doug Barrett Marsha Jensen Jennifer Schermerhorn Kelly Yarbrough
moderated by Clive Fullagar, Curator

Artist Panel | May 22 | 2 pm

Clive Fullagar Mary Gordon-McFall Philip Heying Luke Townsend Diana Werts
moderated by Patty Reece

Conversation will follow
Free admission | Light refreshments served

Clive Fullagar highlights ten Flint Hills artists and their personal experiences with the region.

To some, time spent in the Flint Hills feels natural. Its wide open spaces, sea of hills with prairie grasses, and uninterrupted sky is a source of solitude and inspiration. Many find the region jarring for those same reasons, and more. Clive Fullagar, an artist and former board member at the Manhattan Arts Center, Manhattan, Kansas, gets to the heart of this dichotomy in his exhibition, In (and Out of) Place .

In (and Out of) Place is a show a bout ‘sense of place’ and how the work of ten artists have been influenced by their personal experiences, social interactions, and identities from living in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. These artists, working in a variety of media including photography, painting, print making, and fiber art, focus on producing work that highlights what makes this region different and worth caring about. In essence, the works are reflections of each artist’s relationship with the local landscape, community, and environment. Their art engages in an exploration of the history, culture, ecosystems and aesthetics of the place where they live in order to deepen their understanding and increase that sense of place.” – Clive Fullagar

The exhibition’s featured artists – Doug Barrett, Katharina Bossmann, Clive Fullagar, Mary Gordon McFall, Philip Heying, Marsha Jensen, Jennifer Schermerhorn, Luke Townsend, Diana Werts, and Kelly Yarbrough – come from as far South as Matfield Green and as far North as Manhattan. Each brings their own experiences, histories, and perspectives to the regional exhibition.

DOUG BARRETT
An African American documentary photographer, videographer, and photojournalist internationally recognized, currently based in Manhattan Kansas. Doug completed his undergraduate degree from St Augustine’s University and completed graduate school from Southwestern College where he holds a M.S in Security Administration. Doug has work in the permanent collection at the Ulrich Museum, and the Mariana Kistler Beach Museum of Art, and will have a solo exhibition titled “Find your Voice” September 7, 2021- May 28, 2022 alongside the Gordon Parks exhibition titled “Homeward to the Prairie I Come.”

He is an FAA Part 107-certified drone pilot where he incorporates photos and video into most of his work. Doug is a regular contributor to @everydayblackamerica, @everydayprojects, and @everydayruralamerica on social media.

Doug’s editorial clients include Bloomberg News , TIME Magazine, National Geographic, Politico , New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal , CNN, and has been featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square NYC. Doug has also been featured on VICE, Foxnews, and BBC World News for his work. His professional organizations include NPPA, ASMP, NABJ, and he is on the board of advisors for the Friends of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and the Arts and Humanities Board for the City of Manhattan KS.

KATHARINA BOSSMAN
Katharina Janik Bossmann, born in Oak Park, Illinois, is an internationally known printmaker. She grew up in a bilingual household where art and music were emphasized. After a career as an opera singer, the study of printmaking is where she truly found her medium, combining her love of art and science. She received her MFA in printmaking from Kansas State University. Katharina loves to explore the idea of boundaries and the movement surrounding them. As a child of immigrants, the question of belonging or “where is home” has been a large part of her conscience or unconscious life. She immigrated to Europe and also migrated back with her immigrant family and has often felt as if she has no roots- belonging to two cultures but really of none. Katharina uses her prints, drawings and artist’s books to illuminate and question the boundaries we place on ourselves and the desire to connect with others.

CLIVE FULLAGAR
Clive Fullagar emigrated from South Africa to Manhattan, Kansas, in 1988. He was a professor of psychology at Kansas State University, where he researched and published articles and books on ‘flow,’ the immersive state of creative activity. In 2019, he retired to pursue his own “flow” in painting and the visual arts. He has no formal training in art. His work is represented in several collections and museums, including the Beach Museum, the Emprise Bank Art Collection, the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, and the Great Plains Art Museum (University of Nebraska). He is represented by the Strecker-Nelson-West Gallery in Manhattan.

Since becoming Chair of the Manhattan Arts Center Galleries in 2020, he has become a strong advocate for local and regional artists, showcasing their work through social media and local art galleries.

MARY GORDON MCFALL
Mary Gordon McFall is an artist based out of Manhattan, Kansas. Often working in series using various printmaking processes, Mary explores her natural environment, everyday interactions and overlooked happenings through a lens of play. She holds an MFA with an emphasis in Printmaking & Book Arts from Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, and BFAs in Printmaking and Painting from Kansas State University. Mary currently teaches printmaking classes for youth and adults at the Manhattan Arts Center.

PHILIP HEYING
Philip Heying is a photographer living in Matfield Green, Kansas (population: 50). He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, grew up in Kansas and Colorado, moved to Paris after college to live for ten years, then moved to Brooklyn for 11 years. He also lived in Pavia, Italy and San Francisco. His work has been published in major magazines and exhibited internationally. He has work in the permanent collections of the Nelson-Atkins Mususem of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, The Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, Kansas, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany.

MARSHA JENSEN
Marsha Jensen grew up in rural central Nebraska, so her roots are definitely in the prairie soil. She graduated from University of Nebraska Kearney with a degree in art education, then started a brief teaching career until life took her to other places. During that time she discovered weaving and other fiber arts and was hooked. In recent years, her fiber art endeavors have landed primarily with basketweaving. While earning her art degree, she concentrated on ceramics. She states, “I used to throw pots, now I weave them.” Her goal is to continue learning more weaving techniques and using those to push her creative expressions in fiber. She has shown her work in many regional exhibitions. Marsha has resided in the Manhattan, Kansas area for nearly 40 years, where she has had a long career as a graphic designer, and has found a niche in designing books about art. She began her career by teaching art and is now passing along the traditions of weaving and fiber arts by offering classes at her home and other regional locations.

JENNIFER SCHERMERHORN
A self-taught artist, I grew up in the North Eastern US and earned a degree in Veterinary Medicine. While staying home to raise my children, I began to explore the fiber arts. After moving to the midwest, I learned the simple technique of needle felting at a Kansas Alliance of Weavers and Spinners conference. Always nurturing a deep fascination with figurative sculpture and mixed media work, I immediately began using wool and felting to create my own pieces. I currently live in an old farmhouse on the Kansas prairie, with my family and small flock of sheep.

LUKE TOWNSEND
Luke is a documentary photographer and visual storyteller based in Kansas whose work plays on the interludes between the human condition and our relationships with the conditions which inform our realities; religion, politics, culture, environment. Utilizing art with facts, Luke’s goal is to create impactful and beneficial storytelling through exploration and education in a way that’s visually engaging.

Luke has multiple works in the permanent collection of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art as well as commissioned works hanging in the Staley School of Leadership Studies, Morris Family Multicultural Student Center, and a permanent 12’x35′ photographic ceiling mural installation in Hale Library on Kansas State University Campus.

Our world is an interesting reality, so I photograph it.

DIANA WERTS
Diana Werts completed her MA degree in Painting at Emporia State University in the heart of the Flint Hills. Teaching in various settings, from art museums and schools to artist-in-residence work, has been an important part of her continued development over the last 30 years. Diana’s work is in many private and corporate collections throughout Kansas and Missouri, and she is currently represented by Strecker-Nelson-West Gallery in Manhattan, KS.

KELLY YARBROUGH
Kelly Yarbrough is based in Manhattan, Kansas, and works within an ecosystem of mixed media drawing and painting, arts administration, and educational program development directly inspired by the nature of the tallgrass prairie. She enjoys collaborating with ecologists and educators, speaking to audiences, and teaching in the classroom — or in the field. Kelly holds an MFA from Kansas State University, and founded the Tallgrass Artist Residency in 2016. She is a Field Representative and Art & Environment specialist for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, a facilitator for Artist INC, a trained Konza Prairie docent, and a 2021TEDx Austin College speaker. She is represented by Prairiebrooke Gallery in Overland Park, Kansas.

Auditions for Theatre at the Ruin

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 02:36:00 GMT

Click here to sign up for an audition.

None of the listed times match your schedule? Please email us with an alternate time.

Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard return to Wabaunsee County to conduct auditions March 11-13

In the latter half of 2021, Beth and Mary collected stories, past and present, from Wabaunsee County residents. These stories will be woven into a completely new, unique script for Theatre at the Ruin , a community based theatre production in June 2022. While the Babson College professors adapted these stories and adventures into a script, Mike Lillich and his crew revitalized the limestone foundation of Otto Kratzer’s home in Volland. Dubbed the Ruin, the new space will host Theatre at the Ruin , and more events in future.

Are you interested in acting in the Flint Hills?

This is your chance to be part of a distinctly Wabaunsee County theatre production.

Between March 11-13, Beth and Mary will hold auditions from 10am-3:30pm (with an hour lunch at noon). The creative duo encourage all to audition, no experience necessary! Pinard and Wynstra are hoping for a cast of performers of all ages and abilities. Those who are auditioning do not need to prepare anything but are welcome to bring along a monologue, speech, song, or poem to perform. Pinard and Wynstra will have excerpts from the play at the audition for performers to read.

Sign up now at the link at the top of the page!

Posts of a Mid-Century Kid by Ann Vigola Anderson

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:31:00 GMT

Sunday | March 27, 2022

Conversation with the author | 2 pm

followed by a Book-Signing

Free admission. Light refreshments

“… you will feel like you have been wrapped in a warm hug while meandering through the book…”

Ann Vigola Anderson will share her humorous, reflective, and heartwarming book, Posts of a Mid-Century Kid , at the Volland Store on March 27th .

Crossing stories of pets, family, and friends, Ann gives an intimate view of her observations growing up, mixed with today’s experiences. Her presentation in Volland is particularly special given her history with the space, riding her bike to the Kratzer Brothers Mercantile as a kid while visiting cousins in the summertime. Be sure to ask her about her bicycle seat.

Ann visited Volland several years ago and told us of her warm memories of this place. She was delighted to renew her connections to our neighborhood and has been a faithful and enthusiastic volunteer since. We knew she was writing a book, and before it was finally published, we were invited to read the manuscript. What a treat! Since the book hit the shelves, it has been an amazing success. With characteristic generosity, Ann shares posts from her book on the Friends of the Flint Hills Facebook page, attracting hundreds of fans who will now be able to meet her in person. We hope you will too! – Your friends at The Volland Foundation

Copies of Posts of a Mid-Century Kid , including a recipe that gives directions on how to achieve the best Kitty Biscuits, will be available for sale, and Ann will be most happy to sign your personal copy.

Anderson takes us on a journey to 1950s and 60s Kansas and treats the reader to hometown cooking in her tasty memoir Posts of a Mid-Century Kid . With humor and richly crafted details, she chronicles her mid-century childhood, offering a sampling of another era. This delightful and mischievous memoir advocates coloring vividly outside of the lines!

“Posts of a Mid-Century Kid by Ann Vigola Anderson gives the reader ample evidence of how interesting an ordinary life can be, of how observations as one simply goes along in life can provide universal insights. Anderson’s prose is clear and engaging, and the book’s subtitle sums up the author’s efforts and this reader’s reaction nicely: “Doing my best. Having fun.”

Ann Anderson is an author, tennis coach, and creator of the comic strip, “The Borrego Springs Sun”. With roots deep in Kansas, Ann’s led a rich career from the Governor’s Office of the Great State of Kansas, to working with the American Cancer Society, to directing the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Borrego Springs, CA. She is active in the Kansas Author’s Club and the Lawrence Writers’ Group, supports dog and cat rescue organizations, and takes ukulele lessons. She lives with her husband, Vann, and two cats in Lawrence, KS.

Jazz Trio at Volland

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 17:33:00 GMT

Led by Alex Frank

October 8 2022 | 6-8pm | Doors at 5

$10/person, free admission for kids

Bring your lawn chair and a picnic

The weather is predicted to be chilly, and we will set up for the concert inside The Volland Store – but If the weather warms up, we may move the concert outside to the Ruin. Bring your lawn chair, a blanket or warm jacket just in case.
We won’t push it – we want you to be comfortable and enjoy this amazing group to the fullest!

October 8, 2022 – It was a great night! It was warm enough for the pick-nickers outside, then we moved into the gallery for jazz. The musicians were fabulous! Thank you, Alex Frank , Spence Reeve (his parents came from Fresno, CA to see him play), and Dave DelGandio for coming out to Volland. We hope to see you again!

Watch for the tapping feet…

*Jazz with Art and tapping feet

Volland is pleased to host guitarist and University of Kansas lecturer Alex Frank, drummer David DelGandio and bassist Spencer Reeve at the Volland Ruin on October 8th for a night filled with original jazz tunes along with standards. Bring your lawn chair, snacks or dinner, but please no alcohol. There will be a cash bar (by donation).

ALEX FRANK is a guitarist and composer living in Kansas City, holding a Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition from the University of Kansas, where he currently teaches. He has written numerous Big Band arrangements for visiting artists as well as original works for large and small jazz ensembles. In the summer of 2021 and 2022, he toured France with renowned French composer/saxophonist Pierre Bertrand and his jazz orchestra.

DAVE DelGANDIO is a drummer originally from the east coast. He studied Jazz Performance at Berklee College of Music. For years he toured and traveled as a working musician with Broadway productions such as Rent and Chicago , cruises with Norwegian and Princess, and Cirque Du Soleil’s long running show Quidam . Dave moved to Kansas City in 2019, and continues to pursue his passion for Jazz and improvised music. He can be heard regularly at KC venues like The Phoenix, The Piano Room, Eddie V’s and more.

SPENCER REEVE of Fresno, California, is a Senior at KU studying physics and math. Spencer plays in KU’s Jazz Ensemble in addition to projects unaffiliated with the University. He is particularly interested in the collaboration between the arts and science, serving as an undergraduate fellow at the Spencer Museum of Art in the Fall of 2021.

Join us for a fun evening at Volland!

WARM FUZZY: VOLLAND

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 10:58:00 GMT

p a i n t i n g s b y e r i c s a l l

July 9 – September 18 | 2022

Closing Reception

Sunday | September 18 | 1-4pm

Casual conversations with the artist

Refreshments | Free admission

Eric Sall keeps on the move. Perhaps this fact seeps into his paintings, characterized by their movement, ephemeral feel, and nearly kaleidoscopic effect.

Colossal canvases filled with line, color, and depth serve to envelop viewers. Contrasting elements come together to form playful works that invite close analysis.

Sall said of his paintings in 2014: “Stylistically you could say they are abstract, though my paintings often allude to the presence of something: a familiar object, a reminiscent form, a shape.” This rings true today, where certain shapes and lines can conjure something else… but it can be hard to put a finger on.

Sall’s practice is rooted in the region, and continues today in Oklahoma, but his work has seen him crisscross the nation. After receiving a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute, Sall received his MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. In subsequent years the artist has spent time in New York, New Mexico, and Iowa as part of residencies, and his work has been shown as far as Seoul, South Korea.

The paintings begin as pastel drawings on raw, stretched canvas.

I simply start by making a thick line using the square shaped pastel stick on its side, and every other line that follows is a response to the one that came before it. On certain canvases I use only black pastel and on others I use assorted colors. Sometimes a pattern is made, other times a more random system takes shape. Once I determine that the drawing is finished, I apply a clear matte medium over the surface to ‘fix’ the drawing in place. The soft pastel is easy to smudge, and so I work carefully to preserve the drawing as much as possible, using large trowels to apply the liquid matte medium. Sometimes I allow the trowel to make its own mark on the surface, leaving behind a residue of a gesture and the texture of the medium.

Once the drawing is set under several layers of matte medium, I start applying oil paint. Each painting presents a unique set of concerns to address. I might choose to highlight the pastel drawing by carefully painting on or around the lines in a way that reinforces the pattern, or I might decide to drag a large swath of thick paint directly over the drawing as a way to create space and a sense of depth. Often I do both. I mix colors in cups for brush application but I also apply paint to the surface directly out of the tube. Sometimes I scoop up leftover paint with a knife and flick it onto the canvas. I switch back and forth between painting hard-edged, geometric shapes and more loose, organic gestures. If I paint in one style for too long, I tend to respond by painting something in a different way, using a different tool. In the process, the paintings go through various stages where things seem to either ‘work’ or not, and there is no good way to judge this other than by trusting my intuition and my experience. There is a balancing act between spontaneity and calculation that I am frequently negotiating, because the paintings have their own logic, and my concerns are not literal. Rather, I’m motivated by revelations that happen in the process of the painting becoming one thing and then another, and then another, and then another. – E r i c S a l l

BIO

ERIC SALL received a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has attended the Marie Walsh Sharpe Space Program in Brooklyn, NY, the LMCC Workspace residency in New York, NY, the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program, Roswell, NM, and the Yale Summer Program of Music and Art, Norfolk, CT. Sall is the recipient of an Art in Architecture commission from the General Services Administration, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, a Virginia Museum of Fine Art Fellowship, and a Charlotte Street Fund Award. Recent shows include Haw Contemporary, Kansas City, MO, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK; Joseph Nease Gallery, Duluth, MN; Orth Contemporary, Tulsa OK; Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, NM; BravinLee Gallery, New York, NY; Regina Rex Gallery, Queens, NY; ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA; Brain Factory, Seoul, South Korea; Nerman Museum of Fine Arts, Overland Park, KS; and Bemis Art Center, Omaha, NE. Eric is currently residing in Tulsa, Ok, as a fellow of The Tulsa Artist Fellowship, a program of the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

July 9 – September 18 | 2022

Closing Reception

Sunday | September 18 | 1-4pm

Casual conversations with the artist

Refreshments | Free admission

Eric Sall keeps on the move. Perhaps this fact seeps into his paintings, characterized by their movement, ephemeral feel, and nearly kaleidoscopic effect.

Colossal canvases filled with line, color, and depth serve to envelop viewers. Contrasting elements come together to form playful works that invite close analysis.

The paintings begin as pastel drawings on raw, stretched canvas.

BIO

Leaving and Waving Conversation

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:19:00 GMT

Thursday, March 31 | 7 pm

University of Kansas Ph.D Candidate in Art History Mary Frances Iveyand Deanna Dikeman Converse with Public Q/A to Follow

Link to recording on YouTube

The Volland Foundation will host a conversation between Mary Frances Ivey and Deanna Dikeman on Thursday, March 31st at 7pm. Mary Frances Ivey focuses on old age in portraits of artists' mothers, self-portraits, and images of imagined elderly persons in her dissertation “Picturing Age in the Work of Five Contemporary American Women Artists.” One of the five women in Mary Frances’ dissertation is Deanna Dikeman. (She is also researching the work of famed Kansas artist Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton!)

The conversation will cover not only Leaving and Waving but the other bodies of work Deanna has assembled. After the brief conversation the virtual audience will be invited to ask questions directly to Mary Frances and Deanna. We look forward to seeing you on the Zoom!

Mapping Culture: Chico Sierra and Andean Textiles

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 16:47:00 GMT

Through December 4th

CHICO SIERRA and ANNIE HURLBUT ZANDER share an enthusiasm for Latin America. The two are specifically invested in indigenous culture: for Sierra, Mesoamerican art; and for Zander, Peruvian and Bolivian textiles. Based in Kansas City, the two have turned that interest into their practice.

Sierra reflects on the lines, motifs, and imagery of pre-Colombian, aboriginal people of Mexico. He then brings these elements to his own work, skipping the mis-appropriated influences hatched by colonizers. The result is a conflation of the painter’s ideas and cultural heritage.

Zander ’s collection of Andean textiles shares Sierra’s attention to the authentic. A research trip in Peru in 1975 launched a fascination in the woven work coming from high in the Andes. She began collecting shawls, mantas, scarves and more. The trips later turned into a business which continues to this day: Peruvian Connection, artisan-made women’s wear using ethnographic textiles as the point of reference.

Volland is pleased to bring Sierra’s paintings together with a selection from Zander’s private collection. Mapping Culture: Chico Sierra and Andean Textiles celebrates the elemental art and textiles of Latin America, from which the outside world has found countless inspiration, including the artist and collector.

C H I C O S I E R R A

Originally from El Paso Texas, visual artist CHICO SIERRA now resides in the Midwest. Primarily a self-taught artist, Chico attempts to connect the dots of his cultural history and create new stories based around humanism, class structures and social justice. Influenced by his interests in varying social sciences and spiritual iconography he is attempting to create new narratives using symbolism that has been previously clouded by colonialism and more recently appropriated by euro-centric new age spiritualism. 

Chico has shown consistently in various galleries in Kansas City, and has work that has been acquired and has exhibited at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. He has spoken on cultural appropriation at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and he was a featured artist as part of their Picasso exhibit. He has also assisted with the Nelson Atkins Museum Day of the Dead exhibit for several years through their collaboration with Mattie Rhodes. Because of his work on culture and ethnic identity he has taught various workshops, has been asked for his thoughts on varied panels and is outspoken in regard to these subjects.

A N N I E H U R L B U T Z A N D E R

ANNIE HURLBUT ZANDER is the founder of Peruvian Connection. The letter ‘A’ is more than just the first letter of Annie Hurlbut Zander’s name. An alliterative list of ‘A’ words immediately trips off the tongue: American, anthropologist, Andes, alpaca and artisan to name but a few. But perhaps the most fitting in terms of defining both her home and work is authentic. Since her first visit to Peru in the 1970s, Zander and her mother’s business Peruvian Connection has gone from strength to strength – providing a route through which the traditional textile aesthetic of Peruvian artisans can be sold to a Western market and simultaneously be supported and appreciated.

From Selvedge magazine- “What truly captured my attention about Q’ero and other Andean textiles was the fineness of the spin and the complex weaves of the pattern striping. The extremely fine yarns used resulted from an extraordinarily tight spin of the alpaca fiber. The drape of the finest ceremonial textiles is supple and almost silk-like. Even more incredible, since the textiles are warp-faced, the end design and the complex weave structures, including 3-color complementary warp weave, must be visualized and worked out prior to the warping of the loom. This makes warp-faced patterning much more difficult to achieve than weft-faced tapestry design which can be worked out and adjusted as the weaving proceeds.”

Ensemble Iberica at Volland

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 12:16:00 GMT

purchase ticket

Concert and South American-style asado in the Flint Hills.

Saturday, October 29th

Cocktails at 4:30pm | Dinner at 5:30

Concert at 7 – 8:30pm

24098 Volland Road | Alma, Kansas

Map and Direct ions

An evening of fine food and music featuring Ensemble Iberica in collaboration with Colombian vocalist/guitarist, Nilko Andreas. The event will take place at the Volland Store southwest of Alma, KS, with a South American-style asado (BBQ). Dinner guests will enjoy the cocktail hour outside (weather permitting) while Chef Howard prepares the asado on an open grill.

Nilko Andreas – vocals/guitar
Stephanie Keenan – vocals
Amado Espinoza – flutes/percussion
Beau Bledsoe – guitar
Ezgi Karakus – cello
John Currey – percussion

Ticket with asado $125 (only 50 available)
Ticket (music only) $40

Net proceeds of the dinner and concert will benefit the Volland Foundation’s arts programming in the Flint Hills.

NILKO ANDREAS

New York-based Classical Guitarist and Singer (LaMar NYC and La Cumbiamba eNeYe), Nilko Andreas will be performing some original pieces as well as Gems from the Latin American Repertoire accompanied by Kansas city greats Beau Bledsoe and Amado Espinoza. Hear an eclectic combination of sounds inspired in Latin American rhythms that will take you on a journey across the Americas and Beyond.

CHEF CRAIG HOWARD

Craig Howard is the chef/owner of Howard’s Farm & Kitchen located in Kansas City, Missouri. Howard’s menu is made from scratch, in house, using fresh, organic ingredients. Craig makes an effort to purchase as much as possible from local farmers and producers in the Kansas City area, as well as, using the produce that is grown on-site at Howard’s Farm in the Historic Northeast neighborhood, Pendleton Heights. Howard’s Farm is a full acre with an established orchard where he is growing peaches, cherries, apples, plums and pears. Along with the orchard, Howard’s grows a wide variety of vegetables including tomatoes, leeks, onions, cauliflower, asparagus, and carrots. The garden provides food for Howard’s as well as other local restaurants in Kansas City. Craig is an avid local food advocate and through his work, he focuses on all parts of the food process, from growing, to purchasing, to cooking and selling.

Bell Choir at Volland

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 18:30:00 GMT

December 4, 2022

JuBellation Bell Choir from the St. John Lutheran Church in Alma, Kansas

2pm | Cider and Christmas Cookies

Free will admission for the Bell Choir

Start your holiday season at Volland with a performance by St. John’s JuBellation choir.

The concert marks the second time the group has shared their talents at Volland, and we are delighted to welcome them back!

A free will offering will benefit the JuBellation choir, and Volland will provide hot apple cider and Christmas cookies. The retail table will be up for early holiday shopping.

The bell choir will play an assortment of Advent and Christmas tunes. Jamie Rogers and Pastor Grimm will jump in and out to add trumpet and guitar for select pieces. Bring your best caroling voice for the last few songs!

The JuBellation choir has also generously offered to stay after the concert and show their bells to those interested. We hope you join us for this wonderful opportunity as the holiday season begins to ramp up!

The sound of the bells will fill you with joy!

….and they did! The bell choir played to a full house

Kindness was evident as the room filled to capacity and beyond. Every chair was filled, individuals adjusted to make room for more and more guests as they arrived – and some sat outside on the porch to listen when there was no more “room in the inn” – without a complaint. The sound of the bells filled the space, and the group singing of carols was heartfelt and enjoyed by all.

As Inas Younis says in her article in the Kansas Reflector, “When we cultivate a communal culture of kindness within the public realm, we create a social destination for people to have face-to-face interaction.” That is our hope for Volland.

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Please note: Volland’s Winter Break begins December 5. We will reopen in February 2023.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season – and may your New Year be filled with good health and great happiness!

See you next year –

Your friends at the Volland Foundation

“Women of the Ranch” Potluck and Celebration

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 18:23:00 GMT

Sunday | April 24, 2022

12:30pm

Help celebrate the “Women of the Ranch” with a potluck and conversation.

“What would you give to hear one of your great-great grandparents share a good tale?”

Mark Feiden and Farrell Hoy will share highlights from a series of interviews recorded in 2021. The project, conducted in partnership with Pioneer Bluffs and made possible by a Humanities Kansas grant, is an extension of Feiden’s ongoing story collection effort which can be seen at www.RedmonsCow.org

Feiden’s effort to preserve history in this way began as a volunteer effort for the Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum, and countians who visit the website will see a lot of familiar faces. When asked about the motivation for this work, Mark says, “We record these stories now because we can. What would you give to hear one of your great-great grandparents share a good tale?”

“Women of the Ranch” features contributions from women in Chase, Greenwood, Potawatomi, and Wabaunsee Counties. This round of interviews features: Eula Barrett, Carol Feyh, Irlene Huntington, Carol Michaelis, Donita Rojers, Jackie Seeley, Pat Surber and Irene Thoes. Many of the women featured in “Women of the Ranch,” along with others from “Emil Redmon’s Cow” will be honored guests at Volland for the afternoon.

A potluck lunch will begin at 12:30pm. Barbeque, drinks, and table service will be provided, courtesy of the Volland Foundation and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. If you would like to have lunch, please bring a side dish or a dessert to share. The film screening will begin at 2pm.

Renew a Kratzer tradition and join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at Volland!

Sponsor The Ruin at Volland

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 19:31:00 GMT

Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County

June 17th and 18th

As a sponsor of The Ruin and Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County, you will help launch this new place for gathering and community. Your generosity will be forever tied to The Ruin and the new possibilities it fosters.

There are three opportunities for sponsorship, all of which will be recognized on our website, the program, and inside the Volland Foundation’s gallery. All Sponsorships include reserved seating, and sponsorships are available until all tickets are sold.

Founding Sponsor ($500)

June 8 update: There are no remaining Founding Sponsorships for the West side padded seats. However, if you want to be a Founding Sponsor, we can offer you 4 tickets on the West side, as long as they last. Thank you to our Founding Sponsors!
Your donation to the Volland Foundation contributes to the permanent features of The Ruin, including the stage and the purchase of lighting and sound equipment. Nine Founding Sponsorships are available for each performance of Heart/Roots. (June 17th or 18th) and include 4 tickets for preferred seating on the East End of the Ruin. The seats are padded folding chairs. (non-deductible benefits received are $100)

Program Sponsor ($250)

June 8 update: The West End seats are arguably “the best in the house.” They are in the shade, provided with comfortable bleacher pads, and have an excellent view.
Your donation to the Volland Foundation as a Program Sponsor ensures our first production Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County will be a success! Sixteen Program Sponsorships are available for each performance (June 17th or 18th) and include 2 tickets for preferred seating on the West End of the Ruin. Bleacher seating, with bleacher pads provided. (non-deductible benefits received are $40)

Contributing Sponsor ($100)

June 8 update: 7 Contributing sponsorships are available for June 17. Six remain available for June 18
Your donation to the Volland Foundation contributes in a meaningful way to the project. Thirty-two $100 sponsorships are available for each performance of Heart/Roots (June 17th or 18th) and include 2 tickets on the North End of the Ruin. Bleacher seating, with bleacher pads provided. (non-deductible benefits received are $30)

If you or your business would like to sponsor The Ruin and Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County,

we will reserve your tickets inhouse. Please do not make a ticket reservation through Eventbrite.

When you check in at the event, you will be given your seat assignment.

______________________

You may become a sponsor in two ways:

Donate Online here

Indicate your sponsorship level, number of tickets, and preferred date of attendance in the “Add a note” section.

When you check in at the event, you will be given your seat assignment.

-or-

Please send a check payable to Volland Foundation.

note the number of tickets and preferred performance date in the memo line.
Mail to: The Volland Foundation, PO Box 144, Alma, KS 66401

When you check in at the event, you will be given your seat assignment.

General admission tickets are available through Eventbrite here

Reflecting on the Ruin within the prairie context, it’s easy to see why we’ve all become so enchanted with its revival. The prairie and its people are resilient. Prairie burns wipe away dormant grass, launching opportunities for growth and safeguarding diversity in a spectacular showing.

The Ruin will do the same for culture in the Flint Hills. Although much of Otto Kratzer’s house was lost in a 1929 fire, the Ruin retains the memory and feel of the Kratzers’ home. Rebuilt porches capture the same vistas and breezes that Otto, Mabel, and their two sons enjoyed. Revived steps give a sense of how the home worked, and The Ruin’s intimate pit serves as one large living room, where everyone can feel at home.

We’ve already received many exciting proposals for The Ruin, and we look forward to realizing what the new old house offers. We hope you share our enthusiasm for The Ruin and the opportunities it will bring to the Flint Hills. As we venture into new programming at The Ruin, the Volland Foundation sees The Ruin as a new place for community gathering and building, and for serving Wabaunsee County, the Flint Hills and beyond. Your participation will be affirming in this new effort.

To launch The Ruin, we sought a production steeped with local pride. We found just that in Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County. The careful and thoughtful weaving of Wabaunsee County-sourced stories by Mary Pinard produced a truly unique script. Pinard’s colleague at Babson College, Beth Wynstra, cast and is directing actors from the Flint Hills. Heart/Roots spans time, place, and circumstance, providing a new way to learn about, and celebrate, Wabaunsee County. Such an effort could not have been achieved without community support, from the storytellers, actors, advisors, and builders. We now invite you to become a part of that effort. Your generosity will be forever tied to The Ruin and the new possibilities it fosters.

We look forward to seeing you in June at “The Ruin”

Fish Wizards 2022

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 03:57:00 GMT

3rd Annual Kansas Fish Wizards Tour

June 4 and June 5, 2022

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

photos from the 2022 tour!

Reservations

$45 + tax and fee

at Eventbrite

New this year! by popular demand

A Fish Wizards T-shirt

featuring the Longer Sunfish that was collected last year and illustrated by Joe Tomelleri

Pre-order your Fish Wizards shirt by May 27

at the Volland Online Store

Flash! now taking orders through May 30!

You may pick up your shirt when you arrive for your tour

Can’t come, but want a shirt?

Order by May 27 and we will mail it to you following the event

The Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway announce the 3rd Annual Fish Wizards Tour

The Fish Wizards Tour will be led by renowned fisheries scientists, Dr. Bill Stark, Joe Tomelleri, Mike Kaminski, and other Kansas fisheries scientists. Participants are in for an unforgettable experience as they learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of many native fish species.

Our tour leaders are quite an accomplished crew! Dr. Bill Stark is a professor at Fort Hays State University and specializes in fisheries and aquatic environment studies. His research includes numerous studies on Kansas’ native fish and aquatic invertebrates. Joe Tomelleri is the world’s leading freshwater fish illustrator and has more than 1,100 illustrations. His work has been featured in more than countless publications, including Trout and Salmon of North America , Outdoor Life , Eddie Bauer , and of course Kansas Fishes . His illustrations are scientifically accurate and document the species in their native colors. Joe’s prints will be available for sale creekside this year. Mike Kaminski is a fisheries biologist and an adjunct professor at College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. He has collected fishes from throughout the U.S. and now enjoys sharing knowledge with students and people of all ages.

June is an ideal time for the 3rd annual Fish Wizards Tour. Many of the fish will be dressed in their peak spawning colors and will be ready to impress us with their brilliant colors.

TOUR LOGISTICS

The tour begins at 10am and will last about four hours. The tour will occur at a selected sampling site on a tributary of Mill Creek in Wabaunsee County.

Attendees should wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes and will need to be able to walk down stream banks. Attendees may get wet during the trip, so dress accordingly. You are encouraged to bring waders or hip boots, though they are not required. Volunteers can wade in and help with the sampling efforts if desired. Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun.

Attendance is limited to 30 individuals for each day. Reserve your spot now! The registration is $45 + tax. The event is a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation. Registration fees are non-refundable. Every effort will be made to provide the tour on-site. In the case of heavy rain and/or stream flows, a presentation will be given about Kansas fish species and the history of Wabaunsee County at the Wabaunsee County Historical Museum, 227 Missouri St., Alma, KS.

The Fish Wizards Tour is open for everyone! Kids through senior citizens will enjoy learning about amazing and beautiful fish species of Kansas.

Theatre at the Ruin

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 20:57:00 GMT

A Re-imagining in the Flint Hills

2022

“Before” Photos by Marci Spaw (Summer 2019)

“After” Photos by Dylan Connell (November 2021)

The Ruin at Volland has been a source of curiosity for all who visit.

A few years into the life of the house, at 10 in the morning, a fire started in the attic and burned the house to the ground. Because there was no electricity at that time, the suspicion is that a steam engine was idling on the tracks nearby, taking up water from the creek, and a spark landed on the roof.

The family moved into the upstairs of their big brick store next door and never rebuilt their home.

The Ruin sits close to the railroad track, next to a small grove of trees. It looks at the hill which displays “Volland” in white-painted rocks. It is a magnet for children and adults alike, and once for a bride and groom. It is an invitation for photo opportunities and for quiet moments by poets. It is a place for imagination and play.

We have wondered through the years how it could best be used, what kinds of things could happen there. And now, theatre seems just right, for a beginning.

Enter Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard…

Mary Pinard is a poet who teaches literature and poetry at a business college in the East- Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Mary has spent parts of many summers in the Flint Hills, and the last three, she has visited Volland as a resident poet. Sharing experiences of her time in Kansas has perplexed many of her friends,

Mary Pinard, selfie in the Flint Hills, 2019

but has intrigued her colleague Beth Wynstra, who teaches courses in American Drama, Acting, Modernism, and Rhetoric at Babson.

Now they are teaming up to present a community-based theater project, culminating with live performances “at the Ruin.” The project will be produced and overseen by The Volland Foundation.

Beth and Mary are committed to the principle that community theatre provides a critical space for the expression of the many voices of a community. The basis of Theater at the Ruin will be the real-life narratives and experiences of those in Wabaunsee County, whose members will also be cast as actors to perform in the final production.

Theatre at the Ruin will be staged in the ruins of a home that burned in 1929, on the grounds of the Store. This setting will be an extraordinary backdrop for the performance, as well as a striking demonstration of how historic places might be reimagined as dynamic new spaces for artistic exploration and community-building.

Project Details

Theater at the Ruin begins in August 2021 with interviews with individuals who live in Wabaunsee County. Beth Wynstra, the project’s director, and Mary Pinard, the project’s scriptwriter, will conduct interviews August 22-24 with a goal of speaking to a wide, cross-section of individuals who come from a variety of generations and experiences. The collecting of stories and memories will continue through December 15. Click here if you would like to share a memory or a story.
Beth will audition actors in person and via Zoom in Spring 2022.
Information on Story-collecting and auditions.
These actors will work with Beth in virtual rehearsals throughout the spring.
Mary will craft the interview transcripts into dramatic monologues or, possibly, dialogues. The writing of these dramatic texts will take place from mid-December 2021 through Spring 2022.
Beth and Mary will return to Volland in early summer for two weeks to hold rehearsals with actors and prepare for the live production of Theater at the Ruin. A dress rehearsal will be held June 16, with performances on June 17 and June 18.
It is our hope to publish the script for Theater at the Ruin to capture the unique voices and life experiences of the narratives we collect and perform.

BETH WYNSTRA

Beth Wynstra teaches courses in American Drama, Acting, Modernism, and Rhetoric. She holds a Ph.D. in Theater Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a certificate in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. Beth is working on a book manuscript tentatively titled I Only Act a Part You’ve Created: Eugene O’Neill’s Wife Characters, A Reconsideration, which investigates the agency, persuasive tactics, and status of wife characters in the plays of Eugene O’Neill. She has written extensively on the life and plays of Eugene O’Neill and serves on the board of the Eugene O’Neill International Society. Beth regularly directs plays and musicals at Babson and is the Founding Artistic Director of The Empty Space Theater.

This will be Beth’s first trip to the Flint Hills. She can’t wait. She and Mary plan to introduce “Theatre at the Ruin” to the community on August 22, collect stories August 22-24, meet with local theatre professionals, and lay the groundwork for writing the script. Put it on your calendar and spread the word. Beth is adept at working with students who have no prior acting experience. All are welcome!
Enjoy this: https://www.facebook.com/BabsonArts/videos/416112192283069/

MARY PINARD

Mary Pinard is a Professor of English at Babson College. She earned a B.A. in English and Theatre from Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, IN), an M.A. in English from University of Chicago, and an M.F.A. in Poetry from Vermont College.

Professor Pinard’s poems have appeared in a variety of literary journals including The Iowa Review , Harvard Review , Prairie Schooner , and The Georgia Review and she has been the recipient of several national awards for her poetry. Portal, her collection of poems, was published in 2014 by Salmon Press (Ireland). Her essays on poetics and poets, including Alice Oswald and Lorine Niedecker, have been published in critical anthologies and scholarly journals. In addition, her poems have been featured in collaborative performances and exhibits with musicians, painters, and sculptors. Her recent poems explore the ecosystem of the tallgrass prairie, especially in the Flint Hills.

More information about her poetry, public readings, and publications can be found at www.marypinard.com .

As a member of the Arts and Humanities Division, Professor Pinard teaches courses in foundation humanities, literature, and poetry. She has also served in a range of administrative positions at Babson, including as Director of the Undergraduate Rhetoric Program, Coordinator of the Creativity Stream in the MBA Program, Writing Center Director, and Chair of Arts and Humanities.

Mary has made many good friends in the Volland area since beginning a series of residencies in the summer of 2017.

Friends of the Volland Store may remember her first reading and a workshop at Volland

Then the unforgettable Poetry Walk on the Prairie in 2018

In June of 2019 she participated in a dual residency with artist Zhang Hongtu and responded with a poem to his painting which was inspired by bison in the Flint Hills.

Her next adventure will be working with a colleague to share stories of her beloved Flint Hills in a theatre production. We can’t wait.

Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 01:44:00 GMT

June 17 and 18, 2022

… the infinite sum of dreams, made possible on a stage by stories, breathed from a page.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON BECOMING A SPONSOR

After collecting stories, creating a script, and weeks of rehearsals and construction Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County is ready for opening night. The curtain will rise – so to speak – at the Ruin on June 17 & 18. Enjoy an evening of authentic stories at the new and unique venue. Mary Pinard and Beth Wynstra gathered stories old and new from Wabaunsee County residents in late 2021. The result? A cross-section of the County spanning time, region, and backgrounds. Stories of disaster, the land, community and more meld together, acted by Flint Hills residents.

FROM HOUSE TO RUIN

In a play focusing on stories, there’s one to be told about its venue. Before it was the Ruin, the stones formed the foundation of Otto Kratzer’s brick house in Volland. The handsome house, built in 1917, faced Otto and Bill Kratzer’s mercantile, the heart of Volland then and now. Behind it the railroad tracks. The railroad is integral to Volland’s story. The Rock Island Railroad laid six lines and built a depot in Volland, adding to the area’s offerings. Volland’s Little House (up Volland Road) was purchased in a catalogue in the mercantile, and brought by the train. The materials for Otto’s house were likely brought by the train too. Cattle were let off in Volland to go to pasture, contributing to the local economy. Just as the train birthed Volland, it supplied unforeseen consequences. Twice the train derailed near Volland, once in 1893 and again in 1920. In 1907, two trains collided two miles west of Volland, killing 32 passengers, and injuring another 40. The train also erased Otto’s house. One fateful day in 1929 at 10 in the morning, Otto’s house caught fire. It is believed a train cinder blew over onto the roof of the house. The Kratzers made it out and community members did all they could to save the structure. (Rumor has it one man retrieved the family’s cast iron tub from the burning house singlehandedly!) Their efforts fell short however, leaving a ruin in the house’s place.

Fast forward over nine decades, and the Ruin reimagines what the space marred by the train can be in this century. The goal for the Ruin was to repurpose the space, while honoring Otto’s original plans. “Don’t ruin the Ruin” was the project motto. Mike Lillich and his crew at Perfection Masonry brought the Ruin up to usable standards, adding steps, a stage, and shoring up walls, all while keeping the character of the site. John Whitaker added electricity to the Ruin, making it possible to host events in Volland’s newest venue. We look forward to launching the Ruin with Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County and using the site in a multitude of ways in the future. Thank you to the many supporters who contributed in the designing/building effort: Don Hendricks, Mike Lillich and Perfection Masonry, John & Casey Whitaker, Lynn Ewanow, Lorn Clement, Susanne Siepl-Coates, George Terbovich, Cathie Lavis, Jeff Frank and Boys, Beth Wynstra, Mary Pinard, Randy Wolf, John O’Brien, Al Berman, Kirk Hutson, Patty Reece, Jerry Reece.

To all those who through the years were drawn to the Ruin to dream, imagine, be married, and play – you inspired us to reimagine the space for others to continue to enjoy in many ways.

STORYTELLERS

We extend our gratitude to the storytellers for Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County . Their generosity and openness to the project inspired the group and generated this distinctly Wabaunsee County play.

Heather Beggs Lorn Clement Lynn Ewanow Kathy Hogue Bill Huber Ryan Jones

Joyce Mathies Kaytlyn Meseke Rob Meseke Pamela Pace Jerry Reece Patty Reece

Jeanette Rohleder Dixie Russell Gary Schultz Michael Stubbs Helen Umbehr

Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum

DIRECTOR | BETH WYNSTRA

Beth Wynstra is an Associate Professor of English at Babson College. She holds a Ph.D. in Theater Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a certificate in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. Beth’s book, “ I Only Act a Part You’ve Created”: The Performance of Marriage in the Plays of Eugene O’Neill (University of Iowa Press, Theater History and Culture Series) will be published in 2023. Beth has written extensively on the life and plays of Eugene O’Neill and often works as a dramaturg with professional theater companies around the country who are producing the works of O’Neill. Beth regularly directs plays and musicals at Babson and is the Founding Artistic Director of The Empty Space Theater. She is honored to be working with the Volland Foundation, the talented cast and crew, and with her extraordinary friend, mentor, and colleague, Mary Pinard, on Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County .

PLAYWRIGHT | MARY PINARD

Mary Pinard is a poet and teaches literature at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. Her poems have appeared in a range of literary journals, and her first book of poetry, Portal , was published in 2014 by Salmon Press. Her second book, Ghost Heart , which contains poems about her beloved Flint Hills, is forthcoming later this year. She was born and raised in Seattle, and Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County is her first play.

STAGE MANAGER | JANELLE AUGUSTINE

Janelle is thrilled to be the stage manager for this production! She’s currently finishing her higher education at K-State where she is pursuing a degree in theatre. She spent the past year stage managing productions at K-State and working as the front of house manager at McCain Auditorium. She currently resides in Manhattan, KS, but has plans to move to California later this year.

ACTORS

Heather Beggs, Jackson Berland, Candy Boardman, Brianna Drinkwater, Don Hendricks, Brian Huntzinger, Stephanie Manes, Blake Thomas, Jenny Towns

Heather Beggs, Alma

Heather Beggs is a Salina, KS native, and recent transplant to Wabaunsee County from Kansas City. Having found the “sweet life” here, Heather’s work is in health and happiness optimization through mindfulness practices such as yoga, breathwork, meditation, community events, and eco-conscious, handmade products. Her last theater experience was in 10th grade as a nun in The Sound of Music . Heather is delighted to be part of this first production at the Volland Ruin for the way it ushers in ever-more interpretations of the singular beauty of Wabaunsee County’s people and places.

Jackson Berland, Manhattan

Jackson Berland is a Senior at Kansas State University studying theatre, film, and anthropology. Jackson spends his time in college creating short films with friends, diving into new stories, and hosting his weekday morning show on the radio. Jackson grew up in Lawrence pursuing theatre from a young age. In moving to Manhattan for college, Jackson found a deep love for the Flint Hills which is why he feels so privileged to be a part of such a special story.

Candy Boardman, Council Grove

Candy Boardman is returning to the stage after a brief, 53-year hiatus. (Since her return, she’s discovered that her portrayals of older characters seem to have taken on a bit more credibility than they did in 1969.) After falling in love with the quiet beauty of the Flint Hills, Candy settled in Council Grove 26 years ago—and has never left. Now retired from Emporia State University, Candy continues to enjoy observing the complex and interwoven backstories of Morris and Wabaunsee County families and their ways of life.

Briana Drinkwater, Alma

Briana comes from a background in performing arts. She’s performed in musicals such as My Fair Lady and West Side Story , and even used to perform as a professional mermaid out in the great islands of Hawaii. Briana is an EMT and is in paramedic training. She currently lives in Alma and often practices her singing for her two cats, much to their chagrin.

Don Hendricks, Alma

As a Wabaunsee County native, residing in Alma, Ks., Don Hendricks has spent many hours of community involvement. He has served on the Alma City Council as an elected official (1989-1997) and as Alma’s Mayor (1997-2005). Don is currently the chairman of the Wabaunsee County Planning Commission. His last acting part was in a high school play titled The Egg and I in 1969. Don is a business owner in Alma. He and his wife, Rosa, have two daughters and five active grandchildren.

Brian Huntzinger, Volland Area

Brian Huntzinger has appeared in a few productions at The Columbian Theater in Wamego. You may have seen him in Oliver! , Annie Get your Gun , It’s a Wonderful Life! and A Tribute to Carol Burnett . Brian is a Paramedic/Captain with Pottawatomie County EMS where he has worked for 20 years. A native of Wamego, Brian has lived in rural Wabaunsee County (just a few miles from Volland) for the last 5 years.

Stephanie Manes, Wamego Area

Stephanie Manes is a grassland ecologist with a passion for native prairies and the people they support. She and her husband Rob Manes live near Wamego, Kansas, with their two children. Stephanie is from Mannford, Oklahoma (the Southern Flint Hills!) but has travelled and worked extensively with ranching families to conserve land in CO, NM, TX, OK and KS. This is Stephanie’s first live theatre performance.

Blake Thomas, Eskridge Area

Blake Thomas is an eternal optimist, always looking for new experiences and challenges to learn something new. His past has travelled through various career paths including riding horses professionally, computer technology, construction and parenting – kids, horses and dogs. All of Blake’s life experiences should provide an excellent foundation for this, his first, theatrical experience.

Jenny Towns, Manhattan

Jenny Towns lives in Manhattan, KS, where she is an adjunct instructor in strategic communications and currently pursuing her M.M. in music education, both at Kansas State University. A native of Washington, DC, Jenny has performed as both an actor and a singer in theatres across the east coast, and was most recently seen in The Revolutionists (Olympe) at Manhattan Arts Center in Manhattan, KS (August 2021). She is thrilled to join the team at the magical Volland Foundation for this production.

Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County is the amalgam of countless stories playwright Mary Pinard and director Beth Wynstra collected and pored over. The two Babson College professors, Pinard in Literature, Wynstra in English, thoughtfully crafted a script, cast the actors, and rehearsed the play to produce Heart/Roots , utilizing the help of stage manager Janelle Augustine in the process.

SUPPORTERS

The Volland Foundation thanks all the supporters of this project. All of the Foundation’s members and donors played a critical role in seeing this project to completion.

Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County received a Visiting Artist grant from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC). We extend our thanks to KCAIC for supporting this project.

We also extend our gratitude to Babson College, who supported the project by covering Beth & Mary’s travel expenses.

The Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum was integral in providing historical stories for the project. The Volland Foundation thanks Marci Spaw for her enthusiasm and support of this effort, first at the Volland Foundation and later at the Historical Society.

Heart/Roots at the Ruin

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 14:05:00 GMT

DUE TO THE HEAT, PERFORMANCES OF HEART/ROOTS WERE RE-SCHEDULED TO 8 PM, BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS. BOTH PERFORMANCES WERE SOLD OUT.

___________________________

It’s alive again! The original play, Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County , opened a new chapter at Volland

on the evenings of June 17 and 18, 2022.

Photo by Maddy Michaelis

Stories of Wabaunsee County, past and present, were enacted by local actors whose performances were endearing, stimulating, challenging, funny, and moving. Ninety-five- degree heat, humidity, and three trains (on Saturday night) could not deter these hardy actors, nor did those circumstances distract the audience! Both were stellar evenings that will be wonderful memories for all who experienced them.

Overheard comments: “Whose story was that? Was that mine?” “I’m not from Wabaunsee County, but I related to those stories. They reminded me of my own grandparents.” “You played my story.” “I really liked the music.” “That’s my story!” “Wait. I never heard that story about my grandfather.” “We heard about the call for sharing stories, but we were hesitant, because we weren’t really sure what it was all about.” “I love this! Next year, I want to be on that stage.” “This feels like the beginning of a new life. Thank you!”

\What’s next at the Volland Ruin? The possibilities are endless, and suggestions are flowing in – We want to know what YOU would like to see! Please share your ideas at info@vollandfoundation.org or call us at 785-499-3616, leave a message, and we will return your call. To be continued….

THANK YO U!

Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County was made possible in part by a

Visiting Artists grant from the

Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission

with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency

We are deeply grateful to the Sponsors of “The Ruin” and Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County

Founding Sponsor ($500)

Babson College, Arts and Humanities Division

Tony Crawford Lynn Ewanow & Lorn Clement

Tom & Dee Jones Lee & Cara Mueller

Patty & Jerry Reece Steve & Whitney Short Susanne Siepl-Coates & Gary Coates

Betsey & Rick Solberg

Program Sponsor ($250)

Cathi Brain Dave & Sara OConnell Susan & Marty Rose George Terbovich

Lawrence & Janiece Vohland Jerry & Elizabeth Wigglesworth Carole Wynstra

Contributing Sponsor ($100)

Annette & Jeff Gerner Jerry Haahr Bill & Kathy Hogue

Julia Jilek Jennifer Kassebaum Thomas & Jane Romig

Lee Rucker Leroy & Jean Towns

In-Kind Donor

Stockgrower’s State Bank

FREE BOTTLED WATER, WAS PROVIDED BY STOCKGROWERS STATE BANK, ALMA, KANSAS

THANK YOU!

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are so taken with Mary Pinard’s script of Heart/Roots: Wabaunsee County, that we have decided to publish it. We want it to have a life beyond this first performance. It will be something you can look at again and again – and share with your friends and children and grandchildren. If you miss hearing a line during the play, you will be able to find it again in this script and enjoy it at your leisure.

Beautifully designed by Marsha Jensen and printed by our friends at Copy Kats in Manhattan, KS, it will be available for sale at the end of each performance. In The Volland Store, and online beginning June 20.

$15 plus tax

R E H E A R S A L S

PERFORMANCES JUNE 17 AND 18 | 2022

American Architecture Award

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:10:00 GMT

The Chicago Athenaeum

presents an American Architecture award to

Volland House #1

(The Little House)

Photos by Mike Sinclair

Meaningful architecture can happen anywhere.

A case in point: a project that is seemingly simple – a refurbished kit house in a very small Kansas town is recognized for design excellence at a national level and celebrated amongst a pool of amazing architects across the United States.

El Dorado Architects, in collaboration with Design+Make at Kansas State University and College of Architecture, Planning & Design at Kansas State University was honored with an American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum for Volland House #1, Honorable Mention.

In the words of the Chicago Athenaeum:

The American Architecture Awards are dedicated to the recognition of excellence in architecture and urbanism in the United States. The program awards and pays tribute to new developments in design and underscores the directions and understanding of current cutting-edge processes consistent with today’s design thinking.

In October 2022, a jury of independent Italian architects, educators, and planners convened remotely to select the winners of the 2022 American Architecture Awards. The five-member jury selected over 150 buildings from a shortlist of over 400 for the best new architecture designed and constructed by American architects and international architects with offices in the United States.

The selected submissions demonstrate design achievement, including a sense of place, purpose, history, and environmental sustainability. “This year’s winning projects are also characterized as exuding urban generosity, a sense of dignity, and timelessness—the absolute paramount definition of Good Design.”

The Volland Foundation was delighted to work with the K-State architecture students and is honored by this prestigious award. Sincere gratitude is extended to the students of the Design+Make studio, their professor David Dowell of El Dorado Architects, Don Hendricks, general contractor, and George Terbovich of George Terbovich Design for their fine collaboration on this outstanding project.

The Volland Residency

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 00:53:00 GMT

Volland offers three rarities in today’s culture: quiet, darkness, solitude. A working landscape and ranching culture are complemented by nearby communities with opportunities for mutual engagement. We believe that the gift of time and space in this wide-open landscape can create a change in the creative trajectory of those who participate in the Residency Program at Volland.

A number of artists, writers, poets, musicians, and scientists have spent time in Volland during the past several years. We have observed how they have connected deeply to this place, and we understand its power to inspire and refresh. Now, the Volland Foundation will offer space and time for creative practitioners of various disciplines to live and work, to step outside their daily lives, have time to dream, and let creative juices flow.

– Patty and Jerry Reece, Founders, Volland Foundation

Introducing Volland Residency 2023

Where Residents Live and Work (old)

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 06:24:00 GMT

Living Spaces –

The Loft

at The Volland Store

Please note the gallery has regular open public hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm, plus events. Volland staff use the gallery space during the working week as well.

The Little House at Volland

Grimm-Schultz Farmstead

Our neighbor, the Grimm-Schultz Farmstead , makes a living space and writing studio available in support of the Volland Artist Residency Program, as their schedule allows. Most of the living spaces and studios are accessed by stairs. Each living space has a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facility. Towels and linens are provided.

Studios

The Blacksmith Shop

Lower Level of the Volland Store

Emporia Community Foundation Match Day

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 06:21:00 GMT

Although Match Day is over, you can still help build the art studio at Volland!

Donate online here

in the “Note to seller” box,

add: Art Studio

– Naming opportunity available –

please email info@thevollandstore.com

Your generosity will help build an artist studio for our artist residency program. It will provide a place for workshops and community-related art programs when a residency is not in session.

The entire volume of the original house will be used for the studio, allowing for natural light and adequate space for working. A lean-to addition will provide an ADA-compliant entrance and bathroom, plus additional space for facilitating art activities. The exterior of the building will be kept as original as possible. Renovating an existing building will maintain the historical character of Volland and keep it within the “campus” of the artist residences.

Art Studio-to-be, photo by Mike Sinclair

A purpose-built painting studio is pivotal to the Volland Residency Program, which awards artists from across the country the gift of time and space in the endangered tallgrass prairie of the Kansas Flint Hills. For more information about our artist residency program, click here .

Design by eldorado architects

We express our deep gratitude to the Emporia Community Foundation for inviting us to be a part of their annual Match Day in 2022. The results will be announced and checks will be awarded on November 29.

_________________

November 14, 2022

Your donation to the Volland Foundation will be matched

and will help build an art studio at Volland

November 14, 2022

To make an online donation:

Visit here on November 14, 12:01 am to 11:59 pm

This is our first Match Day, and we couldn’t be more excited.

The Volland Foundation has been selected as one of 28 organizations to participate in the ECF Match Day. It is an extraordinary opportunity to make your support of The Volland Foundation go further. Your generosity will enable us to receive matching funds that will be used for building an artist studio for our artist residency program.

We are deeply impressed with the work the Emporia Community Foundation is doing to support nonprofits in our region. We are hopeful that our participation in Match Day will introduce us to new supporters and stakeholders, engendering an even wider “fan base” in the Flint Hills.

The Volland Foundation will use Match Day funds to transform an existing small residence in Volland into an artist studio.
Your donation on ECF Match Day to The Volland Foundation will help build it!

P R I V A T E M A T C H O P P O R T U N I T Y !

An Anonymous Donor has generously offered a 100% match to all funds raised for the Volland Foundation during the Match Day event

This is a significant opportunity to double the impact of your donation.

Any amount is greatly appreciated

Thank you for your consideration!

The Volland Store opened in 1913 in the little railroad community of Volland and quickly became the social and cultural center of the ranching community that surrounded it. The former general store has been re-purposed as an art gallery and serves once more as a gathering place for the community both near and far. Located in a scenic valley in the Flint Hills, the Store is an award-winning space with good art and friendly conversation. The Volland Store is owned and operated by the Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, and serves as an anchor for the Foundation’s activities in Volland: art exhibitions and community programming in the gallery; outdoor performances at “the Ruin;” artist residencies in Volland; guest accommodations in the Loft and the Little House for the general public; and the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail, open throughout the year from dawn to dusk.

Along Volland Road, photo by Mike Sinclair

Residents Descend on Volland

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 09:57:00 GMT

Starting September 20th, the Volland Foundation will complete its second round of pilot residencies.

left to right: Dawn Stetzel, Tonee Harbert, Shoshannah White

Celebration on October 15th

4 – 6 pm | Open Studios from Volland Residents Dawn, Shoshannah, and Tonee

5 pm | Bring a picnic and a lawn chair

6 pm | Concert by Ben Cosgrove

Free admission | Cash bar by donation opens at 5pm

The Fall Residents, Dawn, Shoshannah and Tonee, invite you to Volland on Saturday, October 15, at 4 pm to visit their studios and show you what they are working on during their residency. All are welcome, and we hope you bring your children too!

As an added bonus, our Spring resident, Ben Cosgrove, will return for a short visit. In the Spring, Ben hosted a concert in Volland that was spoiled, for most, by severe weather. In the late-Summer, Ben reached out that he would be passing through Wabaunsee County in mid-October and offered to retry the concert. Since his residency, the Volland Ruin has been completed as a performance venue. Ben will perform at the Ruin- barring inclement weather, which will see the concert moved indoors.

Please join us for a fine celebration!

(Scroll down to the bottom to view photos of the Celebration and a snippet of Ben’s concert)

Ben Cosgrove, courtesy of the artist

In the Spring, musician and composer Ben Cosgrove spent two weeks at the Volland Residency Program in Wabaunsee County, experiencing prairie burns, local color, and even a tornado warning. Ben’s practice interprets landscape and environment through musical composition and performance. His two weeks in Volland followed a Tallgrass Artist Residency in Matfield Green, KS.

This Fall, Tonee Harbert , Dawn Stetzel , and Shoshannah White will spend four weeks in the Flint Hills at the Volland Residency Program. Unlike Ben, these artists have not spent prolonged time in the region. The Volland community looks forward to sharing all we have to offer.

Tonee Harbert and Shoshannah White work independently and as an artistic duo. During their time in Volland, Shoshannah and Tonee will explore a new collaboration which includes camera-less prints made outside at night, in direct contact with flora of the tallgrass prairie.

Dawn Stetzel , of Washington, works in the space between performance art and sculpture, focusing most recently on what makes people subject themselves to endurance challenges as a form of activism. At once sculptural and (partially) utilitarian, many will recognize the objects she incorporates in her work.

It was a very fine day!

Music at the Ruin by Ben Cosgrove

click here: IMG_7412_Ben in concert

Thank you for joining us!

Dylan Connell, Student Intern 2021-2022

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 04:19:00 GMT

Dylan is currently a senior at Kansas State University working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Dylan began working for the Volland Store in November 2021 as an intern, creating content through varying platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Dylan’s role as the Multimedia Editor at The Collegian newspaper during the past three years has expanded his knowledge and experience both in leadership and photography. Dylan’s passion for photography began when he first joined The Collegian as a freshman, shooting journalistic photographs and since then has captured a wide array of events, including weddings and other social events. Dylan also works closely with the Kansas State Photography department as a work-study assistant, under the guidance of Professors Shree Joglekar and Rebecca Hackemann-Bahlmann, aiding with chemistry preparation and photography processing, among other responsibilities.

Currently, Dylan’s main subject matter focuses on the working class. His interest in this area was piqued due to his past experiences as a blue-collar worker, having worked at processing factories and truck driving. Dylan hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Photography after he graduates from Kansas State with wishes to become a photography professor at a university, while also actively creating art and working in the art world.

Ben Cosgrove, Volland Resident, presents a Pop Up Concert

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 20:07:00 GMT

Ben Cosgrove of Portland, Maine, is the Volland Foundation’s first juried resident!

Ben arrived on April 19th and leaves Kansas on May 3rd. He is a traveling composer-performer whose music explores themes of landscape, place, and environment. He has performed in every U.S. state except Delaware and Hawaii, and he has collaborated with other artists ranging from string ensembles to rock bands to essayists.

Prior to his Volland Residency, Ben was a Tallgrass Artist Resident in Matfield Green, KS. His performance for the community was received with great delight! Ben has also held artist residencies and fellowships with institutions including the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, NASA, and the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology. His fourth studio album, The Trouble With Wilderness , an evocation of various expressions of nature and wildness within the built environment, was released in 2021 and has been called “beautiful and fascinating” ( The Maine Edge) , “deeply impressive” ( Independent Clauses ) and “immediately evocative and fully arresting… brim[ming] with technical mastery and emotional capital” ( Seven Days ). Find more information on his website, www.bencosgrove.com .

Ben expressed early in his residency he would enjoy performing for the community. He has many stories, and his time in Wabaunsee County has only added to the list -ask him about his encounter with a Wabaunsee County turkey!

BEN’S POP-UP CONCERT

Friday, April 29, 2022 | 7pm

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Although the weather may be frightful, the show will go on!
We have a basement, and you are invited to stay until the weather blows over.
Do use your best judgement…

Admission by Free Will Offering

(to support the Volland Residency Program)

Free Popcorn

Adult Beverages and Sodas by Donation

Come early for best seating

Reservations here please

(or just show up!)

We look forward to seeing everyone for a fun night of music, learning, and conversation.

Wabaunsee County Scenic Drives

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 21:48:00 GMT

Photo by Scott Bean

Here are two of our favorite drives for exploring Wabaunsee County.

There are many scenic drives, of course, and you may find others on your own. Google maps are handy, and usually they will continue to work if you put them into your phone before you head into the hills. However, we have found that their directions aren’t always accurate in the country. If you feel lost, don’t worry. Just keep driving and enjoy the scenery! It’s part of the adventure.

Please note some historic sites may be on private property and not open
to the public.

Don’t drive down private driveways or climb over fences! Please respect private property by not trespassing and leave public sites just as you found them.

Explore the google maps below by clicking on the icons to see more information about each site.

If you prefer a map with road names, click to open the printable maps.

Alma Scenic East Loop , click here for the google map or here for a printable map with road names

Enjoy this scenic drive of the Flint Hills at your own pace. In Alma be sure to visit the Wabaunsee County Historical Society Museum to see their exhibit Bountiful Harvest: The Heritage of Haying in Wabaunsee County with images and text by Mark Feiden and Jim Hoy.

Paxico: Tale of Three Towns , click here for the google map of here for a printable map with road names

Explore Paxico, Newbury and the historic site of “Old Paxico”. The google map describes the tales of how a railroad could make or break a small town by the placement of the depot. Newbury and “Old Paxico” both lobbied for the opportunity to host the depot. The railroad company ended up placing the depot between the towns. “Old Paxico” jumped at the chance and moved the townsite a mile west, near Mill Creek, next to the newly constructed depot. “Tale of Three Towns” written by Doug Heigert is on file at the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. Stop in to learn the whole store. We hope you enjoy your drive!

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas
Volland Foundation
Arla & Tony Barelli
Kansas Beef Council
Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation
Bruce & Tina Breckenridge
Bank of the Flint Hills
Downey Ranch
Hendricks Hardware
Carl & Mary Ice
Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.
Lyons Angus Ranch
M7 Ranch – McGee Family
Matfield Station
Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards
The Native Stone Scenic Byway
Heidi & Nelson Nast
Henry & Cara Newell
Patty & Jerry Reece
Stockgrowers State Bank
George Terbovich
Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Explore Wabaunsee County Week

Alma Chamber of Commerce
Antique Emporium
Flint Hills Stone
Bill & Kathy Hogue

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Crossroads: Change in Rural America

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 07:06:00 GMT

A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

March 13 – April 25, 2021

The Volland Store is honored to be one of six venues in Kansas to host the traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian.

Reservations Here

The Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition provides an opportunity for the people of Kansas to think about how their communities have responded and adapted to change.

The Smithsonian exhibition will travel to six Kansas communities in 2020-2021 for a six-week stop at each venue. In addition to the national exhibition, the six host organizations will provide a one-of-a-kind companion local exhibition that tells their community’s unique Crossroads story, public programs with opportunities for discussion, family-friendly activities, and online resources.

Humanities Kansas (HK) is pleased to announce a special Kansas tour of Crossroads: Change in Rural America , the newest Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition from Museum on Main Street , coming to Kansas in August 2020.

Crossroads: Change in Rural America will spark fresh thinking and new conversations about the future and sustainability of Kansas communities. Local exhibitions, public programs, online resources, and the Smithsonian exhibition will offer food for thought as we think about what’s at stake in small towns. Ultimately every community at a crossroads asks a similar questions– what do we need to survive and thrive? Innovation and creativity are two ideas. What are yours? Join the conversation with local experts, historians, journalists, artists, and other facilitators and community members to talk about 21st century Kansas.

Click here for Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County a virtual exhibit sharing our local story.

Crossroads Smithsonian Host Sites

The organizations bringing the Smithsonian exhibition to their hometown are:

Bowlus Fine Arts Center / Allen County Historical Society , Iola

Allen County: Trails to Rails to Highways and Back

August 29, 2020 – October 11, 2020

5.4.7 Arts Center , Greensburg
Greensburg Crossroads: Envision, Engage, and Endeavor
October 17, 2020 – November 29, 2020

Kauffman Museum , North Newton
Of Land and People: Our Community at the Crossroads of Change
December 5, 2020 – January 17, 2021

Independence P ublic Li brary / Histor ical Mu seum & Art Center , Independence
Independence: Include, Initiate, Innovate
January 23, 2021 – March 7, 2021

The Volland Store , Alma
Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County
March 13, 2021 – April 25, 2021

Norton County Arts Council , Norton
Breaking Ground: Tales of Norton County Fireballs
May 1, 2021 – June 13, 2021

Crossroads Partner Sites

Crossroads Partner Sites extend the conversation across Kansas. Ten additional communities are featuring local exhibits, public programs, family-friendly activities, online resources, and other opportunities that explore the Crossroads theme in their hometown. Please note that the Smithsonian exhibition is not on display at the Partner Site locations.

Dodge City Community College
Dodge City: Roots and Renascence
August 9 – October 15, 2020

Ellinwood School-Community Library
Ellinwood: Continuous Innovation
October 16 – December 2, 2020

Hays Public Library
From Crisis to Conservation to Conversation
May 1 – June 13, 2021

Lebanon Public Library
Farming at the Center of it All
May 1 – June 13, 2021

Thomas County Historical Society, Colby
Meeting at the Crossroads: Tales of Five Counties
May 1 – June 13, 2021

Kansas Oil Museum, El Dorado
Rural Crossroads: The Changing Faces and Places of Butler County
December 1, 2020 – April 6, 2021

These are the two Partner Sites of the Volland Store

Morris County Historical Society, Council Grove
Morris County: The Trails We’ve Traveled Since
March 13 – April 25, 2021

Onaga Historical Society
Onaga Area: Crossroads into the Future
October 2020 – June 2021

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm Site, Olathe
Olathe Rural Roots as a Catalyst of Our Success
August 20, 2020 – January 31, 2021

Satanta Area Arts Council, Satanta
Connected at the Crossroads
January 6 – February 28, 2021

We Look Forward to Seeing You at Volland

March 13 – April 25, 2021

and/or

Online with virtual events featuring

“Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County”

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation
Bruce & Tina Breckenridge
Bank of the Flint Hills
Downey Ranch
Hendricks Hardware
Carl & Mary Ice
Jim & Barbara Meinhardt & KanEquip, Inc.
Lyons Angus Ranch
M7 Ranch – McGee Family
Matfield Station
Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards
The Native Stone Scenic Byway
Heidi & Nelson Nast
Henry & Cara Newell
Patty & Jerry Reece
Stockgrowers State Bank
George Terbovich
Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners

Alma Chamber of Commerce
Alma Cooperative Oil Association
Antique Emporium
Eskridge Lumber LLC
Farm Bureau Financial Services, Wab. Co.
Farmers & Drovers Bank
Flint Hills Prairie Bison Reserve
Flint Hills Stone
Frank’s Plumbing
Kent & Janna Glasscock
Hafenstine Construction
Hier Insurance Services, Inc
Bill & Kathy Hogue
Lawyers Title of Kansas
McFarland Pride
Cindy & Roger Manz
Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco of Pacheco Beef
Paxico Foundation
Paxico Longbranch Bar & Grill
Lawrence & Janiece Vohland
Wabaunsee Pines Golf Course
Greg & Dina Wingfield

Community Friends

DJ’s Bar and Grill
Flint Hills Bank
Flint Hills Yoga
Mill Creek Lodge at Volland Point
Prairie Heritage, Inc.
S&S Auto Body and Collision
Stop-2-Shop
Wyldewood Cellars Winery

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

The Smithsonian is coming to Volland!

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:23:00 GMT

March 13, 2021 – April 25, 2021

Wabaunsee County friends and neighbors gather for the statewide announcement by Humanities Kansas of the six Kansas communities who will host the traveling Smithsonian exhibition: “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.”

(left to right: Bobby Meseke, Zhang Hongtu, visiting artist at Volland, Marci Spaw, Volland Storekeeper, Colby Taylor, Julie Mulvihill, Executive Director of Humanities Kansas, Cindy Schultz (behind Zhang Miaoling), Miaoling, Peggy Schultz, Gary Schultz (behind Peggy), Dan Wegner, Mary Pinard, Visiting Poet at Volland, Erin Debler, Leighann Thone, Humanities Kansas intern, and Kit Auner, Humanities Kansas intern. Out of camera range are Tracy Quillan, Associate Director of Humanities Kansas, and Abigail Kaup, Humanities Kansas Program Director.

The Volland Store to host Smithsonian exhibition about rural America

The Volland Store, 8 miles southwest of Alma, Kansas, is hosting “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. “Crossroads” will be at The Volland Store from March 13, 2021, to April 25, 2021. The “Crossroads” Kansas tour is sponsored by Humanities Kansas in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program.

The Volland Store will build on the photographs, hands-on activities, and audio and video clips provided by the Smithsonian in the “Crossroads” exhibition to tell the history and culture of local rural life in Kansas and spark conversations about our state’s future.

When The Volland Store first learned of the opportunity to apply for hosting the exhibition, the staff reached out to the Wabaunsee County Historical Society, and to neighbors and friends in Wabaunsee County to gauge interest and willingness to help with the large project. The idea of showcasing our rural community alongside a Smithsonian exhibition was met with overwhelming and enthusiastic approval. Conversation began immediately on the best way to present our rural lifestyle: the realities, the joys, the challenges, and the future of rural life in Kansas. The ideas were incorporated in the application and they strengthened our submission substantially.

Now that our community has been selected, everyone is invited to join the effort. We welcome your ideas, and if you have some time to volunteer, there will be plenty of fun to go around. Working together will produce an authentic view of who we are today, one that we will be proud to present to the world. If you would like to join in this effort, please contact Patty Reece or Marci Spaw at 785-499-3616 and leave a message, or email Patty at patty@thevollandstore.com . We look forward to working together!

“Crossroads” tours six Kansas communities in 2020-2021. Other Smithsonian hosts include: Bowlus Fine Arts Center/Allen County Historical Society, Iola; 5.4.7 Arts Center, Greensburg; Kauffman Museum, North Newton; Independence Public Library/Independence Historical Museum and Art Center; and Norton County Arts Council, Norton.

“Through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program, Humanities Kansas is able to bring the resources of the nation’s premier cultural institution to Kansas,“ said Julie Mulvihill, executive director of Humanities Kansas. “The six communities were selected because of the inspired plans provided by local organizations to use the national exhibition as a springboard to explore local stories of innovation and adaptation.”

In addition to the six sites hosting the Smithsonian, eight communities will create their own exhibitions and programming to explore what it means to live rural in the 21st century, the relationship between rural, suburban, and urban, and the progress and persistence needed by communities of all sizes to thrive. Participating communities include Ellinwood, Hays, Lebanon, Colby, El Dorado, Council Grove, Onaga, and Olathe.

Humanities Kansas sponsors the “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” initiative in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program, a one-of-a-kind cultural project that serves small towns and residents of rural communities. To learn more about the “Crossroads” statewide tour visit humanitieskansas.org.

For more information about “Crossroads”in Alma, contact The Volland Store at (785) 499-3616 or visit vollandfoundation.org

ABOUT THE VOLLAND STORE

The Volland Store opened in 1913 in the little railroad community of Volland and quickly become the social and cultural center of the ranching community that surrounded it. Today the former general store has been re-purposed as an art gallery and event center and serves once more as a gathering place for the community, both near and far. Located in a scenic valley in the Flint Hills, the Store is an award-winning space with good art and friendly conversation. Join the artists, writers, scientists, historians, musicians, and poets who enrich and enliven our community.

ABOUT HUMANITIES KANSAS

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. humanitieskansas.org.

Volunteer at the Smithsonian Exhibit!

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 18:55:00 GMT

Volunteer at:

Crossroads: Change in Rural America A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

The Volland Store
March 13 – April 25, 2021

We hope to see you at The Volland Store.

Volunteering is a great way to support the show, meet your neighbors and spend time in the exhibit. With COVID safety precautions of limited reservations and required masks, the Smithsonian exhibit, “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” will be open at The Volland Store, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 -4 pm, March 13 through April 25, 2021. “Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County” will be represented as an introduction to the more extensive Virtual Programming.

Click to email Marci for details and scheduling.

COVID protocols for events at The Volland Store

For visitors who arrive at the Smithsonian exhibit at The Volland Store without reservations or who drop by during closed hours, a new History and Nature Trail at Volland will give all visitors something to experience.

Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:00:00 GMT

A Companion Exhibit to

Crossroads: Change in Rural America

A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

An Online Exhibit with Virtual Events

March 13 – April 25, 2021

We are excited to tell our local story alongside the traveling Smithsonian exhibition examining the changing landscape of rural America.

Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County explores the rural culture of ranching and the small-town life we treasure in Wabaunsee County. This exhibit has been designed by committees in the local community with help from the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. They have worked steadily since May 2020, discussing what makes our community unique – why we value our traditions and how we look ahead to the future… our own story of Rural America.

As the year (and the pandemic) progressed, the local exhibit evolved into a series of virtual presentations and online experiences that will reach an audience far and wide, allowing access to those who may not be able to attend the Smithsonian exhibit at The Volland Store in person.

The online and virtual exhibit tells real stories of real people, offering an extraordinary look into the history and local culture. Each week we will focus on a different aspect of our local story, taking viewers on a journey through history, weaving a tale that starts with grass and brings the story of Wabaunsee County full circle.

Click here for the Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County Virtual Programming Schedule.

The Volland Store is honored to be one of six venues in Kansas to host the traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, Crossroads: Change in Rural America .

The Smithsonian exhibit, “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” will be open at The Volland Store, Saturdays and Sundays, March 13 through April 25, 2021 with reservations available at 1, 2 and 3pm. COVID safety precautions include reservations and masks. For guests who arrive outside their reservation times, there is a nature trail that highlights the region’s unique geography.

Reservations can be made here to see the Smithsonian exhibit at Volland in person.

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners:

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli
Kansas Beef Council
Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partner:

Alma Area Foundation
Bruce & Tina Breckenridge
Bank of the Flint Hills
Downey Ranch
Hendricks Hardware
Carl & Mary Ice
Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.
Lyons Angus Ranch
M7 Ranch – McGee Family
Matfield Station
Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards
The Native Stone Scenic Byway
Heidi & Nelson Nast
Henry & Cara Newell
Patty & Jerry Reece
Stockgrowers State Bank
George Terbovich
Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners:

Alma Chamber of Commerce
Alma Cooperative Oil Association
Antique Emporium
Eskridge Lumber LLC
Farm Bureau Financial Services, Wab. Co.
Farmers & Drovers Bank
Flint Hills Prairie Bison Reserve
Flint Hills Stone
Frank’s Plumbing
Kent & Janna Glasscock
Hafenstine Construction
Hier Insurance Services, Inc
Bill & Kathy Hogue
Lawyers Title of Kansas
McFarland Pride
Cindy & Roger Manz
Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco of Pacheco Beef
Paxico Foundation
Paxico Longbranch Bar & Grill
Lawrence & Janiece Vohland
Wabaunsee Pines Golf Course
Greg & Dina Wingfield

Community Friends:

DJ’s Bar and Grill
Flint Hills Bank
Flint Hills Yoga
Mill Creek Lodge at Volland Point
Prairie Heritage, Inc.
S&S Auto Body and Collision
Stop-2-Shop
Wyldewood Cellars Winery

Ribbon-Cutting for the Smithsonian Exhibit

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 17:05:00 GMT

Video featuring the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and a Sneak Peek of the Crossroads exhibit

Governor Laura Kelly, Julie Mulvihill from Humanities Kansas, and Patty Reece, founder of The Volland Foundation kicked-off the festivities! The traveling Smithsonian exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America will be open by reservation at The Volland Store March 13 – April 25. The online exhibit Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County explores the rural culture of ranching and the small-town life we treasure in Wabaunsee County.

The Volland Store is honored to be one of six venues in Kansas to host the traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, Crossroads: Change in Rural America .

With COVID safety precautions of limited reservations and required masks, the Smithsonian exhibit, Crossroads: Change in Rural America , will be open at The Volland Store, Saturdays and Sundays, March 13 through April 25, 2021 with reservations available at 1, 2, and 3pm. For guests who arrive outside their reservation times, there is a nature trail that highlights the region’s unique geography.

Reservations can be made here to see the Smithsonian exhibit at Volland in person.

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners:

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch

Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus

Ranch M7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece

Stockgrowers State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Partners for the Opening Weekend

Alma Cooperative Oil Association

Farm Bureau Financial Services, Wab. Co.

Farmers & Drovers Bank

Lawyers Title of Kansas

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County II

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 16:41:00 GMT

– expanded and in person-

June 26 – September 5 | 2021

Originally created by local committees of Wabaunsee County to be an online experience
as a Companion Exhibit to
Crossroads: Change in Rural America
A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit, exhibited at The Volland Store in Spring 2021

Recently expanded and in person at the gallery of The Volland Store

Wabaunsee County has a strong commitment to its heritage, ranching culture, and small-town lifestyle. Drawing on historic roots, local citizens create experiences that appeal to new audiences, build community, attract new people to Wabaunsee County, and support the local economy.

The exhibit explores the deep roots of this place, the foundation for our growth into the future. It tells stories of local citizens who enrich the community through volunteerism, innovative industry, or safeguarding heritage sites. In their own words they bear witness to a sense of place they hold dear.

more information here

gallery guide available in the gallery

There are many people who could not be included due to space and time. A debt of gratitude is owed to all the citizens of Wabaunsee County who understand the privilege of living in this extraordinary place and who work hard every day to preserve its culture.

Wabaunsee County has a strong commitment to its heritage, ranching culture, and small-town lifestyle. Drawing on historic roots, local citizens create experiences that appeal to new audiences, build community, attract new people to Wabaunsee County, and support the local economy.

The exhibit explores the deep roots of this place, the foundation for our growth into the future. It tells stories of local citizens who enrich the community through volunteerism, innovative industry, or safeguarding heritage sites. In their own words they bear witness to a sense of place they hold dear.

more information here

gallery guide available in the gallery

There are many people who could not be included due to space and time. A debt of gratitude is owed to all the citizens of Wabaunsee County who understand the privilege of living in this extraordinary place and who work hard every day to preserve its culture.

Thank you!

Local Exhibit Committee: Jennifer Gehrt, Chair; Abby Amick, Erin Debler, Barb Downey, Amy Langvardt, Wrenn Pacheco, Cindy Schultz, Marci Spaw, Michael Stubbs.

Exhibit Design Committee: Patty Reece, Chair; Mindy Chaffin, Lorn Clement, Tony Crawford, Susanne Siepl-Coates, Marci Spaw, George Terbovich.

Community Partners Committee: John Hund and Paul Miller, Co-Chairs; Jennifer Gehrt.

– with special thanks to Marci Spaw and Mindy Chaffin –

and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Explore Wabaunsee County

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:28:00 GMT

Photo by Scott Bean

Wabaunsee County has a proud history that is represented by numerous historical sites: Beecher Bible and Rifle Church, one-room schoolhouses and cemeteries, historical trails and scenic byways, just to mention a few.

Please note some of these sites may be on private property and not open to the public.

Please respect private property by not trespassing and leave public sites just as you found them.

We are offering ways to explore:

HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS

Wabaunsee County Historical Society & Museum
Established in 1968, the mission of the Historical Society is to preserve the heritage of Wabaunsee County. The museum maintains extensive genealogy records, photos, artifacts, and interpretive displays. This comprehensive collection allows visitors to explore the undertold stories of the region as well as learn more about the heritage sites listed below.
Website: www.wabaunseecomuseum.org
Hours: March 13-April 25th: Monday-Saturday 10-4, closed for lunch. 12 – 1. Sunday 1-4.
Summer hours starting May 1: Monday – Saturday 10-4, closed for lunch

Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park
Local and national history and the wonders of nature come alive at Mount Mitchell. While standing on its summit, learn about the Native American culture that considered the hilltop a sacred place, walk on the route of the Underground Railroad in the footsteps of African American freedom-seekers, and learn about local events leading up to the Civil War.
Website: www.mountmitchellprairie.org
Hours: Open year-round, dawn to dusk

Beecher Bible & Rifle Church
This church, built in 1862 and originally known as the First Church of Christ at Wabaunsee, is named in honor of the abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . The modern name refers to the Sharps rifles and Bibles that Beecher provided the abolitionists from New Haven, CT who settled here in 1856. The name came into being when the gift was announced, and headlines proclaimed, “Bibles and Rifles for Kanzas.” This incident escalated the tensions between pro and anti-slavery forces in the territory, which only weeks later led to the sacking and burning of the free-state capital at Lawrence. The church was placed on the National Register in 1971.

The Volland Store
Opened as Kratzer Brothers Mercantile in 1913, it was filled with every kind of merchandise and became the social and cultural center of Volland and the surrounding community. The Volland Store was a centerpiece of the community until the early 1970s when it closed after the death of its storekeeper, Otto Kratzer. In 2015 the former general store was re-purposed as an art gallery and event center and serves once more as a gathering place for the community, both near and far.

PUBLIC RECREATION

There are several areas in Wabaunsee County that offer opportunities to be active outside while learning more about wildlife and the history of the area.

Lake Wabaunsee
This 235-acre spring-fed lake started as a state initiative in 1933 but was completed as a Works Progress Administration project in 1937. Some of the recreational cabins were originally barracks constructed as a camp for transient workers. In the 1940s they housed German prisoners-of-war. They are enjoyed today by residents and out-of-towners. For more information about Lake Wabaunsee visit www.lakewabaunsee.com

Wabaunsee Pines Golf Course
Located at Lake Wabaunsee, Wabaunsee Pines is a nine-hole public golf course featuring limestone berms and native grasses of the Flint Hills. “The Gem of the Flint Hills” was constructed and is maintained with volunteer labor. For more information about Wabaunsee Pines Golf course visit www.wabaunseepinesgolf.com

Echo Cliff Park
The 50-foot cliffs received their name in 1895 but there is archeological evidence that Native Americans had lived or camped here over 1,000 years ago. The park area was cleared during the 1920s, and the original truss bridge is open to pedestrian traffic only. In the 1960s Earl Hepworth, a local farmer and artist, created the signs, picnic tables and other amenities the park offers today. Owned by the Echo Cliff Park Trust, it is located south of Highway 4, on Echo Cliff Road.

Bolton Wildlife Area
The Bolton Wildlife Area is a contiguous tract of land a half mile wide by two miles long. The 640-acrea area consists primarily of native prairie. The area is managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism and has begun to manage intensively for greater prairie chicken habitat on the property, in addition to other native species of the region. The Bolton Wildlife area is located 2 ½ miles north and 1 ½ miles west of Paxico.

SITES WITH HISTORIC MARKERS

HISTORIC TRAILS & SCENIC BYWAYS

Native Stone Scenic Byway
This Scenic Byway, established in 2005 now spans 75 miles through Shawnee, Wabaunsee and Riley Counties. The scenic route showcases native limestone: not only the fences, bridges, and buildings but also the natural stone outcroppings along this Byway. The Byway maintains ten informational kiosks along the route, with eight of them located in Wabaunsee County: Echo Cliff, Eskridge, Lake Wabaunsee, Highway 99, Alma, Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park, and Wabaunsee. For more information about the Native Stone Scenic Byway route visit: www.travelks.com

Skyline Mill Creek Scenic Drive
This scenic drive was established in 1968 by business people in Paxico, Alma and Alta Vista to encourage traffic to the businesses in these towns. The Native Stone Scenic Byway committee adopted the drive as an added feature of its highway route. The drive spans the county beginning in Alta Vista, following the West branch of Mill Creek on old K-10 Hwy through Alma, then south on Hwy 99, turning east up Skyline Road for beautiful views from ridge lines of the county. Note that Skyline Road is a gravel road, so plan accordingly!

Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail, celebrating the 200th anniversary in 2021, makes a brief but significant trek through the ghost town of Wilmington in the far southeast corner of the county. In this area, there are several historical plaques that mark where the Santa Fe Trail traversed the county.

Clapboard Ravine Overlook
A go-to spot for 360 views of Wabaunsee County and beyond! To the north you will see the Mill Creek Valley, and Interstate 70. To the east is a view of Kuenzli Creek Valley. To the south you see an expanse of pastures and cattle. To the west you can view the town of Alma and all the way beyond the hills that rise above Volland.

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation
Bruce & Tina Breckenridge
Bank of the Flint Hills
Downey Ranch
Hendricks Hardware
Carl & Mary Ice
Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.
Lyons Angus Ranch
M7 Ranch – McGee Family
Matfield Station
Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards
The Native Stone Scenic Byway
Heidi & Nelson Nast
Henry & Cara Newell
Patty & Jerry Reece
Stockgrowers State Bank
George Terbovich
Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Explore Wabaunsee County Week

Alma Chamber of Commerce

Antique Emporium

Flint Hills Stone

Bill & Kathy Hogue

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Paxico on the Porch

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:10:00 GMT

Explore the many sides of Paxico in this Zoom conversation.

“Paxico on the Porch,” a zoom conversation with Paxico visionaries Doug Holladay, Bud Hund, John Hund, and Dan Wagner, hear them describe how Paxico’s past has influenced its future and their big dreams for getting Paxico on the map for its Blues Fest, neighborhood music scene, and antiques.

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners:

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch

Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus

Ranch M7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece

Stockgrowers State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Partners for Commitment to Community Week

Hier Insurance Services, Inc

McFarland Pride

Paxico Foundation

Paxico Longbranch Bar & Grill

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

NuPenny’s Last Stand

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 17:00:00 GMT

June 26 – September 5 | 2021
extended to September 10!

_____________________

Sunset Viewings!

through September 10, 2021

Bring your lawn chair and a picnic –
Visit with neighbors and make new friends as you wait for sunset.
Watch NuPenny emerge as light fades and darkness falls.

Music by The Cicadas. Lighting by The Fireflies.

for information on the DEEP ROOTS II exhibit in the gallery

click here

_________________________________

It is unclear how many NuPenny Toy Stands there actually were in the United States, or if in fact there ever were more than one.

The first (known) sighting of a NuPenny Toy Store in modern times was in the town of Waterville, Maine in 2009, but it was last seen in a field in 2016, near Towanda, Kansas. Little has been heard or seen of the small, itinerant store since that time. But that could change this year, as troubled times gradually ease. Spring is here on the Great Plains, people are tentatively beginning, or considering the prospect of moving about again. And with the warm south winds come the possibility of NuPenny setting its wandering sail – and Volland, nestled in the Flint Hills soul of Kansas, is just the type of place one might expect to see it reappear.

Randy Regier
April 2021

randyregier.com

Look for NuPenny’s Last Stand

– somewhere in Volland, from June 26 through the rest of the summer –

_____________________________________________________________

NuPenny has landed!

You may see it in a field at Volland this summer, even when the gallery is closed.
Best viewed from sunset until dark. Bring your lawn chair.

Artist Statement

In 1928 the German literary critic Walter Benjamin wrote in his essay, “The Cultural History of Toys,” that, “Children do not constitute a community cut off from everything else…their toys cannot bear witness to any autonomous separate existence, but rather are a silent signifying dialogue between them [children] and their nation.” This is not only true for toys (of which much of my work is concerned), but for all manner of objects – artifacts – from our collective past that are formed and fabricated by human hands and intentions. This is the realm in which I work and play, and seek to understand my culture and history.

NuPenny’s Last Stand

by Ryan Jones

Much like a shiny new penny found lying on the sidewalk, NuPenny’s Last Stand immediately catches your eye, and invites interaction. The work, by Kansas City-based Randy Regier, sparks the imagination with its mid-century motifs and nods to toy-making. Informed by his time as a body mechanic, married with seemingly boundless ingenuity, Regier constructed the store’s items by hand. NuPenny occupies the space between our known history and imagined future, generating a mystique much like that experienced in The Twilight Zone , a reference point for the work. Those looking to purchase one of NuPenny’s Atomic Age offerings will surely be disappointed; the stand is locked, leaving prospective buyers at the moment right before a purchase, full of wonder.

Little is known about NuPenny’s history, or its future for that matter. We do know the stand appeared most recently in a field in Towanda, Kansas. When asked about where NuPenny will appear next, Regier offers little information, adding to the fleeting nature of his installation.

Beyond his three-dimensional creations, Regier’s works on canvas and performances expand on the themes forwarded in NuPenny’s Last Stand . In, Colony 39, a series of mixed media works, Regier reflects on a Japanese toy he purchased in the 1980s, lost but still resonant, especially its mysterious qualities. The artist echoes the feeling in the series, where he examines the “unknown, the enigmatic, the experience of both encountering and/or being the other.”

Randy Regier is represented at the Ruben Saunders Gallery in Wichita, and the Jim Kempner Fine Art gallery in New York. Find more informationn at randyregier.com.

RANDY REGIER

Born in Nebraska, Randy spent his youth in Oregon and became a professional autobodyman and painter. Eventually he and his family left so he could pursue and obtain higher education, a BFA in Sculpture at Kansas State University and an MFA in Studio Arts and Theory at Maine College of Art.

Regier says, “My entire life has been spent in the company of toys, cars and tools, but my mind has always wandered toward literature and questions about purpose and aesthetics.” In 2014, Regier was one of three Kansas artists selected for State of The Art: Discovering American Art Now , at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. His studio is now centered in Kansas City, Kansas.

Peace on the Prairie: Two Voices

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 19:50:00 GMT

Susan Rose & Annie Wilson

A Painter and a Songwriter

September 12 – October 10 | 2021

Update:

The Volland Store will be closed for private events October 9 and 10

The exhibit is available for public viewing through October 3

If you miss it at Volland, Peace on the Prairie will be exhibited at Pioneer Bluffs on the afternoon of October 16.
https://pioneerbluffs.org

past event

Sunday, September 12

Presentation & Performance

Music by Tallgrass Express begins at 1:15

Presentation at 2:00

Refreshments | Free Admission

Masks required inside.

____________________

Marrying the visual and musical arts, Peace on the Prairie connects viewers to the prairie in this inter-disciplinary exhibition.

Susan Rose and Annie Wilson engaged with the prairie independently before their 2020 project. Rose, who works primarily with oil, but also in watercolor, drawing, and photography, often focuses on often-overlooked features in the prairie. Wilson, holding deep roots in the Flint Hills, began writing free-verse poems in the 1980s, drawing inspiration from Stephen Hind. After meeting in Cottonwood Falls a few years ago, Rose had hoped she could make work reflecting Wilson’s lyrics. The opportunity presented itself in 2020 when Rose found comfort and inspiration in “Peace on the Prairie,” Wilson and Tallgrass Express’ latest album. Rose’s twelve paintings in the exhibition correlate to lines from the album’s title track, offering viewers her interpretation of Wilson’s words.

… A Great Blue Heron slowly glides across the evening sky …

“Peace on the Prairie” by Annie Wilson

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ARTIST STATEMENT

Years ago when I was first exposed to Annie Wilson’s music, I was immediately taken by her story telling. In particular I loved her description of the Flint Hills landscape, its flora and fauna, and its beauty to behold. The poetry in the lyrics aligned with my own emotional and visual “triggers” which I seek to capture in my paintings of the Flint Hills landscape.

I met Annie in person for the first time one summer day in Cottonwood Falls a few year ago. I told her how much I enjoy her music and that she sings about the same things that I paint! Since that time I have often said it would be fun one day to pair her lyrics with my art. Well, that day came as the difficult year of 2020 was coming to a close and I was struggling emotionally and artistically. Annie shared her newly released CD “Peace on the Prairie” with me to help lift me up. The title song did in fact immediately do its work on me, quickly pushing that dark cloud away as its music rekindled my imagination. Inspired, I began painting scenes from its verses. This exhibit represents the body of work created for this song. – Susan Rose

SONGWRITER STATEMENT

When I first began to see Susan Rose’s work, I was immediately struck by its beauty and how Susan painted the scenes I loved to look at in the Flint Hills: wide vistas with clean horizons and beautiful skies, often featuring close-ups of prairie flowers, grasses, wildlife, and especially birds. I was enchanted! We both seemed drawn to these dreamlike Flint Hills landscapes that bring peace and comfort to the soul, especially in troubled times.

When I got to know Susan and would run into her occasionally at concerts and events, we shared how we must see the same kind magic in the Flint Hills, and how it would be fun to somehow work together to pair our art and music. When Dave Kendall included both of us in his documentary, Prairie Women, I felt an even stronger kinship with Susan.

Then I was truly amazed and delighted when Susan initiated this collaboration last December by starting her series of paintings illustrating the lines in my new album’s title song “Peace on the Prairie.” As she finished and shared each additional painting, I was continually awed at her insight in so closely creating the visualization I had been trying to convey in words and music.

I feel profoundly fortunate and consider it one of the greatest honors of my life that Susan chose to do this project. I am thankful to the Volland Store for helping us to share this collaboration of art and music – so we can all celebrate together the beauty and comfort of the Flint Hills, and their gift to us of “Peace on the Prairie.” – Annie Wilson

… There is peace on the prairie – tonight …

“Peace on the Prairie” by Annie Wilson

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BIOS

SUSAN ROSE

Susan Rose is inspired by the beauty of the prairie, the sky and the creatures that call it home. She refers to the natural world around her as “God’s Canvas” and is challenged to attempt to capture an essence of what is observed on this “canvas” to others through her art. She is particularly drawn to focus on the small but beautiful elements in nature that are easily overlooked or taken for granted, or the play of light and shadows across the contours of the hills. Nature and the Flint Hills is the subject of most of her work. Her love of outdoor life and animals is enhanced by living on “a little house on the prairie” in rural Wabaunsee County, alongside her husband and a collection of dogs, cats, horses, and goats. Though a professional artist, she is also a licensed veterinary nurse by training and works at the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine as an instructor.

She mostly works in the studio from her own photographs and from memories collected while immersed in the local landscape and nature. While most of the current work is done in oil, she also enjoys combining drawing and watercolor as well.

Once a month she hosts other artists to join her in the Flint Hills for her “Second-Saturday Paint Out.” The group has continued to meet year-round each month since 2014. This activity drew the attention of others and led her to be one of the featured women in the 2018 Prairie Hollow Production documentary, “Engaging Women of the Flint Hills,” which has appeared frequently on Kansas public television and has toured Kansas.

Her work has been selected for juried and invitational regional and international exhibits and is in numerous private collections around the country. It has been featured in SouthWind Art Gallery books State of the Art-Kansas and Topeka: A Great Arts Town. Native-bird themed work was also part of the Flint Hills Discovery Center’s Through the Artist’s Eyes exhibit, which also was published in a book by the same name.

ANNIE WILSON

Annie Wilson always wanted to be a writer, a cowgirl, and a folk singer. Since none of these guarantees a steady living, she pursued various alternate professions over the years – in law, business and teaching. Nevertheless, thanks to some good luck, she eventually found a way to share her written word, live on a ranch, and sing about it!

After college classes with authors Tom Averill and Jim Hoy, and inspired by Flint Hills poet Stephen Hind, Annie began writing regional-themed free verse poems in the 1980’s, while raising three daughters with her husband on their Flint Hills ranch. Her writing did not quite fit the “cowboy poetry” genre, yet Jim Hoy included her in his poetry gatherings, and as a result, she learned there was an audience for her writing.

After performing in a music duo in her 20’s, Annie had put music aside for a couple of decades as work and family dominated her life. But when her kids were older, she began to join the Emma Chase Friday Night Music gatherings and became part of the Tallgrass Express String Band which grew out of that. She then wrote her first song about the Flint Hills region – discovering a way to fuse her love of writing, ranch life, and music.

Annie struggled with the exact meter and rhyme required in song lyrics, and with her limited musical training (mainly playing by ear), but she slowly began to create more songs about life in the Flint Hills, hoping to share the beauty of the landscape and wildlife, and portray local legends and history.

Over the years, Annie depended on her band partners to “dress up” her simple melodies with instrumentation and harmonies. She especially appreciates the talents of current Tallgrass Express musicians Carl Reed on bass, guitar and vocals, and Derrick Doty on fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. Both are gifted songwriters and composers in their own right.

Today, Tallgrass Express has recorded five albums with over 50 original songs, and given over 400 performances, taking listeners to a world of stunning landscapes, western romance and humor, skilled cowboys and spunky cowgirls, runaway horses, Indian buffalo hunts, fiery abolitionists, and lovely prairie walks among native birds and grasses.

In 2013, Annie Wilson was named the Kansas Flint Hills Balladeer for her songs celebrating the Flint Hills. Author Jim Hoy writes that her words and melodies “embody the landscape and bring the tallgrass prairie to life.”

… The cattle on the hillside are belly deep in grass/ Heads down low and grazing as they’re slowly inching past …

“Peace on the Prairie” by Annie Wilson

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Join Us on September 12th for a Presentation by Susan Rose and Annie Wilson, with a Live Performance by Annie Wilson and Tallgrass Express!

Susan Rose and Annie Wilson will be at The Volland Store to present Peace on the Prairie on September 12th. Beginning with live music by Tallgrass Express at 1:15 by the Blacksmith Shop, the artists will present outside (weather permitting). This will be an opportunity to hear the artists speak on their creative processes, engage with their work through an interactive program, and meet Susan and Annie. Inside, the gallery will be open to view Rose’s Peace on the Prairie works. A film by Dave Kendall is an extraordinary melding of Rose’s paintings with the music and lyrics of Wilson’s song, each heightening the other and engaging viewers on two fronts.

Free admission. Refreshments will be served.

For your protection, and the safety of others, chairs will be socially distanced outside, and masks required inside the gallery.

Healthy Moving for You

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 15:36:00 GMT

T W O F r e e Y O G A C l a s s e s

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners:

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch

Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus

Ranch M7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece

Stockgrowers State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Healthy Moving Week

Frank’s Plumbing
Cindy & Roger Manz
Wabaunsee Pines Golf Course

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Holly Wilson: Upturned Flower that Travels

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 20:44:00 GMT

Closing Reception

Sunday, December 5

Conversation with the Artist | 2pm

Wearable Art by Holly Wilson will be available for purchase

(also at Volland Store Online )

Holly Wilson does not shy away from her personal history in her work.

The Mustang, Oklahoma artist, of Delaware Nation and Cherokee Nation lineage, works across several mediums in her efforts to “create a tapestry that tells stories that are sacred and precious, personal and universal, powerful and at times volatile.” Together, the works offer a glimpse of the artist’s history, present, and future.

The exhibition’s title, Holly Wilson: Upturned Flower that Travels echoes the personal and narrative themes she engages. Marrying her English name with the translation of her Native name, Wilson highlights her perspective as both white and indigenous. Wilson’s work invites interaction, coming off the wall to meet the viewer with bold imagery, serving as a magnet for eyes. Viewed individually, Wilson’s work act as vignettes. For instance, in her Bloodline , Wilson shares her family history through non-descript figures. In Two Sides of the Self , Wilson and the Bear, Wilson’s son is depicted in detail, contrasting Bloodline and generating an intimate observation of the artist’s present moment. Opening in Volland and later in New York City, the exhibition parallels Wilson’s Native name, travelling and sharing its story.

Bloodline: Past Present Future

by Ryan Jones

How do we measure time? The second, our base time unit, offers a start. The “cesium second,” established in 1967, codified the fleeting unit. Standardizing time is entirely human. A non-humanist interpretation might consider changing seasons, tidal patterns, or the position of celestial bodies. Bloodline: Past Present Future , a work of bronze, cedar, and steel by Oklahoma-based Holly Wilson, exists in the space where these two measurements of time connect. With natural materials and her unique bronze casting technique, Wilson utilizes medium choices to reflect on the Native experience, while posing a possible future.

Trees measure time in their own way. Their vertical growth marks the years from a sapling to a mature tree. The rings of a tree’s trunk track the years, while hinting at those year’s conditions: large rings suggest years of growth, while small ones show a strain. This measure of time is self-contained. A living record. Wilson’s choice of materials reflects her Delaware Nation and Cherokee Nation heritage. Wilson’s mother burned cedar to purify her home, and the artist has done the same in Bloodline . Purifying the space around her work, Wilson introduces viewers to her Native roots. The act also bridges the gap between natural and human measurements of time.

The toppled, splayed, and burnt cedar pieces in Bloodlines: Past Present Future underpin the human history Wilson explores in the multi-media work. Traversing the tripartite work are 42 bronze figures. Irregular in their features, but sharing attenuated legs, the forms are considered individually and collectively. The bodies in motion catalyze reflection on the Native experience, the current setting, and an unfolding history. In the Past the figures’ stride connotes involuntary removal. The Trail of Tears displaced over 60,000, including Cherokee. It also recalls the involuntary assimilation of Native children into colonizing culture through boarding schools. Much like the rings of trees, where thick and thin share the same form, Wilson noted during conversations leading up to the exhibition that what was once an injustice can morph into something different. Wilson explained a boarding school offered a job and security for her mother in a time of distress. Schools have, in some ways, restored what was taken away in previous generations. The Cherokee Immersion Charter School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma offers a different model, where Native culture is embraced, rather than erased. The rings of tree suggest a future: one marked with advancements and setbacks.

Bloodlines: Past Present Future invites viewers to consider the Native experience. Careful medium choices drive this theme. Viewers will notice two figures turned back from the procession, suggesting a dialogue between the Past and Present, the Present and Future. Utilizing materials specific to her history, married with her unique bronze castings, Wilson draws viewers into the conversation.

HOLLY WILSON | BIO

Multi-media artist Holly Wilson creates figures which serve as her storytellers to the world, conveying stories of the sacred and the precious, capturing moments of our day, our vulnerabilities, and our strengths. The stories are at one time both representations of family history as well as personal experiences. Wilson ’ s work reaches a broad audience allowing the viewer the opportunity to see their personal connection. Wilson works in a variety of media including bronzes, paint, encaustic, photography, glass, and clay.

She has been exhibiting her intimate bronzes, photography, and encaustic relief paintings nationally and internationally since the early 1990s. Additionally, her works are in corporate, public, and museum collections throughout the United States, as well as national and international private collections such as; The Heritage in Oklahoma City, The Central Library in downtown Tulsa Oklahoma, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, the C.N. Gorman Museum, The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Wilson has received recognition for her artwork through her inclusion in important exhibitions, most recently Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. Wilson’s work has also been included in exhibitions such as Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present , a traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia. She was chosen to represent Oklahoma in the museum exhibition Four by Four 2016: Midwest Invitational at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, and Expressions of Spirit at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Wilson has received many awards, grants, and fellowships for her evocative sculptures, including a 2017 SWAIA Discovery Fellowship from the Santa Fe Indian Market and a 2015 Eiteljorg Fellowship from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Currently, Wilson has work in the exhibition Weaving History into Art: The Enduring Legacy of Shan Goshorn at The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK from October 9, 2020 – March 28, 2021.

Holly Wilson of Delaware Nation and Cherokee Nation heritage is now based in Mustang, Oklahoma. In in 2001 she graduated with an MFA in sculpture and in 1994 she earned an MA in ceramics both from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas; she received her Teaching Certification in K-12 Art from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1993; and in 1992 she finished her BFA in ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Multi-media artist Holly Wilson creates figures which serve as her storytellers to the world, conveying stories of the sacred and the precious, capturing moments of our day, our vulnerabilities, and our strengths. The stories are at one time both representations of family history as well as personal experiences. Wilson ’ s work reaches a broad audience allowing the viewer the opportunity to see their personal connection. Wilson works in a variety of media including bronzes, paint, encaustic, photography, glass, and clay.

She has been exhibiting her intimate bronzes, photography, and encaustic relief paintings nationally and internationally since the early 1990s. Additionally, her works are in corporate, public, and museum collections throughout the United States, as well as national and international private collections such as; The Heritage in Oklahoma City, The Central Library in downtown Tulsa Oklahoma, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, the C.N. Gorman Museum, The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Wilson has received recognition for her artwork through her inclusion in important exhibitions, most recently Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. Wilson’s work has also been included in exhibitions such as Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present , a traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia. She was chosen to represent Oklahoma in the museum exhibition Four by Four 2016: Midwest Invitational at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, and Expressions of Spirit at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Wilson has received many awards, grants, and fellowships for her evocative sculptures, including a 2017 SWAIA Discovery Fellowship from the Santa Fe Indian Market and a 2015 Eiteljorg Fellowship from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Currently, Wilson has work in the exhibition Weaving History into Art: The Enduring Legacy of Shan Goshorn at The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK from October 9, 2020 – March 28, 2021.

Holly Wilson of Delaware Nation and Cherokee Nation heritage is now based in Mustang, Oklahoma. In in 2001 she graduated with an MFA in sculpture and in 1994 she earned an MA in ceramics both from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas; she received her Teaching Certification in K-12 Art from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1993; and in 1992 she finished her BFA in ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Narrative is central to my work. I am interested in stories—the stories of my parents, my ancestors, my family, my community. I am a storyteller; through my work, I weave together the threads of these various narratives to create a tapestry that tells stories that are sacred and precious, personal and universal, powerful and at times volatile. Telling them brings to life things sometimes kept secret, hidden, and not permitted to be said because they challenge the status quo or reveal realities that neither side wants said.

In a strategic trickster twist, I feature children, often masked, as a tool to bring the viewer into my story that on the surface seems benign or sweet but upon closer reflection addresses much deeper and challenging issues. Masks are multi-layered elements in my work. Simultaneously, they reference traditional Delaware and Cherokee stories that my mother told me as a child and symbolize transformation and obfuscation. Masks are a mechanism to hide or obscure our true intentions, acting as a wall between us and the world at times protecting us or others. They are also agents of transformation that allow one to become more than what they were, to become powerful or sometimes dangerous. The strategy is to subvert narrative expectations.

My work also addresses what lies beneath or in the shadows. Stories and narratives often have secrets lurking within. I am intrigued with the power of these “shadows” in our lives and how they haunt us or make us doubt our reality, at times even terrorizing us. I consciously incorporate shadows in my work by controlling the lighting and relationships of the figures, giving form to the secrets that linger in our lives. The secrets take form in my work as shadows that hang in and around the forms, shifting as the viewer’s position shifts much like how secrets take different forms sometimes benign and sometimes nefarious.

– Holly Wilson

Opening Weekend Programming

Saturday, November 6 – The artist will explain her process, using examples of the various stages of bronze casting. In the Blacksmith Shop at The Volland Store, 2pm.

Sunday, November 7 – Artist remarks followed by conversation. In the gallery at 2pm.

A selection of Wilson’s sterling silver jewelry, echoing the exhibition’s themes, will be available for sale during the exhibit.

Free admission. Refreshments will be served.
For your protection, and the safety of others, masks are required inside the gallery.

Commitment to Community

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 20:00:00 GMT

Commitment to Community Event

“Paxico on the Porch” a Recorded Zoom Conversation

Doug Holladay, Bud Hund, John Hund, and Dan Wagner describe their big dreams for getting Paxico on the map for its Blues Fest, neighborhood music scene, and antiques.

Click to watch the recorded Zoom conversation.

Community Builders in Wabaunsee County

Read their stories here-
in their own words

With scenic beauty as a stunning backdrop, Wabaunsee County has a strong commitment to community and culture. Drawing on historic roots, while appealing to new audiences, social events like barn dances, quilting bees and pitch tournaments have paved the way for Hot Alma Nights, Mulligans, Vintage Motorcycle Exhibits, the Paxico Blues Fest, the Tractor Crank-up Tour, and the Pumpkin Patch. These experiences build community, attract new people to Wabaunsee County, and support the local economy. Here are some of the people who have enriched the community either through volunteerism, innovative industry or safeguarding heritage sites.

Alex Gnadt, Owner of Flint Hills Stone

Alex Gnadt, owner of Flint Hills Stone was born and raised in Wabaunsee county. While in college he developed an interest in the limestone ledge found in the Flint Hills. Alex founded Flint Hills Stone in 2008. As a fourth generation farmer he is committed to land conservation. Our operation is managed with reclamation and preservation at the forefront. We work closely with landowners and local seed producers to reestablish the right blend of native grass. We have implemented best practices in conservation to ensure the return of the tallgrass prairie for continued farming and ranching. We are proud to partner with landowners to help sustain family farms and to ensure the Flint Hills will continue to thrive for years to come.

Amy Langvardt, Rancher

Amy Langvardt owns and manages a cattle ranch in southern Wabaunsee County with three generations of her family. The goal at Lyons Ranch is to produce Angus seedstock with superior genetics using a mix of old and new techniques every day: time-tested cowboying, enhanced with newer science like Artificial Insemination and DNA testing. The culmination of the year, in addition to calving season, is the annual bull sale, held for more than three decades at the ranch headquarters near Manhattan.

Amy’s husband Karl’s family run two livestock sale barns in neighboring counties. They help market tens of thousands of cattle annually- yearlings off the Flint Hills grass after grazing season and the calf crops of their Wabaunsee County neighbors.

Amy serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Kansas Beef Council, the national and state boards that allocate Beef Checkoff dollars for marketing and research programs designed to increase the demand for beef at home and abroad through advertising, research and education.

Annie Compton, Community Leader

During the week, homeschooling mother of four, city council member, and photographer Annie Compton wears many hats. But her dedication to improving the community she grew up in is realized in her work as President of the Eskridge Park Foundation. For the past three years, the EPF has been dedicated to revitalizing the Eskridge City Park, founded in 1903. Their dream for the park is to make it a hub of activity for the community again by adding restrooms, playground, picnic amenities, sidewalks and more, while paying respect to the beautiful history of the park by restoring its historic bandstand. The group has raised over $65,000 so far, won the Heritage Trust Fund Grant in 2020, and continues to plan events not only to bring these dreams to fruition, but to bring their community together.

Barb Downey and Joe Carpenter, Ranchers

Barb & Joe hold a vision for their community that cultivates that same holistic & integrative approach they use on the ranch. They see the rural nature & wide-open spaces of their community as the incubator of many uniquely American values with which we all identify: self-reliance, self-startedness, the intimate familiarity with nature and that necessary symbiotic relationship with her, all capped off with personal responsibility to all who depend on you. It is that integration of the environment & the community that helps ensure all will thrive together.

Bruce Waugh, Community Leader

Bruce Waugh grew up in Eskridge across from the City Park. He became active in 2002 when industrial wind turbine complexes threatened to invade the native prairie of the Flint Hills. He joined and supported other concerned landowners, residents and friends of the Flint Hills to establish regulations to prevent such industrialization.

Bud Hund, Entrepreneur, Festival Producer, Storekeeper

I come from a seven-generation family of German immigrant farmers and ranchers. I have promoted festivals and music for over 48 years while running an antique store in Paxico, Kansas. The Blues Festival was started with the assistance of a former African- American resident who is a producer of blues music. I would like to see Paxico as a destination for music in the Flint Hills. I continue spending a lot of time keeping mediocrity at bay.

Lee and Cindy Schultz, Ranchers and Educators

The Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County have been home to Lee since birth and to Cindy since 1972 when her family purchased a local ranch and relocated here. Together we have worked to be strong stewards of the land as we provide, and preserve, our ranching lifestyle – rising early, working late, and playing hard. Our time and energy have been given to various organizations and visions, including surrounding schools, churches, 4-H, and youth athletics- from horse drawn hayrack rides for all schoolmates, to tubing down Mill Creek with gymnastics families; from early morning crosscountry workouts and homemade cinnamon rolls, to ziplines and spectacular views from the “S” hill for soccer youth.

We have also shared our family ranching experiences with local, national, and international guests from 9 to 90 years of age. Our children and grandchildren, fourth and fifth generation Schultz Family, continue to be involved in our seasonal ranch work. Their help is essential for gathering cows, working and weaning calves, building fence, and managing pastures and hay acreages. Our life together continues to be filled with nature, wildlife, cattle and horses, the Flint Hills, helping, and family. Our drive has always been to provide our children and grandchildren with wings to fly and ranching roots to come home to. We are blessed.

Dan Wagner, Educator and Community Leader

Dan Wagner was raised in Paxico and has spent almost his entire life in the community. He has served the city as both a councilperson and as mayor of the community. His volunteerism has led to a solid effect on improving the city’s appearance, and to improvements at the city park. The city park in many ways represents the direction the city is going.

My dream for Wabaunsee County is for the county to balance the maintenance of its pristine beauty, but also allow economic development along the I-70 corridor.

Doug Heigert, Community Leader

I live in Wabaunsee County by the Grace of God. My great Grandfather came here from Germany to work for his uncle and aunt and my wife and my family grew up here. We had a wonderful childhood and when we married made a conscious decision to stay and raise our children here because of the environment.

My volunteerism started in childhood because of the example of my parents and extended family. Living in a small town, attending a small school and church means you have to be involved if you want something to grow and become better and just to function. You can’t let “somebody” else do it because sometimes there isn’t anyone else. Working with a lot of people over the years, Paxico and the surrounding area has grown and improved; we have worked to make the area a delightful place to visit; a place we are very proud of. We live across the street from Sacred Heart Catholic Church and there are many visitors, and they always comment on the beauty and peacefulness of Mill Creek Valley and the Flint Hills; that is something we hope to maintain and hope others can enjoy.

I serve on the Wabaunsee County Historical Society Board, Paxico Foundation, Paxico High School Alumni Association and help at the Catholic churches in Paxico/Newbury and Maple Hill.

Gary and Peggy Schultz, Ranchers

The Schultz family’s ranching tradition started in Wabaunsee County back in 1872. Lush green grass for grazing and the railhead at Volland that allowed for shipping cattle in and out made this the ideal foundation to get started.

My grandfather Gus was a risk-taker and had a mindset to grow his business. He acquired large amounts of Flint Hills Grass, some for as much as $6.50 an acre.

That land is still in our operation today. My father Bill followed in his Dad’s footsteps, just as I did. I’m proud that my daughter Candi and her husband Chris recently purchased some of that original land to continue our family tradition.

Burning pastures to help with brush control, maintaining and building fences, processing and caring for cattle, are all rich traditions that have been enjoyed from one generation to the next.

The Flying S Ranch in Wabaunsee County is a family affair. We feel blessed to be chosen stewards of one of God’s most beautiful creations here in the Flint Hills.

Heather Beggs, Yoga Instructor

Our family moved from KC to Alma in 2016, and I began teaching yoga at the Alma Community Center shortly after. Flint Hills Yoga gives name to a growing community of yoga practitioners here in Wabaunsee County. These are the neighbors who seem to feel good no matter their age, they move and think with efficiency, and they are curiously calm, all gifts of yoga done with consistency.

Flint Hills Yoga moved to a storefront in the heart of Alma, in June 2019. It was with intention that class traffic contributes to the feeling of a vibrant downtown, its energy spilling over to other establishments inhabiting historic stone storefronts in The City of Native Stone.

As a former city-dweller and occasional traveler, my dream for Wabaunsee County is that it keeps the charm of small town USA, felt as genuine neighborliness and friendliness as opposed to mere politeness. Another charm is the traditional building material, native limestone. When we have traveled, it is the unique destinations defined by place that lure us rather than the no-man’s land of suburban sprawl.

During Flint Hills Yoga lessons, we first decide the goal, and then move towards it. As I watch residential and commercial developments continue to crawl across the land, my wish is that we exercise similar thoughtfulness in addressing the needs of the future without surrendering this small town charm to some future highest bidder. We occasionally learn too late that some things are priceless. Places like Wabaunsee County will be a refuge in the coming decades and beyond, if we agree that there is something special here worth protecting.

Jesse Gehrt, Kansas Game Warden

Jesse Gehrt is a 5th generation Wabaunsee County Native, having nearly all of his ancestors residing in the county for well over 125 years. He, his wife Emily, and their three children live on his family’s 3rd generation cattle ranch and attend schools in the county. Jesse is also the area’s Township Trustee, following in his father, grandfather, and great grandfather’s footsteps on the board.

As a Kansas Game Warden at the rank of Lieutenant with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), Jesse is a first line supervisor and oversees the work of six other Game Wardens in his district, which includes eight counties in NE Kansas. Kansas Game Wardens are officially classified with the State as “Natural Resource Officers (NRO).” Game Wardens fall under the Law Enforcement Division of KDWP, focusing their efforts on the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Boating enforcement in Kansas. Jesse attributes his background growing up in the outdoors on the family farm, hunting, fishing, and boating, as his driving force to be a part of a profession that helps to conserve and manage these popular activities in WB Co. Click to see a very interesting slide show of: A Day in the life of Kansas Game Warden Jesse Gehrt

John Hund, Rancher and Community Leader

John Hund lives and works on ancestral land in Mill Creek valley near Paxico. A portion of this land was part of an original purchase made by his great-great grandfather Michael Hund in 1871. After college and a career in mental health, he returned to the family farm where he and his wife Terry now reside.

John’s parents and grandparents always stressed that community involvement and volunteerism is an obligation. He currently is on the boards of directors of the Wabaunsee County Historical Society, the Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards, the Flint Hills Discovery Center, and the Sacred Heart parish council. He is also a member of the Tallgrass Ranchers, an organization started 20 years ago whose mission is to educate the public about the unique nature of the Flint Hills, and the importance of preserving it when possible.

All of these organizations have a positive impact [cultural, educational, conservation, stewardship] on our local and greater Flint Hills community.

Wabaunsee County is deemed by many to be the most scenic and diverse county in Kansas. His wish for the future is that those fortunate enough to live here appreciate and protect our natural and cultural resources as a gift to future generations.

Kathy Hogue, Stonebridge, Flint Hills Preservationist

Bill & Kathy Hogue are lifelong Kansans. Bill was raised on his grandparents’ farm in Wabaunsee County where he learned the value of land stewardship. Kathy realized her childhood dream of owning her own pony when she married her Stetson Darlin’ and became a country gal! Angus cattle have been raised on their Mission Valley Ranch since 1957. Realizing the need for more pasture, they purchased an 1860’s Flint Hills homestead with 1,470 acres of Bluestem, including several crumbling stone structures. After years of neglect, Stonebridge, the landmark homestead with its arched ceiling stone cellars has been restored and now stands proud on the Kansas prairie. The Hogues are pleased to share the pioneer story of “Stonebridge” with scheduled visits. It is their hope that others will follow in their path of preservation. Click to learn more of the Stonebridge history – Kuenzli Legacy by Kathy Hogue.

Laurie Hamilton and Lee and Cindy Schultz, Grimm-Schultz Farmstead

Laurie Hamilton, a retired Kansas business woman, fell in love with the Flint Hills over a decade ago when she first put a foot on the site for a Symphony in the Flint Hills. She worked as a volunteer planning the event, served on the Board, authored articles, and co-edited the Journal for SIFH. Her 2014 research project at the UMKC School of Law addressed the use of conservation easements in the Flint Hills. When touring the Farmstead with the Schultz owners in 2019, Laurie was so captivated by the limestone farm buildings that she marshaled her resources and plunged forward with a purchase. Renovation began in early 2020, and by October 2020, the property gained listing on the state and federal registers of historic agricultural properties. Laurie, and Lee and Cindy Schultz wish to preserve this Wabaunsee County history for the greater community for generations to come.

Michael Stubbs, Historian and Community Advocate, Mount Mitchell

Michael Stubbs is a local historian and community activist who has spent the last thirty-five years working to preserve and promote Wabaunsee County’s cultural heritage and Flint Hills landscape. He is the founder of the Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards, managers of the Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park.

Morgan Holloman, Entrepreneur

Morgan Holloman owns and operates the Antique Emporium as well as Mill Creek Mercantile located in downtown Alma. The stores invite travelers from all over the country to shop small and explore the many stops Alma has to offer.

Patty and Jerry Reece, Landowners, Flint Hills Advocates, The Volland Store

Patty and Jerry came to Wabaunsee County in 2000, fulfilling a longtime dream of having a place in the Flint Hills. They bought a 19th century stone farmstead with a few acres, where their children and grandchildren could experience the joys of the land and a rural lifestyle. Over the years they bought additional pastureland, keeping in place the previous land managers, understanding the value and rarity of the tallgrass ecosystem. The Reece’s embraced the local culture and were rewarded with stories of days gone by. They learned that the local general store, which had fallen into disrepair, was once the social and cultural center of the surrounding ranching community. It held many fond memories, and when presented with the opportunity to purchase it, the Reece’s understood it was not just a building that was important to preserve, but the history of a culture. In 2015 The Volland Store re-opened after a 45-year slumber as “A Place for Art and Community.” It now hosts art exhibits, music concerts, horse shows, vintage motorcycle exhibits, poetry readings, talks by artists, scientists, humanitarians, and many community gatherings. Next up – a residency program will be created at Volland for open-minded artists, scientists, and humanitarians who not only have a love of nature and an appreciation of simplicity and contemplation, but who look forward to engaging with the local community. The gift of time and space in the tallgrass prairie will offer an experience perfectly suited to today, with continuing relevance for the future.

Paul Miller, Rancher and Community Leader

Paul’s ancestors, on both sides of the family, settled in Wabaunsee County in the 1860’s. He is the fifth generation to operate the land south of Alma. Paul believes that the best way to make a difference is to contribute to the local community. His involvement in the Wabaunsee County Historical Society and the Alma Area Foundation as a volunteer offers an opportunity to keep our community vibrant.

Richard Feyh, Purveyor of Native Grass Seed

Born and raised in Wabaunsee County Richard Feyh began farming on his own by renting land at age 15. Incorporating in 1995 Feyh Farm Co. provides seed for native warm season grasses and wildflowers as well as smooth Brome Seed nationwide helping to fuel the regeneration of lands in Wabaunsee County and many other states.

Sherry Hensley & Marcy Merritt, Founders of Hot Alma Nights

Small town Saturday nights in Alma were a hubub of activity. With two grocery stores, hardware stores, clothing store, everyone did their shopping on Saturday nights. So we tried to bring that fun back, Hot Alma Nights started in 2009 as way to raise money for Relay For Life of Wabaunsee County and bring an Old Fashioned Saturday Night to downtown Alma.

The two of us dropped off the Relay for Life team but continue to do our part, with the tremendous help of our families. The last few years has seen an actual committee being formed. Growing from 50 cars registered that first year, we had a record number of cars in 2016 with 490 registered. Alma was packed with cars and people from near and far.

We have a cruise through the Flint Hills every year to show off our beautiful area. We have also had various types of entertainment over the years: our local dancers perform, we have had the Drum Line from Topeka High and also the military band. During the day & evening, we have a DJ playing everyone’s favorite music. To help out our local restaurants with the amount of people, we brought in a few food vendors that come back year after year. This annual event is held on the third Saturday in August.

Wrenn and Arturo Pacheco, Ranchers and Entrepreneurs

Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco of Pacheco Beef have created a ranch-to-table business by providing high quality beef directly to the consumer. Customers can shop in their storefront that is located on the main street of Alma or visit their website and purchase beef cuts to be shipped or delivered. The couple shares their story of ranching and their rural lifestyle on social media. Wrenn is a professional photographer (Wrenn Bird Photography) and writes a blog called “Cooking with the Cowboy,” where Arturo shares his recipes and culinary skills. The Pacheco’s moved to Wabaunsee County following graduation from K-State, because they recognized the quality of the grass for ranching. Their fresh perspective and entrepreneurial ventures enrich our community as they put down deep roots in our county. They understand the opportunity to grow a business that they hope they can pass on to their boys one day.

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas
Volland Foundation
Arla & Tony Barelli
Kansas Beef Council
Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation
Bruce & Tina Breckenridge
Bank of the Flint Hills
Downey Ranch
Hendricks Hardware
Carl & Mary Ice
Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.
Lyons Angus Ranch
M7 Ranch – McGee Family
Matfield Station
Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards
The Native Stone Scenic Byway
Heidi & Nelson Nast
Henry & Cara Newell
Patty & Jerry Reece
Stockgrowers State Bank
George Terbovich
Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Commitment to Community Week

Hier Insurance Services, Inc
McFarland Pride
Paxico Foundation
Paxico Longbranch Bar & Grill

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 14:29:00 GMT

A Companion Exhibit to

Crossroads: Change in Rural America

A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

Online and Virtual Events
March 13 – April 25, 2021

All events are free

We are excited to tell our local story alongside the traveling Smithsonian exhibition examining the changing landscape of rural America.

Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County explores the rural culture of ranching and the small-town life we treasure. It tells real stories of real people.

The exhibit has been designed by committees in the local community with help from the Wabaunsee County Historical Society. They have worked steadily since May 2020, discussing what makes our community unique – why we value our traditions and how we look ahead to the future… our own story of Rural America.

Each week will focus on a different aspect of our local story, taking viewers on a journey through history, weaving a tale that starts with grass and brings the story of Wabaunsee County full circle.

Virtual Grand Opening

Saturday, March 13 at 1pm | Join us online for the Pre-recorded Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and a sneak peek of the Crossroads exhibit. Governor Laura Kelly, Julie Mulvihill, Executive Director at Humanities Kansas, and Patty Reece, Founder of The Volland Foundation will help kick-off the festivities. Click here to watch the video.

Explore Wabaunsee County

A down-loadable map of historical sites in Wabaunsee County. Explore our online information about important local heritage sites , and access our driving tours for a real-life adventure.

Ranching in Wabaunsee County

The rocky, rolling terrain of the Flint Hills may be unsuitable for cultivated crops, but excels at growing nutritious grass for cattle. Learn more about ranching in Wabaunsee County through video interviews exploring inter-generational ranching, past ranching techniques, and new sustainability-seeking technology.
Thursday, March 25 at 7 pm | Join us for an introduction to ranching by Barb Downey (Downey Ranch), and Amy Langvardt (Lyons Ranch). Click here to watch the video.

Commitment to Community

Drawing on our historic roots, while appealing to new audiences, social events like barn dances, mulligans, quilting bees and pitch tournaments have paved the way for Hot Alma Nights, Vintage Motorcycle Exhibits, the Paxico Blues Fest, the Tractor Crank-up Tour, and the Pumpkin Patch. Click to learn more about the people behind the events that build community.
Thursday, April 8 at 4pm | “Paxico on the Porch” (Zoom). Join Bud Hund, John Hund, Doug Holladay, and Dan Wagner to hear about their big dreams for getting Paxico on the map for its Blues Fest, neighborhood music scene, and antiques. Click here to watch the recorded presentation.

Healthy Moving

BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas Foundation is sponsoring yoga sessions to encourage you to take the Change Challenges which offer ideas on healthy lifestyle habits that can be practiced within your own community.
Tuesday, April 13 at 9:30am – and Wednesday, April 14 at 6:30pm | Two free yoga sessions with yoga instructor Heather Beggs, who owns and operates Flint Hills Yoga on the main street of Alma. Click here for details and to sign up.

Tallgrass Prairie

Our story begins and ends with grass. The Tallgrass Prairie is a beautiful and diverse ecosystem with the ability to survive drought, flood, bitter cold and scorching heat. The combination of various grasses and forbs that make up the prairie are more resistant to change than a single plant type or monoculture. Grass is an important natural resource in Wabaunsee County. As cattle graze in the hills, the nutrition in the grass is converted to protein. Stewardship plays an all-important role in the continued success of the ranching industry.
Thursday, April 22 at 7 pm | Join us for a conversation with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, Joe Carpenter and Barb Downey as they talk about what the land means to them. Click here to watch the video.

Thank you to our Community Partners, without whom the exhibit would not have been possible.

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch

Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus Ranch

M7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece

Stockgrowers State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners

Alma Chamber of Commerce

Alma Cooperative Oil Association

Antique Emporium

Eskridge Lumber LLC

Farm Bureau Financial Services, Wab. Co.

Farmers & Drovers

BankFlint Hills

Prairie Bison Reserve

Flint Hills Stone

Frank’s Plumbing

Kent & Janna Glasscock

Hafenstine Construction

Hier Insurance Services, Inc

Bill & Kathy Hogue

Lawyers Title of Kansas

McFarland Pride

Cindy & Roger Manz

Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco of Pacheco Beef

Paxico Foundation

Paxico Longbranch Bar & Grill

Lawrence & Janiece Vohland

Wabaunsee Pines Golf Course

Greg & Dina Wingfield

Community Friends

DJ’s Bar and Grill

Flint Hills Bank

Flint Hills Yoga

Mill Creek Lodge at Volland Point

Prairie Heritage, Inc.

S&S Auto Body and Collision

Stop-2-Shop

Wyldewood Cellars Winery

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

Fish Wizards 2021

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 20:30:00 GMT

June 5 and June 6, 2021

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

SOLD OUT

Please email us to join the waitlist

Reservations

$40 + tax

2nd Annual Kansas Fish Wizards Tour

The Volland Foundation and the Native Stone Scenic Byway announce the 2nd Annual Fish Wizards Tour on June 5th and 6th .

The Fish Wizards Tour will be led by renowned fisheries scientists, Joe Tomelleri, Mike Kaminski, and other Kansas fisheries scientists. Participants are in for an unforgettable experience as they learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of many native fish species.

Our tour leaders are quite an accomplished crew! Joe Tomelleri is the world’s leading freshwater fish illustrator and has more than 1,100 illustrations. His work has been featured in more than 1,000 publications, including Trout and Salmon of North America , Outdoor Life , Eddie Bauer , and of course Kansas Fishes . His illustrations are scientifically accurate and document the species in their native colors.

Mike Kaminski, M.S. is a fisheries biologist with over twenty-six years of experience sampling fishes throughout the U.S. while working for agencies in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. His primary interests are stream fish ecology, fish taxonomy, water quality, and education. Mike has spent the past nine years teaching at the college level and currently teaches and manages the science labs at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska.

Brian Bohnsack, PhD, will assist with the tours and provide insights on the principles of fish and wildlife management based on his long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

June is an ideal time for the 2nd annual Fish Wizards Tour. Many of the fish will be dressed in their peak spawning colors to attract mates and deter rivals. We will be in for quite a display of beautiful colors and will see some unique displays fish use to attract their mates!

Tour Logistics:
Meet at The Volland Store, 24098 Volland Road – about 8 miles southwest of Alma, Kansas, on Old K-10 Highway. Click here for a map and directions and print them out before you come. Cell phones are iffy around here.

The tour will start at 10am. Plan to arrive at the Store at 9:45am.

Participants on Saturday should try to arrive by 9:30 to give extra time for road delays. Don’t hurry. We will wait for you, knowing you may be behind a hundred bicycles. The 200-mile marathon bike riders and traffic associated with the Unbound Gravel bike race (formerly the Dirty Kanza) will ride through Wabaunsee County on Saturday. Be alert!

Individuals will be provided directions to the nearby sampling locations, and participants will caravan in their personal vehicles to the creek. This will require some driving on gravel roads. The fun begins when we arrive at the creek! The Fish Wizards will locate and seine for fish, then bring them up for the participants to see “up close and personal.” After wading and watching and learning, a boxed lunch will be provided around noon, and you are invited to visit and linger in the shade, departing at your leisure.

Attendees will need to be able to walk down stream banks. Please wear comfortable clothes and walking or hiking shoes that can get wet and/or muddy. You may want to bring a change of clothes, and you are encouraged to bring waders or hip boots, although they are not required. Volunteers can wade in and help with the sampling efforts if desired. Please bring sunscreen, bug repellent, a lawn chair, and if the weather is hot, bring an umbrella for shade from the sun.

Attendance is limited to 30 individuals for each day. Reserve your spot now! The registration is $40 + tax. The event is a fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation. Registration fees are non-refundable. Every effort will be made to provide the tour on-site. In the case of heavy rain and/or stream flows, a presentation will be given about Kansas fish species and the history of Wabaunsee county.

The Fish Wizards Tour is open for everyone! Kids through senior citizens will enjoy learning about amazing and beautiful fish species of Kansas.

Act One: Introducing “Theatre at the Ruin” at The Volland Foundation

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 07:30:00 GMT

August 22, 2021

2 – 3:30 pm | Free admission | Refreshments at the Ruin

Everyone has a story – and those stories will be the subject of a community theatre project, culminating in live performances at Volland, Kansas, scheduled for June 2022.

Theatre Artist Beth Wynstra and Scripwriter/Poet Mary Pinard will introduce “Theatre at the Ruin.” You are invited to learn how your stories can become part of the script. When many people across a wide spectrum share their experiences of living in this place, a larger story emerges, made possible only by the contributions of each one.

Every story is important.

More about Theatre at the Ruin

A Re-imagining in the Flint Hills

2022

Photos by Marci Spaw

The Ruin at Volland has been a source of curiosity for all who visit.

The family moved into the upstairs of their big brick store next door and never rebuilt their home.

The “Ruin” sits close to the railroad track, next to a small grove of trees. It looks at the hill which displays “Volland” in white-painted rocks. It is a magnet for children and adults alike, and once for a bride and groom. It is an invitation for photo opportunities and for quiet moments by poets. It is a place for imagination and play.

We have wondered through the years how it could best be used, what kinds of things could happen there. And now, theatre seems just right, for a beginning.

Enter Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard…

Mary Pinard, selfie in the Flint Hills, 2019

but has intrigued her colleague Beth Wynstra, who teaches courses in American Drama, Acting, Modernism, and Rhetoric at Babson.

Now they are teaming up to present a community-based theater project, culminating with live performances “at the Ruin.” The project will be produced and overseen by The Volland Foundation.

Project Details

Theater at the Ruin will begin in August 2021 with interviews with individuals who live in Wabaunsee County. Beth Wynstra, the project’s director, and Mary Pinard, the project’s playwright, will conduct the interviews with a goal of speaking to a wide, cross-section of individuals who come from a variety of generations and experiences.
Beth will audition actors in person and via Zoom in Spring 2022.
Information on Story-collecting and auditions.
These actors will work with Beth in virtual rehearsals throughout the spring.
Mary will craft the interview transcripts into dramatic monologues or, possibly, dialogues. The writing of these dramatic texts will take place from mid-December 2021 through Spring 2022.
Beth and Mary will return to Volland in early summer for two weeks to hold rehearsals with actors and prepare for the live production of Theater at the Ruin. A dress rehearsal will be held June 16, with performances on June 17 and June 18.
It is our hope to publish the script for Theater at the Ruin to capture the unique voices and life experiences of the narratives we collect and perform.

BETH WYNSTRA

MARY PINARD

More information about her poetry, public readings, and publications can be found at www.marypinard.com .

Mary has made many good friends in the Volland area since beginning a series of residencies in the summer of 2017.

Friends of Volland may remember her first reading and a workshop at Volland

Then the unforgettable Poetry Walk on the Prairie in 2018

In June of 2019 she participated in a dual residency with artist Zhang Hongtu and responded with a poem to his painting which was inspired by bison in the Flint Hills.

Share a Memory for Theatre at the Ruin

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 12:39:00 GMT

Through December 15th

_______________________

Beth Wynstra and Mary Pinard came to Wabaunsee County in August 2021 and collected memories from community members for “Theatre at the Ruin.” The memories will inspire a script for the community theatre project scheduled for June 2022.

(For more information on Theatre at the Ruin, click here )

Do you have a memory of Volland, Alma, Alta Vista, Eskridge, Harveyville, Maple Hill, McFarland, Lake Wabaunsee, Paxico… Anywhere in Wabaunsee County? Train stories? Cattle ranching memories? Family moments? Events in the community? Livelihood reminiscences? School-related stories? Connections to the landscape? Theatre at the Ruin Director Beth Wynstra and Scriptwriter Mary Pinard are seeking a wide range of stories, from historical to present-day to guide them as they craft an original play for and about this community. Your memory can be very brief—even just a sentence or two.

The goal is to collect the memories by December 15. Mary will then begin to write the script. Beth and Mary will return in March 2022 to finalize the collection of stories and audition actors.

Share a memory by leaving a voicemail at 785-499-3616 or come share when the Volland Store is open. If you have difficulties making a submission, contact Ryan Jones at ryan@vollandfoundation.org

When many people across a wide spectrum share their experiences of living in this place, a larger story emerges, made possible only by the contributions of each one.

Pop-up Benefit for Theatre at the Ruin

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 16:03:00 GMT

Gustave Courbet, The Stonebreakers , 1849

October 16-17, October 23-24, 1-4 pm

Everything (in the Sale) Must Go!

artwork online – click here

Preview sale/party on October 15th, 5-8 pm with light refreshments

for Volland Foundation members

Become a member now

Are you looking to start an art collection? Do you want to get ahead of the game for holiday shopping? Are you surrounded by bare walls and empty bookshelves?

Everything Must Go has something for everyone.

50+ artworks will be offered for sale. Most are framed and were previously part of the corporate collection of ReeceNichols Realtors. Art will be sold on the spot and can be taken at time of purchase.

Several dozen (gently-read) books and local honey will also be available. Other surprises are bound to be included.

Purchases will benefit The Volland Foundation’s new initiative, Theatre at the Ruin , an outdoor venue for theater and music, coming in June 2022.

The Volland Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and any sale above the suggested price may be taken as a tax deduction. Please contact your tax advisor for details.

Lodging | Restaurants

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:21:00 GMT

Here are a few suggestions.

Around Volland

l o d g i n g

The Loft at the Volland Store

Photo by Mike Sinclair

The Little House at Volland

Photo by Mike Sinclair

**Mill Creek Lodge
next door to the Volland Store

** Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast
617 Nebraska St. |Alma
785.477.2253

**The Young Guest House

**Riley Cottage

The Bradford Guest House

**shared bathrooms (like Europe). ideal for families/friends.
The Young Guest House and Riley Cottage are whole house rental only.
They are located in or near Council Grove

The Cottage House
Council Grove

The Lodge, a Prairie Bed and Breakfast
785.499.LODG
north of Council Grove

r e s t a u r a n t s

Alma Bakery & Sweet Shoppe
Baked Goods, Cinnamon Rolls, Turnovers, Cookies, Pies to order, Weekday Lunch Specials
Alma

Gam bino’s Pizza
Mon-Sun
Alma

DJ’s Ba r & Grill
Mon-Sun | 5pm-2am
Open for Lunch and Supper, Taco Special Monday Nights
no food service on Sundays
Alma

El Corral Mexican Restaurant
Open every day except Monday, 11 am- 9pm, and until 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday
Alma

Barnyard Cafe
Alta Vista

Hays House Restaurant
Council Grove

Saddlerock Cafe
Council Grove

Around Cottonwood Falls and Matfield Green

l o d g i n g

Clover Cliff Ranc h Bed and Breakfast

The Lark Inn

Millstream Resort Motel

Matfield Green Vacation Rentals

r e s t a u r a n t s

Ad Astra
Strong City

Grand Central Hotel
Cottonwood Falls

Keller Feed and Wine Company

Save Save

EXPLORE map

Wed, 12 May 2021 21:01:00 GMT

Historical Sites in Wabaunsee County

click here for down-loadable map
(tip: instead of “Open with Google Docs,” click on the download icon in the upper-right hand corner to open the map. You may print from the pdf.)

Please note so me of these sites may be on private property and not open to the public.

Please respect private property by not trespassing and leave public sites just as you found them.

Information about Wabaunsee County historical sites here.

Here are a few driving routes that maximize scenery and historic sites.

Enjoy the journey!

– Your friends at The Volland Store

Smithsonian Waitlist

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:43:00 GMT

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Ranching in Wabaunsee County

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 21:12:00 GMT

Join Barb Downey of Downey Ranch, and Amy Langvardt of Lyons Ranch for an introduction to ranching in Wabaunsee County.

Wabaunsee County is in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, one of the largest surviving contiguous areas of tallgrass prairie left in North America. The landscape has shaped Wabaunsee County’s history and culture. When settlers headed west looking for ground to plant crops, the Flint Hills were too rocky to plow, leaving the area for the ranchers who made raising cattle their crop. The rocky, rolling terrain excels at growing nutritious grass for cattle.

We hope you will enjoy the videos below

– Videos courtesy of the Kansas Beef Council –

Explore different approaches to cattle ranching, inter-generational ranching, past ranching techniques, and new sustainability-seeking technology.

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch

Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus Ranch

M7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece Stockgrowers

State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Ranching Week

Eskridge Lumber LLC

Kent & Janna Glasscock

Hafenstine Construction

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

RSVP for Paxico Zoom

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 16:27:00 GMT

[gravityform id=”9″ title=”true” description=”true”]

Tallgrass Prairie | Ranchers View

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 22:17:00 GMT

A conversation with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, Joe Carpenter and Barb Downey talking about what the land means to them.

The video will remain on the website for future viewing.
Creative Director, Shreepad Joglekar

Tallgrass Prairie

The rocky, rolling terrain of the Flint Hills may be unsuitable for cultivated crops, but it excels at growing nutritious grass for cattle. Ranchers have a vested interest in preserving the tallgrass prairie for grazing, but the scenic views this stewardship provides are appreciated by all who visit.

What looks like a homogeneous ocean of grass is actually a complex ecosystem. The diversity of plant life has allowed the prairie to thrive – or at least survive – during times of drought and low rainfall. In high-stress climates, a single plant type or a monoculture would have died, but together they are more resistant. The tallgrass prairie is made up of many grass species and forbs (flowering plant species that are not grasses) with root systems of different depths. What you see above ground is only half the story. Prairie roots can extend eight to fourteen feet below the surface.

The Wabaunsee County Historical Museum’s current exhibit Hay, Hay, Hay explores grass as an important natural resource in Wabaunsee County. Be sure to visit!

Thank you to our

CROSSROADS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Presenting Partners

Humanities Kansas

Volland Foundation

Arla & Tony Barelli

Kansas Beef Council

Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Community Exhibit Partners

Alma Area Foundation

Bruce & Tina Breckenridge

Bank of the Flint Hills

Downey Ranch Hendricks Hardware

Carl & Mary Ice

Jim & Barbara Meinhardt and KanEquip, Inc.

Lyons Angus RanchM7 Ranch – McGee Family

Matfield Station

Mount Mitchell Prairie Guards

The Native Stone Scenic Byway

Heidi & Nelson Nast

Henry & Cara Newell

Patty & Jerry Reece

Stockgrowers State Bank

George Terbovich

Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau

Community Event Partners for Tallgrass Week

Flint Hills Prairie Bison Reserve

Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco of Pacheco Beef

Lawrence & Janiece Vohland

Greg & Dina Wingfield

EXPLORE Map printed courtesy of Wabaunsee County Economic Development Office

COVID Protocols for Events at The Volland Store

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:44:00 GMT

Hosting a safe visit for guests, volunteers, and staff during the current pandemic is a priority.
We want you to feel safe at The Volland Store, whether you are attending an event or hosting it.

What you can expect:

Reservations and masks are required.

Occupancy will be limited.

A one-way path through the exhibit will be observed, with social distancing.

Contact information will be collected, and plenty of hand sanitizer will be available.

We look forward to welcoming you again to The Volland Store! Make a reservation here and enjoy your visit-

Mindy Chaffin

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 10:21:00 GMT

Mindy Chaffin comes to Wabaunsee county from Oregon where her family has a cherry and Prune farm. She most recently worked for the Sika Center for Art and Ecology, a workshop and residency program located on the central Oregon coast. With over fifteen years of nonprofit experience and a passion for supporting organizations during inflection points of growth and change Mindy is excited to join the Volland team.

Mindy grew up in Oregon, has a passion for travel and is also a ceramic artist. She graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Art from Southern Oregon University, while there she made over 300 whimsical teapots. She is excited to explore the Flint Hills and learn more about ecology of the area and Midwest way of life.

Volunteer Workshop and Appreciation Day 2020

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:10:00 GMT

January 25

Beach Museum of Art Curator Elizabeth Seaton with Volunteer Coordinator Marci Spaw and Volunteers Alyson Pickens (Lawrence) and Tony Crawford (Manhattan)

attended the Volunteer Workshop and Appreciation Day

Information and Appreciation!

Plan to join us for the morning, or just for lunch. If you have ever thought about joining our team, this is the day to come and learn more!

We’ll begin the day at 9am and cover topics and opportunities including

Docent Training
Special Project Opportunities
History Training
Retail & Technology Training
Organizing Special Events

Around 11:30am we will share a special lunch, honor our volunteers, and learn about the exciting developments for 2020 and beyond.

24098 Volland Road
Map and driving directions

Map of my Kingdom

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 15:24:00 GMT

February 9, 2020

12:30 Community Potluck

Brisket, compliments of Wabaunsee County Cattleman’s Association
Beverages and table service provided by The Volland Foundation

2pm Map of my Kingdom | 3pm Talkback discussion and Panel

Panelists are:
Andrew D. Ellis, attorney, Arthur-Green, LLP, Manhattan, KS; Duane Hund, Director of Farm Analyst Program at KState;
and Rob Manes, State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Kansas

Free Will Admission for the play

Who’s going to get the farm? And what are they going to do with it? Will your future plans for your land create harmony or strife for your family? Or have you even started to think that far ahead?

“These stories are moving and engaging and remind us that we all share responsibility for the health of the land while we are here. ….Swander’s play is a catalyst to help audience members address issues of land transfer productively. This is art serving its purpose in a meaningful way.”

— Susan Wolverton – Professor of Theatre, Coe College

Map of my Kingdom , a play commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa and written by Iowa’s Poet Laureate Mary Swander, tackles the critical issue of land transition.

In the drama, Angela Martin, a lawyer and mediator in land transition disputes, shares stories of how farmers and landowners she has worked with over the years approached their land successions. Some families almost came to blows, struggling to resolve the sale or transfer of their land, dissolving relationships. Others found peacefully rational solutions that focused not only on the viability of the family, but also of the land.

Land is the thread that binds all of the stories together.

“For most farmers I know, owning land means everything,” Angela Martin says.

Map of my Kingdom will resonate with those who have been through or are working through challenging land transfer issues that include division of the land among siblings, to selling out to a neighbor, to attempts to preserve the land’s integrity against urban sprawl. The drama will inspire the hesitant and the fearful to start the conversation that cannot wait.

Today, a vast amount of land in the United States is owned by those over 65 years old. Some have made their wishes clear for the future of their property. Others are courting family upheaval by not planning in concrete ways. An age-old problem, evident in literature from the Bible to King Lear to Willa Cather, land transition asks hard questions: Who really owns the land? And what is the role of the steward of a property? Can “fair” become “unfair” to one’s children?

Map of my Kingdom was originally directed by Matt Foss, Assistant Professor of Theatre at The University of Toledo. Map of my Kingdom will be performed by Lindsay Bauer.

LINDSAY BAUER
Actor

LINDSAY BAUER is a Midwest-based actress and theatre educator. A former ensemble member of The SchoolHouse Company Theatre, Lindsay has worked with American Theater Company in Chicago as an After School Programs Coordinator, and is the current Program Director of OCStages Orange City Youth Theatre and Executive Director of the Orange City Arts. She and her husband live in Northwest Iowa with their kindergartener, William, where they enjoy cooking, gardening and reading together.

MARY SWANDER
Artistic Director and Playwright

MARY SWANDER was the Poet Laureate of the State of Iowa from 2009 to 2019. She has published over thirteen books of poetry and non-fiction, in addition to plays, radio and television scripts and magazine articles. She has appeared in such places as The New York Times Magazine , National Public Radio , The New Yorker , and Poetry Magazine . Swander ’s plays Driving the Body Back , Vang, Map of my Kingdom , Farmscape and Farm-to-Fork Tales have toured the U.S., including a performance for Secretary Tom Vilsack and his staff at the U.S.D.A.

Mary Swander is the executive director of AgArts, a national organization designed to imagine and promote healthy food systems through the arts.

Swander is the descendant of Irish immigrants who homesteaded in Iowa and handled four generations of land transition. She lives and raises most of her own food on a small acreage in the Amish settlement near Kalona, Iowa. She has experienced three generations of land transition within her own family. www.maryswander.com

The play runs under 1 hour. The talkback post performance discussion runs about 20 minutes to a half hour.

Come early for good seats!

Map of my Kingdom is made possible in part by

The Wabaunsee County Cattlemen’s Association

The Volland Store Fund of Kansas Rural Communities Foundation

The Volland Foundation

Art Party | Closing Reception

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 17:59:00 GMT

March 1, 2020 2-4pm

RuralUrban Invitational II

On exhibit October 19 2019 – March 1 2020

Note: the gallery will be closed for a private event from 12-2 pm. Gallery opens to all for Art Party at 2

Artist Panel at 2 pm
Norman Akers Geraldine Craig Rena Detrixhe Alison Mary Kay Levi Robb Holly Wilson

Saralyn Reece Hardy Moderator
Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Art Museum at the University of Kansas

Conversation and Reception following the program

Free admission

Exhibiting Artists
please click on the name for artist information

Geraldine Craig | Manhattan Kansas

Holly Wilson | Mustang Oklahoma

Levi Robb | Des Moines Iowa

Mary Kay | Lindsborg Kansas

Norman Akers | Lawrence Kansas

Rena Detrixhe | Russell Kansas

Ryan RedCorn | Pawhuska Oklahoma

“Rural | Urban Invitational II” and associated programming are supported by

The Volland Foundation

and

Kansas Rural Communities Foundation (The Volland Store Fund)

If you would like more information about supporting The Volland Store Fund, a 501c3 nonprofit administered by the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation, please visit vollandfoundation.org

The Virtual Volland Store

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 04:29:00 GMT

Because The Storeis temporarily closed, our presence will move to social media

Facebook

Instagram

vollandfoundation.org

YouTube The Volland Foundation

Vimeo The Volland Store

Visit us often. We want to stay connected with you.

We will have art to see and humanities to share.

T h e V i r t u a l V o l l a n d S t o r e
A Place for Art and Community

Journey

The world has changed.

We are here

but not in the same way.

Together we will travel through this crucible

We will prevail

and then gather again at the Store.

For now…

Stay Safe, Stay Home, and Be Well

Lisa Grossman and Erin Wiersma_Art Online

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 13:48:00 GMT

March 14 – May 28, 2020

“Nature and beauty never close” – Ann Vigola Anderson

Because the physical gallery is closed temporarily until further notice,

T h e V i r t u a l V o l l a n d S t o r e
a Place for Art and Community

is online at

Facebook

Instagram

vollandfoundation.org

Vimeo.com

YouTube

The exhibit P R A I R I E . R I V E R can be seen in its entirety here.

Lisa Grossman’s work is exhibited courtesy of Haw Contemporary in Kansas City, Missouri.

Erin Wiersma is represented by Robischon Gallery in Denver, Colorado.

LISA GROSSMAN

Bends of the Kaw

Lisa Grossman

32 individual pieces

Each one is a moment in time, an intimate size of a big view of the ever-changing Kansas River
Oil on panel, each piece is 4.5 in high, with varying lengths of 9in, 13.5in, 18in

Individual pieces may be purchased separately. Please contact patty@thevollandstore.com for a price list.

The reverse of each river panel is labeled with the title, size, location, artist’s name, and original gallery show information.
The artist will sign a purchased piece on request and will provide additional information as well.

ERIN WIERSMA

All works are for sale.
Please contact patty@thevollandstore.com for a price list.

Thank you for visiting our virtual gallery!

Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 00:19:00 GMT

https://vimeo.com/417326328

by

Rex Buchanan, Burke Griggs, and Josh Svaty

Recorded Presentation

Thursday, May 7, 2020

3pm | Virtual Presentation

The authors will speak about their recently published book

Order your copy of the new book now, have it in hand for the virtual presentation

Book Order

Long before the coming of Euro-Americans, native inhabitants of what is now Kansas left their mark on the land: carvings in the soft orange and red sandstone of the state’s Smoky Hills. In a series of photographs, Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills offers viewers a chance to read the story that these carvings tell of the region’s first people- and to appreciate an important feature of Kansas history and its landscape that is increasingly threatened by erosion and vandalism.

Virginia Wulkfkuhle, Public Archaeologist Emerita at The Kansas Historical Society and Editor of The Kansas Anthropologist

“The only way to preserve rock art—a finite and fragile cultural resource—is to record it. This book is an important contribution toward that goal…. Buchanan’s narrative style makes science approachable to a broad audience. His commentaries are strong on observing things in context, within both the natural landscape and human lifeways. The presentation is respectful to Native Americans, not presuming to speak for them or co-opt their heritage, and the positive role of private landowners is acknowledged. The strong stewardship message is exemplary.”

Brian L. O’Neill, PhD, Senior Research Associate/Archaeologist, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History

“Buchanan, Griggs, and Svaty provide a valuable contribution to the field, documenting through detailed photography and descriptions previously unrecorded Native American petroglyph sites ….”

LJ World.com

“The book documents many carvings associated with the Wichita and the Pawnee tribes that have survived for centuries in the outcroppings, bluffs and caves of central Kansas.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rex C. Buchanan, a native of central Kansas, is the director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas.

Burke W. Griggs, associate professor of law at Washburn University School of Law, is a fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and an affiliated scholar at the Bill Lane Center for the American West, both at Stanford University.

Joshua L. Svaty is the fifth generation of his family to farm in Ellsworth County and has worked on natural resource issues with nonprofits and state and federal government. He was the 14th Kansas Secretary of Agriculture.

This promises to be a very interesting presentation

Virtual Gallery Tour with Lisa Grossman

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 04:41:00 GMT

May 21, 2020 | 3 pm

Recorded Gallery Tour

Join us for a unique opportunity to travel the Kansas River through the eyes, the words, and the paintings of an extraordinary Flint Hills artist, Lisa Grossman.

On March 14, the exhibition PRAIRIE.RIVER | Lisa Grossman and Erin Wiersma opened at The Volland Store Gallery. March 16 the gallery closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The exhibit remains out of view of visitors, but it may be seen in its entirety online here .

On Thursday, May 21, Lisa Grossman will be in the gallery to guide you through her river works in person, and she will answer your questions after the tour.

I revel in the lyrical sweep of the Kansas River, particularly an oblique, aerial view of the floodplain stretching to the prairie horizon. Certain sections have an abstract asymmetry that makes it easy to compose a canvas. There’s a rhythm, a cadence of the curvilinear river unfurling across the vast floodplain and bouncing off of ancient bluffs that captivates me. Each section has its own character and the floodplain is written with evidence of ancient meanderings we see today as oxbows, floodplain scrolling, and scars.

The Kaw is the largest prairie-based river system in the world with an enormous watershed that reaches west to Limon, Colorado, and roughly covers the bottom third of Nebraska and top half of Kansas. Sandbars are part of its natural character and I’m impressed by their ongoing transformation and the dramatic differences I see year-to-year, season-to-season, one water event to the next – even minute-to-minute. “You can never step into the same river twice…” the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, and we understand that the river is never the same, but neither are we. It’s a rich subject for me, alive with adventure and discovery.

I’ve had the great opportunity to fly over the Kaw a dozen or so times since 2004 with a couple of pilot friends, gathering thousands of photos in the process. These paintings are based largely on flights in 2017 and 2018, and the dates and locations are recorded on the reverse of each painting. To date, I’ve done three major pieces based on representing the entire 173-mile length of the river and these pieces represent various segments of the Kansas River from Cedar Creek at mile 26.5 to the confluence of the Republican and the Smoky Hill Rivers at Junction City, Kansas.

Using small panels in horizontal rows of sequences allowed me to linger over the unfolding bends and slow down the eye. Although they’re sketchy and spontaneous, essentially miniatures, they reveal more details than I typically include. I let the paintings emerge intuitively, the process dictating how the sequences fell out in a freehand application of paint. It was a discovery process of exploring my photos, maps, and satellite imagery, drawing on decades of paddling the Kaw and exploring sandbars.

I’ve been greatly influenced by my work as a volunteer and board member of Friends of the Kaw, the only non-profit dedicated to protecting and preserving the Kansas River, and my colleagues in the sciences, education, law, water advocacy, etc.

There’s nothing like painting to really see and develop affection for places, and, for me, it was a way to honor the river as a whole, one painting at a time. Every day I drink the Kaw from the tap along with 800,000 other Kansans. Paddling and exploring sandbars is one of my favorite things to do. How can I possibly reciprocate? Every painting is an attempt to give something back––to share my affection for this river and put it on the map. – Lisa Grossman

Lisa Grossman grew up in rural western Pennsylvania and first saw a horizon when she moved to Kansas as a young woman fresh out of art school. She has been painting the prairie ever since, minimal landscapes of rolling hills and big skies. Around 2004 she turned her attention to the Kansas River, the largest prairie-based river system in the world.

Lisa Grossman’s work is exhibited courtesy of Haw Contemporary in Kansas City, Missouri.

Art purchased through The Volland Store during the exhibit will benefit the artist, their gallery, and The Volland Foundation.

This is an excellent time to become an art collector or add to your collection. Your purchase will support artists and the arts in this difficult time. Thank you for your consideration!

The Volland Store Gallery is temporarily closed until further notice

Prairie Heritage Book Award and Reading with Phong Nguyen

Fri, 25 Dec 2020 18:04:00 GMT

December 10, 2020

4 pm

Recorded presentation

Purchase the book now, online at the Volland Store.

Missouri author Phong Nguyen will receive the Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award for his novel The Adventures of Joe Harper in a virtual ceremony hosted by the Volland Store on December 10, 2020. This promises to be a very interesting presentation with opportunity for questions and comments at the end. While the gallery is closed to visitors, The Volland Store is available virtually. Books will be available for order through The Volland Store.

The award was endowed by a bequest to Prairie Heritage, Inc. by Jan Garton (1949-2009). Garton was a beloved Kansas conservationist recognized nationally for her work to restore water rights to Cheyenne Bottoms, a Wetland of International Importance in central Kansas. The award—given periodically for a book that illuminates in new ways the heritage of the prairie states—comes with a cash prize of $1000.

The Adventures of Joe Harper is centered on a character that appears peripherally in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer —a boy who had played pirates with Tom on an island in the Mississippi. Phong Nguyen has Joe and Tom growing up to become actual pirates, pillaging and plundering under Tom’s leadership until Tom abandons Joe on a desert island. Tom and Joe separately find their way back to the United States and their paths diverge, only to converge again in the surprising ending of the novel. Always in search of thrills and gain, Tom becomes a US Marshal, while a remorseful Joe takes to the rails in search of a hermit’s cave where he can suffer for his sins. His mentor in the hobo life is a mysterious Chinese-American named Lee who protects Joe but also uses Joe for his own secret purpose. Like Huck and Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Joe and Lee are kinder than many of the institutions they encounter in one episode after another as they travel across the country. Joe’s naïve observations are delightfully humorous—but the reader is also meant to pick up on the biting implications of what Joe observes as he travels through a post-Civil-War culture that is rife with racism, hatred of the poor, and abuse of power.

Phong Nguyen is a Professor and Miller Family Endowed Chair of Writing; Director of Creative Writing at the University of Missouri. His other titles include, Roundabout: An Improvisational Fiction (Moon City Press, 2020) and two story collections: Pages from the Textbook of Alternate History (Queen’s Ferry Press, 2014 and now in paperback via Mastodon Publishing) and Memory Sickness and Other Stories (Elixir Press, 2011). He is co-editor, with Dan Chaon and Norah Lind, of the book Nancy Hale: On the Life & Work of a Lost American Master (Pleiades Press/LSU Press, 2012), part of the Unsung Masters Series. He served as chief editor and fiction editor for Pleiades: Literature in Context for eleven years, during which time he published the early work of some of the most celebrated fiction-writers of the last decade.

Previous winners of the Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award include Ron Parks’ The Darkest Period: The Kanza Indians and Their Last Homeland, 1846-1873 (U of Okla. P, 2014); Ian Michael Spurgeon’s Soldiers in the Army of Freedom: The 1 ^st Kansas Colored, the Civil War’s First African American Combat Unit (U of Okla. P, 2014); Iralee Barnard’s Field Guide to the Common Grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska U of Ks P, 2014); Brent Campney’s This Is Not Dixie: Racist Violence in Kansas, 1861-1927 (U of Ill. P, 2015); and Michael John Haddock, Craig C. Freeman, and Janét Bare’s Kansas Wildflowers and Weeds (U of Ks. P, 2015).

For more information on the book award visit the Prairie Heritage website.

Architecture Residency

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 06:03:00 GMT

Serendipitous, Productive, Creative

during the Pandemic 2020

David Dowell, principal at el dorado inc, an architectural firm in Kansas City, found himself living at his country home near Volland during the first months of the pandemic in 2020. His house in Kansas City had sold and closed before his new place was finished, and David and his wife Kathy Aron happily moved to the Flint Hills. Which was fine, except David needed a quiet place with good internet to work during the weekdays.

Enter the Little House.

David has a history with this house. His 5th year architecture students in the APD (Architecture, Planning, and Design) Department at K-State designed its makeover in 2018. This would a good time to see if the house worked… as an artist residence.

April 7, 2020
The Little House is amazing!!! Perfect in every way. Is this what an Artist Residency feels like? Connectivity is great.

April 10, 2020
During Zoom meetings, I take a break and show my colleagues my surroundings in the house – and the view out the big window. They say, “Where ARE you?”

May 19, 2020
The Little House has been great! I think I stacked the table and at least one chair with drawings today. I get more done here than anywhere.

June 22, 2020
We’re going to be out near Alma this week, through Thursday. May I continue my “residency” this week in the Little House? Mike [Sinclair] was thinking of coming back for one more day of photography, Wednesday or Thursday depending on his schedule and the weather.

July 12, 2020
…working at the Little House during the pandemic, having internet calls with folks all over the world!! So many people are curious to visit when it becomes possible. I’d love to host an international gathering at some point, including the artists we’re working with in Riyadh, Portland and Minneapolis.

A few thoughts. I’m finalizing this year’s agenda for my 2020-2021 K-State studio. ….In the mix is Volland, Lone Oaks Farm in Tennessee and Sanctuary Farm in Botswana. All three share common ambitions and programming. I’ve been trying for some time to understand how they relate to one another and to promising trends in how new institutions are forming to capitalize on the best of humanity, current and future. The goal would be to start with big picture thinking – planning and defining the place of these institutions in the brave new world we are now living in, then lead into something tangible to connect dots between aspiration and the shared satisfaction of well-designed and well-built reality. I’m dealing with budding architects after all.

David made The Little House famous on Instagram and Facebook:

El Dorado Inc

July 15 at 5:18 PM ·

Who doesn’t love a good before and after?

In the 1920 Gordon-Van Tine catalog, the interior spaces of “The Edison” were described in cheerful detail. “The living room and dining room are joined in a happy combination making one large room in place of two cramped ones, which would be very undesirable in this size house. The two windows and the Monterey front door insures cheery sunshine and on hot days, cool breezes.”

Even though all the interior walls were removed and a simple core re-inserted, the reimagining of “The Edison” stays true to the catalog.

Finish photos courtesy of Mike Sinclair

El Dorado Inc

July 9 at 11:25 AM ·

Exterior work on House No. 1 was mostly focused on restoration. However, two small windows on the south elevation — originally above the kitchen sink — no longer made sense with the new floor plan. These windows were replaced with a much larger, ELDO-fabricated window box. The new window frames the view toward the Volland Store and strengthens the connection between the two.

El Dorado Inc

July 7 at 9:43 AM ·

Sometime in the 1930’s, a Volland resident selected their dream home out of the Gordon Van-Tine catalog. Today, that home has been transformed into a new artist studio and accommodation space for the Volland Foundation.

Photographed by Mike Sinclair, House No. 1 was a collaboration between Design+Make at Kansas State University, George Terbovich Design, and El Dorado.

https://apdesign.k-state.edu

georgeterbovichdesign.com

https://eldo.us

Next...

Jeremiah Ariaz Residency

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:16:00 GMT

Summer of the Pandemic 2020

By the time we drove into Alma Hank perked up. He has an uncanny sense of geography and senses when we are near. By the first 45 degree turn to the left before Trails End his tail began to wag. He had the smile he gets on his face. When we turned onto the gravel road his tail was wagging hard, thumping the edge of the car door. We were both very happy to arrive. It had been a harrowing afternoon of thunderstorms, 65 mile an hour wind gusts, blinding rain, and falling hail. We twice took shelter under the interstate overpass.

We arrived just after sunset. There was just enough light lingering in the sky to unpack. I walked Hank west to where the road and drive meet. There was a slight drizzle. You could hear the constant fall of rain on the leaves but it was not so heavy to be bothered by. Clouds covered the sky so no stars were visible, though out across the field lightning bugs shown their luminescence. It appeared like a galaxy, the enchanting twinkle of green stars across the field. I’m not a religious man so I don’t ever expect to get to Heaven, except in the Flint Hills when I turn the wheel of the car onto Trails End, drive to the conclusion of the gravel road, and step out of the car. Then, I feel like I’ve cheated death and am as near to the pearly gates as I’ll ever be.
– Jeremiah Ariaz, June 22, 2020

Note: The Reece bunkhouse on Trails End Road is about a mile from Volland. Sometimes it is made available to visiting artists and residents. Jeremiah has stayed there many times.

I brought the high chair from the garage into the bunkhouse and used the tall table in the corner as a writing desk. I could write then lie on the couch to read and so became the rhythms of my day. I’ll return everything to how it was.
from “Departing the Bunkhouse” July 7, 2020

At my family’s farm I uncovered three large binders containing our family history. I’ve brought them with me to read and photograph. My cousin wants them back when I see him this weekend at the farm so my days will be busy. I aim to photograph fragments from the archive that I can include in my project and will, if time permits, create a facsimile of each for the family to have. I think I’ll be able to do it on the porch of the bunkhouse though if there is not enough light, perhaps the Volland store will prove better. Would it be okay if I photographed in the gallery?

With the albums I will stay busy for the week. I’ll drive back to Russell Co Friday or Saturday morning to see my family and photograph, then return east. If available, I’ll remain at the bunkhouse for a few days longer to do not much of anything, which was my original hope. Then, the long haul to Maine.

Thanks again for this residency. I’ll be putting it to greater use than anticipated. I hope you can see the archives; they are impressive.

June 19, 2020
I’m headed out of Great Bend but detouring to Haskell Co in southwest Kansas, where the pandemic of 1919 originated. Then to the farm where I may stay 2 days depending on how Hank and the farm dog George get along. I should have a better idea of things tomorrow.

It would be great to see you, even if from a physical distance.

July 4, 2020
Letter: July Hike by the Light of the Full Moon (abridged, with permission)

The plan is to start the hike in the Tall grass Prairie National Preserve walking west chasing the setting sun then make a loop returning to the east as the full moon rises. The drive from the bunkhouse in Wabaunsee County to the Prairie Preserve is just about the prettiest stretch of highway you could set wheels on.

I’m in a rush to get there before sunset and didn’t account for matters that have slowed my approach.…. [A] delay comes from the Dairy Queen where I pick up dinner. I thought this would have been quicker than packing a meal. I was wrong.

When my turn comes the girl working the Dairy Queen drive-thru window asks if my dog would like a treat. Certainly. She has piercing blue eyes that so command your attention that one could forget for a moment she is wearing a mask. Masks have reduced the sense of connection you make with people, both friends and strangers. It puts a degree of separation between you and the world that feels far greater than the thin material covering one’s mouth and nose. The blue eyes are a welcome distraction.

….

When we make it to the trail, we have to move fast to catch the sunset. Hank waits patiently outside the car at the foot of the prairie while I gather my pack then sit on the tailgate devouring a cheeseburger and fries while the sun goes down. It’s almost 8 PM.

It’s nightfall and still over 80 degrees plus the humidity is thicker than usual. I have a new old secondhand burnt sienna bandana to wipe the sweat from my brow and from the back of my neck. We hustle the first 2 1/2 miles of trail to get up to a ridge in time to see the setting sun appear to set fire to the wispy clouds above.

As night sets in coyotes start howling in the distance. Hank falls back from his lead to walk a step behind on my right side. I have a map and try to take stock of our whereabouts. It’s like an ocean out here, an ocean of green prairie grass, and we need to keep our bearings.

…..

The sun went down at 8:53 PM and I trust the full moon rise at 9:42 PM will illuminate the way. With nothing to obstruct the sunset, twilight lingers for nearly an hour providing ample light for our hike.

The Flint Hills is a sublime landscape, especially at night. Walking out here alone it brings forth a touch of fear the pioneers must’ve felt venturing across the naked land. People wrote, perhaps most famously Willa Cather in “O Pioneers!” about a “prairie fever” that could set in. People were driven mad by the howling wind and desolation. All these generations later, approximately 150 years on, [there are] not a whole lot more people here. In fact, population density has dropped across much of Kansas. But now a patchwork grid of gravel roads, the highway, and phone lines connect people. You don’t hear about the “prairie fever” anymore; the more common affliction in rural areas is methamphetamines.

The fork in the trail is marked by a flat rock in the grass that reflects the faint light. We almost miss it. Turning east we see the moon rise though it’s largely obscured behind cloud coverage. I don’t think we’re going to have the light I expected. I have an urge to hasten my steps but must remain sure-footed on the trail. A bat swoops down feeding on insects and flies in erratic circles. For a moment I think it might be a hawk deciding if he could pick up Hank but then I feel the vibration of its fleshy wings in the night air as it flies close to my head.

I take some pictures with my phone as we walk but when confronted with such natural beauty as this, every exposure falls short. In a photograph you can’t see the subtle undulations of the Flint Hills, or fully appreciate the lightning bugs that illuminate against the dark ground, or make out the brilliant orange orb of the full moon that finally appears, only a few shades lighter than the sun that fell over an hour ago.

The moon is an inspiring, though slightly foreboding, sight. It appears to be a “blood moon” though its color could be enhanced by the Sahara dust storm sweeping in from Africa. This fiery red moon on the Fourth of July feels appropriate to the tumultuous year. I’m grateful that the last miles of our hike may be illuminated. I stop walking for a moment to listen…. to the insect orchestra, to Hank pant, me catching my breath, the occasional fireworks in the distance.

In the dark the landscape is nearly featureless. I feel my legs move but have little sense of momentum.

Not many stars are visible in the sky. They are cloaked by cloud coverage and diminished by the light of the full moon. Looking level to the ground lightning bugs emerge to take the place of the stars. There are more than I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard people comment on how many there [are] this year. Looking across the prairie you have the sensation of peering into a not so distant galaxy.

…..

Environments like this, in the prairie at night, miles away from another human soul, make everything feel more primal. Hank acknowledges my authority as pack leader. He stays close at my side.

…..

My eye catches a stone marking the fork to the Davis Trail.

Near the 7th mile I begin to slow. The rushed pace of our departure is catching up with me. I welcome the warm glow of a farmhouse light in the distance, a sign the end of the trail is near. The moon is completely obscured by clouds but I know we’re close.

Hank also gains a little confidence, perhaps recognizing the trail, and proceeds ahead, his white body faintly visible in the darkness.

…..

I can’t see the moon, which has fallen back, behind the clouds but the sky shines as if a great city were not far in the distance. There’s just enough light to distinguish the trail. The headlight of a passing automobile catches the side of Lower Fox Creek School, the one room stone schoolhouse built in 1884 that sits atop a small hill. My car is parked there. I can hold my eyes to the geometric shape silhouetted black against the dark sky.

My feet are sore, my body is tired; I know I’ll sleep well tonight. I belt out a yawn that echoes across the prairie and turn left at the fork onto Schoolhouse Spur. We are in the 8th mile, the last of our hike. 8.5 miles at our completion. It’s almost midnight.

I’m keen to get my boots off and give my feet relief. I give Hank a drink when we arrive. Once inside the car I roll down the windows and open the sunroof. Hank smiles. On the drive back we can continue to bask in the night air. I wish the Dairy Queen in Council Grove were open for a scoop of ice cream and a second helping of those blue eyes.

Departing the Bunkhouse, July 7, 2020
It’s been a lovely stay here at the bunkhouse. I couldn’t think of a finer place to be isolated from the world.

The new swimming hole is wonderful! We went yesterday and picked up Liz and El in the Polaris (who sat in the back seat safe with abundant wind dispersion). It is the clearest of the swimming holes and very refreshing. (Though Liz thought the crawfish might have been nipping at her.) I didn’t feel anything but I kept moving and Hank swam in circles happy as could be the entire time.

Hank and the cats are getting closer. They laid near each other last night separated by the screen.

I’m going to return to Great Bend to visit with Mom again for a day or two then drive to Maine. I hope next time we come this way we’ll able to see you. …I can’t thank you enough for … this lovely retreat.

All the best,

Jeremiah

RSVP for Book Reading

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 23:08:00 GMT

[gravityform id=”8″ title=”true” description=”true”]

Canceled – Kelley Hunt with her Touring Band

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:27:00 GMT

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14

THE CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELED

[clear-line]
We waited as long as we could, but Covid has returned with a vengeance. We appreciate your interest and regret your disappointment, and as soon as it is safe to gather again, we will invite Kelley back to Volland for a night of music. We hope you will join us!

If you have purchased tickets, you will receive a refund. Your funds will be returned to your credit card within 5 to7 business days. If you have questions, please email patty@thevollandstore.com

Roots R&B/Americana singer/songwriter/piano player/guitarist Kelley Hunt was born in Kansas City and inspired by early blues, R&B, jazz and Gospel influences.

“A lady who plays piano in the two-fisted style of the boogie masters, who writes songs that are fresh, valid and realistic in their appraisal of life, and who is capable of singing with a combination of power, tenderness, intensity, and pathos that can one minute have you on your feet dancing, and the next be cutting to the depth of your soul.”

Kelley Hunt’s storied career has spanned decades and continents, including thousands of live performances, six appearances on “A Prairie Home Companion,” and induction into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame.

Postponed to Fall 2020 | Barn and Cellar Tours

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 13:14:00 GMT

James Cook, Gun Barrel Hill Stone Work Photo, courtesy of The Volland Store

Arched roof cellars, unique to the Flint Hills, have piqued an interest that continues to be strong.

T ours of these cellars were first offered by The Volland Store in the Spring of 2016 as a response to the Store’s art exhibit “The Spirit of Place: Rooted in the Flint Hills” by Tom Parish. Tours of arched cellars in Wabaunsee County in the Spring of 2016 quickly sold out, and additional tours have been offered every Fall and Spring since.

In the working landscape of the Flint Hills, many structures have fallen into disrepair, but there are stunning barns and outbuildings with fascinating stories to tell.

Through the years, as guests traveled down country roads from cellar to cellar, they noticed the barns, the sheds, and the other outbuildings that dotted the landscape. They asked questions about them and suggested a barn tour. In the Spring of 2019, we offered Barn Tours for the first time, and they were an immediate hit! In the Fall of 2019, we combined both barn and cellars into one tour, exposing our visitors to a full history of the masons and craftsmen that built these homesteads.

Tours of historic Flint Hills barns and arched-roof cellars

will resume in Fall 2020

Please join our newsletter list for announcements about future tours.
Sign up for our E-Newsletter here

Postponed_Kansas Fish Wizard Tour

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 13:26:00 GMT

June 6 | 2020

A Fundraiser for
Native Stone Scenic Byway
and The Volland Store

Due to uncertainty of the current situation, the Fish Wizard Tour has been postponed. We hope to re-schedule the tour in Fall 2021. Stay tuned!

Chrosomus erythrogaster male. Joseph Tomelleri

Fun Fish Sampling Tour

Lunch by the creek

Led by

Joseph Tomelleri, and Dr. Brian Bohnsack

$40 per per person includes lunch
Reservations here

Pop-up Exhibit by Fish Artist Joseph Tomelleri (prints available for sale)

Early June is an ideal time for our Fish Wizards Tour. Many of the fish will be dressed in their peak spawning colors to attract mates and deter rivals.

Kansas Fish Wizards Tour

Come along on a fun fish sampling tour of Flint Hills streams led by renowned fisheries scientists, Joe Tomelleri, and Dr. Brian Bohnsack. Participants are in for an unforgettable experience as they learn sampling techniques, fish identification, and life history information of many native fish species.

Our tour leaders are quite an accomplished crew:

JOSEPH TOMELLERI has been illustrating fishes since 1985. Joe works in Prismacolor pencil, and his 1,100+ illustrations have been rendered from actual fish to ensure scientific accuracy. He has collected the majority of his specimens in the field so he can study and photograph the fishes and preserve them for use in the illustrations. Joe’s work has appeared in more than 1000 publications, including Trout and Salmon of North America, Fishes of Alabama, Outdoor Life, The In-Fisherman , and Eddie Bauer . His recent projects include research on the native Trout of Mexico, Fishes of the Salish Sea and Puget Sound, Fishes of Texas, and Fishes of Kansas.

DR. BRIAN BOHNSACK is a fisheries biologist and received his PhD from Texas A&M University. He has worked for federal and state fish and wildlife agencies for most of his career and recently returned home to Kansas after working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their national headquarters for 16 years.

Tour Logistics:

Our tour will start and end at the Volland Store. Transportation to the sampling locations will be provided. The tour begins at 11 am and will last about 4 hours. Lunch is included in the tour. A vegetarian option is available on request.

Attendees should wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes and will need to be able to walk down stream banks. Attendees may get wet during the trip, so dress accordingly. Volunteers can wade in and help with the sampling efforts if desired. Waders will be available for volunteers or bring your own. Towels will be available to borrow during the trip.

Reservations here

Proceeds from ticket sales support the work of the

Native Stone Scenic Byway and The Volland Store Fund

Thank you. We appreciate your support!

Happenings_Updated

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 21:00:00 GMT

2020

Photo by Pete Clouston. Opening Reception of Rural | Urban Invitational, November 2018

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Volland Store has moved to an online presence. The physical space is closed until further notice, but the grounds remain open for your enjoyment of Nature while respecting physical distancing (6 feet apart please).

We would like to stay connected to you!

Please visit us often on

Facebook

Instagram

thevollandstore.com

JANUARY 25
RuralUrban Invitational II re-opens and continues through March 1.

JANUARY 25
Volland Store Volunteer Day and Appreciation Lunch | 9 – 1 pm
Looking at this schedule, we realize the need for a lot of volunteers! You are invited to join our team!

FEBRUARY 9
Community Potluck | Meat, beverages, and table service provided | 12:30 pm
“Map of My Kingdom” a play about “Who gets the family farm?” | 2 pm
Talkback discussion and Panel | 3 pm
Free Will admission for program

MARCH 1
Rural | Urban Invitational Art II C losing Reception Art Party. Artist Panel, moderated by Saralyn Reece Hardy, the Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas
2 pm

MARCH 7-8
Gallery closed for private event

MARCH 15- MAY 28
PRAIRIE . RIVER | Lisa Grossman and Erin Wiersma
Art exhibit

Note: The Volland Store closed to the public March 16, 2020

MARCH 22 – Postponed to May 7 Virtual Presentation. Click here for recording.
Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills by Rex C. Buchanan, Burke W. Griggs, and Joshua L. Svaty, published in 2019. The authors will be present to talk about their book | 2 pm

MARCH 28
To be re-scheduled in 2021
Kelley Hunt with her Touring Band

MARCH 29
Postponed
Prairie Heritage award ceremony to Phong Nguyen for his recently published book, The Adventures of Joe Harper. Lunch by reservation at 12:30. Award ceremony and remarks by the author | 2 pm

MARCH – APRIL
Postponed to Spring 2021
Barn and Cellar Tours

MAY 7
Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills by Rex C. Buchanan, Burke W. Griggs, and Joshua L. Svaty, published in 2019. The authors will present images from their book and discuss the exploration and discoveries that resulted in the publication
Virtual Presentation | 3 pm. Click here for a recording.

MAY 21
Virtual Tour by Lisa Grossman of her work in the current Volland Store exhibition, “PRAIRIE . RIVER | Lisa Grossman and Erin Wiersma” 3 pm. Click here for recorded presentation.

JUNE 6
Postponed to Spring 2021
Fish Wizards Tour

JUNE 7
Canceled
Opening Reception
Summer Art Exhibit June 6 – September 6 (canceled)

JULY 11 Canceled for 2020
Jerry Diaz and Family Horse Show

AUGUST 14
To be re-scheduled in 2021
Kelley Hunt with her Touring Band

AUGUST 29
Canceled for 2020
Stargazing at Volland with Jerelyn Ramirez, Kansas Astronomical Observers, and Luke Townsend KANSAS! photographer on “shooting the night sky.”

SEPTEMBER 13
Canceled
Opening Reception
Fall Art Exhibit – September 12 – October 11 (canceled)

OCTOBER 17-18
Canceled for 2020
Fifth Annual Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit
We will see you in the Fall of 2021!

MARCH 13 – APRIL 25, 2021

Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

We look forward to seeing you in the Spring of 2021

Take care, stay safe, be well!

Your friends at

Winter in the Flint Hills at the Loft in The Volland Store

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 01:55:00 GMT

The air is as cold as a fine white wine. The skies are dark, and the stars are scintillating.

If you’re lucky, there is a light snow on the hills, like powdered sugar.

…and the Loft is cozy.

Make the Loft at The Volland Store your point of departure for discovering the Flint Hills in Winter

Loft Rates

$132 per night | 2 night minimum

For reservations, please contact:

Peggy Schultz

Loft@thevollandstore.com

Reservations can also be made through our listing on AirBnB

Artist | Writer Retreat

Please contact:
Patty Reece
913-522-6270
patty@thevollandstore.com

Rural | Urban Art Closing Reception

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 23:44:00 GMT

five rural artists | five urban artists

Sunday, February 3, 2019 | 12-5pm

Artist panel at 2 pm, featuring Laura Berman, Kelly Yarbrough Frasier, Bill McBride, and Matt Regier

Refreshments. Free admission. Family friendly.

Exhibiting artists:

Armin Mühsam, Bill McBride, Caleb Taylor, Kelly Yarbrough Frasier, Laura Berman, Matt Regier, Miki Baird, Molly Kaderka, Shin-hee Chin, Shreepad Joglekar

All works are for sale, except as noted.

Map and directions here .

Sky Smeed

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 22:52:00 GMT

The Kansas Tour

Saturday, February 2, 2019

7pm

Sky’s from Kansas. He calls his music Folk, some call it Country, but call it what you want Sky is a brilliant songwriter. Clever, funny, heartbreaking and honest. With a lovely smile to boot.

This is Sky’s second Kansas Tour, bringing his music to Kansas towns and cool places. Join us for a good Saturday night at Volland.

Seating limited. Bring friends. Come early.

Free will admission. Beer and sodas available for purchase.

Map and directions here .

Folksinger, songwriter Sky Smeed Celebrates Kansas

Lawrence, Kan. – Sky Smeed will be celebrating Kansas this January and February, with an exclusive 20 date tour of the state. It’s the second year in a row that the Lawrence based songwriter will be packing his bags and guitar for a month of music, exploration, and trail running in his home state.

“Last year’s Kansas tour was a breath of fresh air for me. I made new friends, visited towns I had never been to, and shared my songs along the way,” says Smeed. “I’ll be returning to some of my favorite places and venues this year, but I’ve also managed to include a handful of new spots to check out. I love Kansas, and I love the fact that I’ve been living here most of my life and still haven’t been to every nook and cranny.”

Sky was born and raised outside of Chanute, Kansas, in an old, one-room schoolhouse his parents bought and turned into a home in the early 1970s. Two years ago he sold the country home he built by hand and moved north to Lawrence and began settling in to an old fixer-upper on the north side of the Kaw River.

Smeed will be releasing his seventh album, Leaving Again , this year on February 9th, but he’ll have it available for early purchase, along with other exclusive merchandise at every Kansas Tour stop.

Listeners often compare Sky’s music to Gram Parsons, Neil Young and John Prine, though his easy-going, off-the cuff banter and transparency link him to contemporaries like Todd Snider and Paul Thorn.

Don’t miss Sky Smeed at The Volland Store in Volland, KS on February 2nd at 7pm

More info at www.skysmeed.com

The Loveliness of Air (I Can’t Breathe)

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 22:40:00 GMT

by Dr. Joseph Wytko

featuring Dr. Anna Marie Wytko, Saxophone Solo Artist

April 7, 2019 | 2pm

The composer will make introductory remarks

Free admission | Appropriate for children age 10 or older

Reception following the performance

Please join us for a live musical performance of The Loveliness of Air on Sunday, April 7, 2019, at 2pm at the Volland Store in the Flint Hills.

A performance of The Loveliness of Air will also occur on Thursday, April 4 at 7:30pm in the UMB Theater within the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art located on the Kansas State University campus.

THE LOVELINESS OF AIR is an electroacoustic original composition based upon selected poetry and prose of children under the age of 15 who were victims of the Theresienstadt (Terezín) Nazi concentration camp between the years 1942 and 1944. Of 15,000 victims who passed through this prison camp, 100 returned. The composition and production of The Loveliness of Air was supported in part by a grant from Arizona State University, and was composed and engineered by Dr. Joseph Wytko. It includes narrations in nearly one dozen languages and features guest saxophone solo artist Dr. Anna Marie Wytko, Associate Professor of Music within the Kansas State University School of Music, Theatre and Dance. Additionally, the performance includes various theatrical elements. The poems, prose, and drawings are all that are left of these children. Their ashes have long since sifted across the fields.

Saxophonist ANNA MARIE WYTKO is Associate Professor of Music at Kansas State University and Artist-Clinician for the Yamaha Corporation. International concerto performances include those as soloist at Carnegie Hall for the New York International Music Festival , soloist with the Banda de Conciertos de San José in Costa Rica as part of Sax Fest Costa Rica International , soloist with the Polish Air Force Wind Symphony in Poland, and concerto soloist performances throughout England and Scotland. Professor Wytko was Featured American Artist at the Fourth International Saxophone Festival of Montevideo in Uruguay. Dr. Wytko recently presented a substantial concert and teaching tour throughout Italy, including performing and teaching at major venues in Milan, Bologna, Perugia, and Florence. Hailed by international music journal The Absolute Sound as an artist “possessing a prodigious technique plus extraordinary control of tone and dynamics,” she has recorded on the Jeanné Digital Recording label and TimeGrabber Digital Recording label. RJ Upmarket Press released Professor Wytko’s book publication titled The Saxophonist As Rank Beginner And Beyond – A Guide for Saxophone Methods Class, Band Directors, and Private Instructors . Anna Marie is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed chamber ensemble Ascendo3 .

www.AnnaMarieWytko.com

Saxophonist JOSEPH WYTKO , Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University and Artist-Clinician with Selmer Paris and Conn-Selmer USA, has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the World Saxophone Congress Orchestra, and orchestras in Europe and Mexico. He has served as orchestral saxophonist with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra since 1976, and has performed as saxophonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Grant Park Orchestra of Chicago, and the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra. He was Visiting Professor of Saxophone at the University of Georgia in 2010-11. A past recipient of the prestigious Solo Recitalist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Senior Scholar Grant from the International Research and Exchanges Board, he has performed in Carnegie Recital Hall, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, and in the East Room of the White House and throughout the U.S., Europe, China, Mexico, and Canada. His CD recordings have been featured on “in flight” audio entertainment programs for United Airlines and U. S. Airways. The subject of an article in the 2nd edition of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music, Dr. Wytko recently contributed five articles to this publication (Oxford University Press). www.JosephWytkoSaxophone.com

The Loveliness of Air (I Can’t Breathe) is made possible with the generous support of the Earl J. and Leona K. Tranin Special Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City
and
Donors to the Volland Store Fund, a 501c3 nonprofit administered by the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation

Jump!Star

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 18:57:00 GMT

Constellate #6

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Free and open to the public

SKY + STARS + STORIES

Join us under the stars (both real and projected) for a night of stories from the sky.

6 – 6:30 | Doors open. Light fare. Beverages by donation

6:30 | Welcome and Presentations

9:00 | Conversations under Constellations

The evening will begin as the sun sets and Dr. Daniel Wildcat , President (acting) of Haskell Indian Nations University, will tell a story that starts with this most vital star. Then, we’ll gather in the sparkling dark to talk with Jana Grcevich , astrophysicist and co-author of A Vacation Guide to the Solar System , about how a star is born, and the physical forces causing our North Star to change (and inspiring the Jump!Star project). Next, we’ll take part in a celestial session led by George Ferrandi , Jump!Star’s creative director, who will reveal the intimate myths of our eventual North Stars and their origin stories within the Jump!Star cosmology. Then, with the help of our “Flash!Packet,” participants will be invited to develop a deck of North Star Stories from their own lives using the Pole Star characters as points of departure. Dr. Chinyere Okafor , Director of the Center for Women’s Studies at WSU, will lead this discussion with participants using Jump!Star’s version of an illustrated flashcard workbook for creative writing.

Weather permitting, Jerelyn and Paul Ramirez of the Kansas Astronomical Observers will provide telescopes to guide us in North Star spotting.

It is a little-known fact that the North Star that was overhead when the pyramids were built is not the same as our North Star now (Polaris). A slight wobble in Earth’s rotation (Axial Precession) causes the stars above our Polar Axis to shift slowly over time. Our “guiding light” changes….

Jump!Star is an initiative centered around the significance of that change.

Jump!Star unites artists, musicians and scientists with communities around the world to invent cultural customs (dances, songs, snacks!) now that can be passed down and celebrated when our current North Star rotates out of position and our next pole star moves into place. The Jump!Star team has been working with communities around the US to develop the first iteration of this celestial celebration, to premiere in Kansas on June 15, 2019 [at Symphony in the Flint Hills]. – jumpstar.love

Presented in collaboration with:

Symphony in the Flint Hills

Harvester Arts

Jump!Star

Chamber Music at the Barn

Wichita State University

National Endowment for the Arts

RSVP ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

JUMPSTAR-SKY-STAR-STORIES. EVENTBRITE.COM

Susan Mayo and the WC String Quartet

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 11:50:00 GMT

April 28 | 2019

Performance at 2 pm

Closing Reception for ARMIN MÜHSAM: The Unburdened Present

Refreshments | Family Friendly | Free admission

The Quartet will entertain residents at the Alma Manor in Alma, Kansas at 4pm

Dr. Susan Mayo has been part of the musical landscape of Kansas for over 30 years.

Active not only in the classical world, playing with the Wichita Symphony, she also performs in a variety of unique groups. She can be seen with the WC Quartet, one of the only improvising string quartets in town, Poke Salad Orchestra, a string trio firmly rooted in American traditions of old-time, country and early popular music, and the 21 Century Projects collective, a creative collaborative of musicians, visual artists, and dancers. Also interested in composing, she has collaborated on a variety of projects writing works for the WC String Quartet.

While an artist-in-residence of the Tallgrass Artist Residency program in the summer of 2018, Dr. Mayo composed a string quartet inspired by the sounds of the Flint Hills prairie.

Mayo pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of the Pacific (BM: Cello Performance) as well as doing graduate work at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and Wichita State University (BME in Special Music Education) and the University of Kansas (DMA in Cello Performance). Mayo is currently on the faculty of Friends University in Wichita, KS and is music director for both Symphony in the Flint Hills fall event Woodfest, and the Wichita Pop-Up Concert series VIBRANTICT.

Join us for an afternoon of music inspired by the tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hillsplus other original works.

Performances at The Volland Store and Alma Manor are made possible with the support of Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, the National Endowment of the Arts, and The Volland Store Fund.

BIG SONIA

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:08:00 GMT

The Volland Store first presented “Big Sonia” to an appreciative audience on March 30, 2019, and now offers an additional screening for the community

Join us to view this exceptional film

Alma Public Library | 115 W. 3rd St. | Alma, Kansas

Wednesday, April 10 | 6:30 pm | Refreshments | Free admission

Sonia Warshawski

In the last store in a defunct shopping mall, 91-year-old Sonia Warshawski – great-grandmother, businesswoman, and Holocaust survivor – runs the tailor shop she’s owned for more than 30 years. But when she’s served an eviction notice, the specter of retirement prompts Sonia to revisit her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide. A poignant story of generational trauma and healing, BIG SONIA also offers a laugh-out-loud-funny portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth-telling to heal us all.

“Imagine you were asked to do a favor for a family member and pick up something they had dropped off at a tailor shop. You have never been to this shop before, but the older woman behind the counter smiles at you warmly as if you were her own grandchild. She has bright red lipstick and a perfect hairdo. She is tiny, standing only 4’8” tall. As she reaches across the counter to greet you, you suddenly notice the number 48689 tattooed on her forearm. You realize that you are facing a moment in history: you are meeting a Holocaust survivor.

“Her name is Sonia Warshawski. You understand that this kind, Jewish woman with a Polish accent lived all her teenage years amid the terror and pain of the Holocaust. During World War II, the Holocaust resulted in the murder of six million Jews and members of other groups who were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds. WWII formally ended in 1945, when Sonia was just 19 years old. Its effects continue to influence the lives of every survivor, and their families .” – from the Educational Companion Guide for BIG SONIA

DIRECTORS OF BIG SONIA: LEAH WARSHAWSKI AND TODD SOLIDAY

“Sometimes the really big stories come from the smallest places. As ﬁlmmakers, we travel all over the world chasing stories about people making an impact. In making BIG SONIA, we realized some of those stories are right in our own backyards.

“When we began ﬁlming in 2011, my grandmother Sonia Warshawski was 85 years old, and Todd and I had just started dating. On the heels of our last feature documentary, FINDING HILLYWOOD, our intention was to make a short ﬁlm about my grandmother’s small tailoring shop, John’s Tailoring, and its steady stream of loyal customers. My extended family had long joked about using the shop as the subject of a reality show. We’d all long witnessed Sonia holding court from her counter-top podium, doling out marriage advice, recommending WWII books to teenagers, and doing interviews for local news stations. We knew Sonia had a gift for making anyone in her shop feel like they were the most important person in the world. And we knew the shop was her own refuge from the horrors of her past as a teenage Holocaust survivor. Once we started ﬁlming, however, it soon became clear that customers were drawn to John’s Tailoring not just for gossip and human connection, but also for their own redemption. They came in because Sonia sets a glowing example of how an ordinary person can move past deep personal and historical trauma to ﬁnd peace and heal others.

“Still, our time with Sonia revealed her complex side. Her interactions with customers are very diﬀerent from her relationships with her family, which have often been tense and tender, overshadowed by decades of survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress. During the course of production, we began to perceive the trauma suﬀered not just by Sonia, but by my aunts and father, who had survived the trauma of a household gripped by grief and loss. As a third-generation survivor, I also began to see the ways in which Sonia’s pain had branded me, the grandchild of refugees, and the child of a parent who’d long grappled with his own mother’s pain.

“Then, suddenly, the plot turned. Sonia’s shop got an eviction notice. Her panic was palpable. And while we knew Sonia would survive the physical loss of her shop, we were also compelled by her store’s symbolic role as a forum for human connection: a stronghold and a place of safety for Sonia and so many others. We continued to ﬁlm, and our “short” turned into a feature. Oh, and in the middle of it all, Todd and I got married. The store was now woven into the fabric of our lives, too.

“Despite featuring a Holocaust survivor, BIG SONIA is not a ‘Jewishmovie,’ and it’s not a ‘Holocaust movie.’ BIG SONIA is a story about humanity: our human potential to overcome even the worst of the world’s sins and atrocities with compassion and understanding. It’s a tale about survival, yes, but not only the heroic kind—the kind that is forced upon victims of genocide. It’s also about the everyday acts of survival we all undertake just to be human: to overlook slights; to rise above bigotry, ignorance and self-doubt; to push for forgiveness even when our instincts urge retribution or bitterness.

“….Sonia’s life story has been called an antidote to the hate and fear we see around us, and we hope that is true. But the real lesson of BIG SONIA is that we’ve all got the capacity to combat the worst of humanity. Like Sonia, we all have the opportunity to create for others the places of comfort and connection where survival takes root.” – Leah Warshawski

BIG SONIA enjoyed an 8-month run in a Kansas City movie theater following its theatre release in 2017. It has since been shown at the Dole Institute for Politics and in the US House of Representatives (January 2018), at numerous middle schools, high schools, and to 10,000 college/university students across the US. It has been screened at Catholic, Christian and Jewish schools, churches and synagogues, senior living centers, four different prisons across Kansas and six screenings at San Quentin. The movie has been shown internationally and has received major awards and reviews.

Don’t miss this movie. It is appropriate for students Grade 7 and above. Bring your children, your grandchildren. Enjoy an evening at the movies like none other.

“Not just another Holocaust movie,” proclaims movie critic Christopher Llewellyn Reed. “Sonia [a Holocaust survivor] is a vibrant nonagenarian in Kansas City….lecturing at local schools to keep the memory of Nazi atrocities alive…. Beloved by those who know her, she is a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.”

“It will reach into the tender-most part of your heart and touch it as few movies have.”

– Jeffrey Lyons | Lyons Den Radio | WCBS

“a film about history, how we carry it with us, and why it matters”
– Jennie Kermode, Eye For Film

“structured in a way that bumps the tragic and demoralizing up against the comic and inspirational.”
-Derek Smith, Slant Magazine

“One of the most interesting aspects of this documentary is the second-generation Holocaust survivor’s perspective and the insight into living with intergenerational trauma,”
-Rachel Morrow, Film-Forward

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

Festival premiere at DOC NYC & Napa Film Festival in Nov 2016 | Theatrical premiere Nov 2017
Screened at 63 film festivals around the globe since Nov 2016
18 awards to-date including:
Social Media Impact Award Finalist (SIMA), 2018
Grand Jury Prize: Best Documentary , Barcelona International Film Festival,2017
Best Film Grand Prize , Cleveland International Film Festival, 2017 ($10,000 cashprize)
Best Documentary , Napa Film Festival, 2016 ($10,000 cashprize)
Best Documentary , Dallas VideoFest, 2017
Best Documentary , Monadnock International Film Festival, 2017
Best Documentary , Wilbur Award for Religious Communicators, 2017
Best Heartland Documentary , Kansas City Film Festival, 2017
Best Local Film , Movie Trip Cinema (Kansas City), 2017
Jury Award , Most Lovable Character, BendFilm, 2017
AARP Movies For Grownups Nominee , 2017
Shanghai International Film Festival (onlyUS-made doc in competition), 2017
Audience Award , Napa Film Festival, 2016
Audience Award , Seattle Jewish Film Festival, 2017
Audience Award , Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, 2017
Audience Award , Mendocino Film Festival, 2017
Audience Award , Berkshire Jewish Film Festival, 2017
Audience Award , Best Documentary, Tallgrass Film Festival, 2017 ($2,500 cashprize)

BIG SONIA is made possible with the generous support of the Earl J. and Leona K. Tranin Special Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City
and
Donors to the Volland Store Fund, a 501c3 nonprofit administered by the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation

Cellar Tours | Barn Tours

Sat, 28 Dec 2019 19:28:00 GMT

Spring Tours 2019

Additional Barn Tours

Saturday, May 18

Saturday, May 25

Make reservations here

Cellar Tours
Saturday, March 30 | SOLD OUT
Sunday, March 31 | SOLD OUT
Saturday, April 13 | SOLD OUT
Sunday, April 14 | SOLD OUT

Barn Tours
Saturday, April 27 | SOLD OUT
Sunday, April 28 | SOLD OUT
Saturday, May 11 | SOLD OUT
Sunday, May 12 | SOLD OUT

Arched roof cellars, unique to the Flint Hills, have piqued an interest that continues to be strong.

In the working landscape of the Flint Hills, many structures have fallen into disrepair, but there are stunning barns and outbuildings with fascinating stories to tell.

Through the years, as guests traveled down country roads from cellar to cellar, they noticed the barns, the sheds, and the other outbuildings that dotted the landscape. They asked questions about them and suggested a barn tour. Rob Meseke, the tour guide, understood their curiosity. He too was fascinated by barns. A fourth-generation Wabaunsee County resident, he grew up around these structures and knew their stories. This Spring, Rob will lead The Volland Store’s first barn tours.

A tour of historic arched-roof cellars

A tour of barns in the Flint Hills

$26 per person
Buffet Lunch by reservation $12.50

Reserve now for best availability

Please join our newsletter list for announcements about future tours.
Sign up for our E-Newsletter here

More details:

The Tours begin at 1:00pm from The Volland Store.

The Gallery opens at noon, and we encourage you to arrive early to enjoy the current art exhibit and check-in with your Tour Guide.

As a convenience for tour participants, lunch is available prior to the tour, by reservation. Please make your lunch reservation by Thursday noon prior to your tour.

If you have ordered a lunch, it will be ready at noon – you are welcome to find a seat in the gallery, or at the picnic tables outside and in the Blacksmith Shop. Tea and water are provided with lunch.

Participants will be bussed to the tour stops. The tour will take you on private property. As you visit the sites, you will hear about their unique history. You are welcome to bring a flashlight for better viewing in interior spaces.

Wear good walking shoes and be prepared for uneven ground. Walking sticks are welcome.

Dress appropriately for the weather. Please watch our Facebook page or vollandfoundation.org for weather cancellations and updates.

We anticipate the tour to take up to 4 hours. We will have you back to your vehicle by approximately 5 pm.

You are welcome to bring food and drinks on the bus. It is an eventful day and can get quite warm in the afternoon sun. We recommend bringing water to keep hydrated. There will be at least one restroom break during the tour.

You are welcome to take photos (please share them with us on Facebook or through email!)

If the weather blesses us with rain, we will continue the tour. Please watch the forecast and dress appropriately.

We look forward to seeing you!

Directions from Alma:
Take Third Street west past the court house heading out of town. The road turns into Old K-10 Road. Follow it for 8 miles to Volland Road, turn left onto Volland Road. The Volland Store is on your right just past the white houses. Please pull into the driveway and park in the mowed grass beyond the blacksmith shop. Please do not park along the roadway. It needs to remain a clear traffic way.

Directions from other locations at Map and Driving Directions .

Refund policy:
If you are unable to keep your reservation, please notify us as soon as possible. Your purchase may be credited to a future tour or you may consider your purchase a donation for free community programming at The Volland Store. We appreciate your interest and support.

Ticket Sales benefit free community programming at The Volland Store.

Thank you!

Bison, Saddles, and Cherokee Maidens

Sat, 28 Dec 2019 00:07:00 GMT

(with BBQ)

June 8, 2019

The fun begins at 4!

ZHANG HONGTU

In residence at Volland, June 1-11 to witness the birthing season of the bison, Hongtu will discuss his fascination with bison and his growing portfolio of bison work

MARY PINARD

Poet, professor at Babson College in Boston, in residence at Volland June 3-10, Mary will offer a compelling reading of her amazing poetry. You won’t want to miss this. Truly.

Linda Blackburn’s Law of the Saddle (II)

Free admission

BBQ in the Blacksmith Shop

by a local BBQ master

pulled pork, BBQ beans, cheesy potatoes, cole slaw

$13.50 by reservation here

5pm

Sodas and Adult beverages available by donation

7 o’clock to nine or so

The Cherokee Maidens with Sycamore Swing!

Advance Tickets | $10 | Eventbrite

$15 at the door

ZHANG HONGTU | Artist. From China, Hongtu has lived in the US for many years. Hongtu’s first Midwest solo exhibit occurred in the Fall of 2018 at the Beach Museum at K-State. While in Kansas, he became intrigued with bison and the prairie. He returns to the Flint Hills for the birthing season of the bison and will be an artist-in-residence at Volland in June 2019. You will be the first to hear about his new work inspired by our tall grass prairie.

MARY PINARD | Poet. Professor at Babson College in Boston. Mary loves the Flint Hills. We love Mary. Her poetry and readings are extraordinary. This is her third residency at Volland, and it coincides with Hongtu’s time here, creating Volland’s first multi-disciplinary residency.

BBQ IN THE BLACKSMITH SHOP ... beginning at 5:00. Reservations by June 3 please.

CHEROKEE MAIDENS AND SYCAMORE SWING | They croon. They scat. They swing and sing like Bing. Think Bob Wills meets the Andrews Sisters. One was a Dixie Chick. Two have appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion . Two have sung at the Grand Ole Opry. Guitar-slinger Kentucky White leads Sycamore Swing, a troupe of crackerjack musicians featuring some of the fabled Tulsa Playboys – notably the Eichers and Steve Bagsby.

Join us for a Saturday of Fun at Volland!

Kelly Hunt | Folk/Americana Singer-Songwriter

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 05:31:00 GMT

Pop-up concert

Thursday, August 8, 2019

7:30 – 9pm

under the trees by the blacksmith shop at the Volland Store

(we will move inside if the weather is too hot)

Bring your lawn chair.

Adult beverages available by donation
$15 for advance tickets here | $20 at the door

“Kelly Hunt sings with the lilting cadence of a folksinger born somewhere far away, sometime long ago.”

-Robert Crawford [Rolling Stone Country]

Folk/Americana singer-songwriter and banjo player Kelly Hunt shares her stories and songs accompanied by violinist Stas’ Heaney. KELLY HUNT is launching her stellar debut album titled “Even The Sparrow,” finishing a first tour segment which has taken her all the way to Vancouver Island, BC, with major market shows and radio appearances all along the route –

and on her way back home, she will stop by Volland for a pop-up concert!

Kelly is a superbly talented, fresh new songwriter on a rapid national ascension. “Even the Sparrow” has been getting terrific national press, consistently charting top 10 on both Folk Radio charts and has just cracked the Americana chart. Some heavyweight publications and writers are lining up behind it, people like critical demigod Greil Marcus – perhaps the foremost Bob Dylan writer on the planet – in his Rolling Stone column a few weeks ago. She’s touring in duo format with multi-instrumentalist Stas’ Heaney.

This is a last-minute, fabulous opportunity to hear Kelly at Volland.

We hope you can join us and spread the word! The concert will take place under the trees by the blacksmith shop. Bring your lawn chairs. (If the evening is too hot, we will move inside.) Adult beverages available by donation. Free popcorn.

Please note: GPS is unreliable for our address. Visit thevollandstore.com for a map and driving directions . Print and bring them with you. Cell phone service is spotty in the hills.

Charro Jerry Diaz and Family

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 01:28:00 GMT

Saturday, July 27, 2019

at the Volland Arena

5:30 | Smokin’ Wille’s BBQ Food Truck
Music by Mariachi Girasol de Topeka

“Law of the Saddle (II)” art exhibit in the gallery of The Volland Store

7:30 | Traditional Vaquero Equestrian Performance by Jerry, Staci and Nicolas Diaz

8:30 | Visit with the Diaz family and their amazing Andalusian horses

at the (new) Volland Arena

next to The Volland Store | 24098 Volland Road | Volland, KS

Wear your boots and bring a lawn chair

Free Will Offering

GERARDO “JERRY” DIAZ, “Superior Horseman,” comes from the world of Mexican horsemanship and rodeo. A true charro, Diaz follows the grand tradition of his Mexican heritage. The charro’s strict code of honor includes chivalry, high ethics, expert horsemanship and dedication to family and charro traditions. Jerry Diaz embodies all of these qualities. He is four times World Champion Charro and has earned the Federation of Charros’ Golden Spur Award for his outstanding contributions and his commitment to the charro tradition.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Diaz traces his charro roots back four generations. His father, Jose "Pepe" Diaz, is a charro and master horseman from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Jose Diaz trained horses for the family of Mexican president Lazaro Cardenas.

Since beginning his career in the early 1980s, Jerry Diaz has performed his horsemanship skills & rope artistry around the country. Unaided by swivels or gimmicks, he spins the rope with ease while on foot, riding, or standing atop his horse. Jerry made a special appearance before US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and he performed at Madison Square Garden and at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Jerry Diaz now produces his own Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza. It is a show filled with pageantry and excitement and has been performed at Denver’s famed National Western Stock Show, the San Antonio Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri, and many other rodeos across the country.

Showmanship runs in the Diaz family. After taking up residence in the United States, his father Jose “Pepe” Diaz, was featured in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Jerry’s wife Staci is an accomplished horsewoman, known for her Roman riding skills. Their son Nicolas, a superb horseman, performs alongside both his parents in many of the productions they do as a family.

Jerry Diaz has appeared on PBS’s National Education Services, ABC’s “Good Morning America” and many episodes of Telemundo and Univision. He’s been written up in the AQHA Journal , Time, and Newsweek . He was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame, Cowboys of Color in Fort Worth, and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Jerry is well known for his Superior Horsemanship skills. He and his family now reside in New Braunfels, Texas, on a horse ranch where they raise and train all their own show horses. He is a spokesperson for the Company HW Brand Heavy Duty Brown Lienzo Arena systems. For the past 23 years he has been a Purina Mills Influential and is now serving as an Ambassador.

STACI ANDERSON DIAZ has entertained audiences all across the U.S. She began performing in her Father’s Wild West Show when she was three years old.

As a third-generation performer and artist, she is known for her Roman Riding six-up team of horses. She also drives horses in tandem while standing atop the back team. She performs with dancing horses, does trick-riding, and has been a stunt double in several movies.

Staci is married to World Champion Charro Gerardo “Jerry” Diaz, and they have been performing together for 21 yrs. The have been married 19 years, on horseback of course, and have become a great team. They live in New Braunfels, Texas, and have a 15-year old son, Nicolas Adrian Diaz, who performs with them in their shows.

Staci rides Andalusian horses. The Andalusian horse, with its elegant long mane and tail, took its name from the steppes of southern Spain, the region where the Andalusian horse was developed. Bred for generations by the Carthusian monks of Spain to be powerful, weight-bearing horses for the Crown of Castile, the Andalusian is the horse used in the bull fight rings of Spain and Mexico.

NICOLAS ADRIAN DIAZ has been performing with his Mom & Dad since before he could walk. The son of Jerry & Staci Diaz has traveled to some of the most prestigious rodeos and horse shows in the country. He has performed at the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania, Ponoka Stampede in Canada, Denver National Western Stock Show, Houston Rodeo and Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show, San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show, and others as well.

Nicolas is a 5th generation horseman, following in his parents’ footsteps. Carrying on the family tradition, Nicolas helps his father train the horses they ride in their performances across the country.

Nicolas performs a style of riding called Doma vaquera which evolved from everyday ranch work in Spain. Doma vaquera uses a long pole called a garrocha to sort cattle and to test their suitability for the bull ring. A cross between art and dressage Doma vaquera has evolved into a competitive art form. It features the movement of the Andalusian horse, highlighting his lateral movement, power and impulsion.

Nicolas rides “Universo,” a pure Spanish Andalusian and demonstrates the art and movements of this special breed.

The Diaz Ranch is a beautiful facility with two arenas, one covered and one open arena with seating where they hold corporate parties, group events, conventions, workshops and private lessons.

The Diaz Family offers high quality entertainment – from their fine Andalusian horses, Roman riding, and dancing horses, to rope artistry on horseback. They are well-known for their Mexican Extravaganza productions.

We are delighted to welcome the Diaz family to Volland!

Facebook Charro Jerry Diaz

GERARDO “JERRY” DIAZ, “Superior Horseman,” comes from the world of Mexican horsemanship and rodeo. A true charro, Diaz follows the grand tradition of his Mexican heritage. The charro’s strict code of honor includes chivalry, high ethics, expert horsemanship and dedication to family and charro traditions. Jerry Diaz embodies all of these qualities. He is four times World Champion Charro and has earned the Federation of Charros’ Golden Spur Award for his outstanding contributions and his commitment to the charro tradition.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Diaz traces his charro roots back four generations. His father, Jose "Pepe" Diaz, is a charro and master horseman from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Jose Diaz trained horses for the family of Mexican president Lazaro Cardenas.

Since beginning his career in the early 1980s, Jerry Diaz has performed his horsemanship skills & rope artistry around the country. Unaided by swivels or gimmicks, he spins the rope with ease while on foot, riding, or standing atop his horse. Jerry made a special appearance before US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and he performed at Madison Square Garden and at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Jerry Diaz now produces his own Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza. It is a show filled with pageantry and excitement and has been performed at Denver’s famed National Western Stock Show, the San Antonio Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri, and many other rodeos across the country.

Showmanship runs in the Diaz family. After taking up residence in the United States, his father Jose “Pepe” Diaz, was featured in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Jerry’s wife Staci is an accomplished horsewoman, known for her Roman riding skills. Their son Nicolas, a superb horseman, performs alongside both his parents in many of the productions they do as a family.

Jerry Diaz has appeared on PBS’s National Education Services, ABC’s “Good Morning America” and many episodes of Telemundo and Univision. He’s been written up in the AQHA Journal , Time, and Newsweek . He was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame, Cowboys of Color in Fort Worth, and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Jerry is well known for his Superior Horsemanship skills. He and his family now reside in New Braunfels, Texas, on a horse ranch where they raise and train all their own show horses. He is a spokesperson for the Company HW Brand Heavy Duty Brown Lienzo Arena systems. For the past 23 years he has been a Purina Mills Influential and is now serving as an Ambassador.

STACI ANDERSON DIAZ has entertained audiences all across the U.S. She began performing in her Father’s Wild West Show when she was three years old.

As a third-generation performer and artist, she is known for her Roman Riding six-up team of horses. She also drives horses in tandem while standing atop the back team. She performs with dancing horses, does trick-riding, and has been a stunt double in several movies.

Staci is married to World Champion Charro Gerardo “Jerry” Diaz, and they have been performing together for 21 yrs. The have been married 19 years, on horseback of course, and have become a great team. They live in New Braunfels, Texas, and have a 15-year old son, Nicolas Adrian Diaz, who performs with them in their shows.

Staci rides Andalusian horses. The Andalusian horse, with its elegant long mane and tail, took its name from the steppes of southern Spain, the region where the Andalusian horse was developed. Bred for generations by the Carthusian monks of Spain to be powerful, weight-bearing horses for the Crown of Castile, the Andalusian is the horse used in the bull fight rings of Spain and Mexico.

NICOLAS ADRIAN DIAZ has been performing with his Mom & Dad since before he could walk. The son of Jerry & Staci Diaz has traveled to some of the most prestigious rodeos and horse shows in the country. He has performed at the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania, Ponoka Stampede in Canada, Denver National Western Stock Show, Houston Rodeo and Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show, San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show, and others as well.

Nicolas is a 5th generation horseman, following in his parents’ footsteps. Carrying on the family tradition, Nicolas helps his father train the horses they ride in their performances across the country.

Nicolas performs a style of riding called Doma vaquera which evolved from everyday ranch work in Spain. Doma vaquera uses a long pole called a garrocha to sort cattle and to test their suitability for the bull ring. A cross between art and dressage Doma vaquera has evolved into a competitive art form. It features the movement of the Andalusian horse, highlighting his lateral movement, power and impulsion.

Nicolas rides “Universo,” a pure Spanish Andalusian and demonstrates the art and movements of this special breed.

The Diaz Ranch is a beautiful facility with two arenas, one covered and one open arena with seating where they hold corporate parties, group events, conventions, workshops and private lessons.

The Diaz Family offers high quality entertainment – from their fine Andalusian horses, Roman riding, and dancing horses, to rope artistry on horseback. They are well-known for their Mexican Extravaganza productions.

We are delighted to welcome the Diaz family to Volland!

Facebook Charro Jerry Diaz

Kelley Hunt and Friends Winter Soulstice

Thu, 26 Dec 2019 20:30:00 GMT

December 6, 2019

7pm

Advance Concert Tickets | $17.50 at EventBrite

$25.00 at the door

Chili dinner at 6 pm by reservation | $12.50

Dinner Reservations here by December 3

Celebrated Roots / Blues / Americana singer songwriter and piano player Kelley Hunt brings a unique night of music titled “Kelley Hunt and Friends Winter Soul stice” to The Volland Store.

It’s a special program of seasonal selections, arrangements and even new music – songs matched to the holidays, the winter season and themes of peace and connection. This is not a recitation of your favorite carols, it’s a deeper dive into material chosen to reflect and interpret how we all feel this time of year.

Joining Kelley will be eminent bassist James Albright and singer Allena Ross. Over the past few years “Winter Soul stice” has played to sold-out crowds. This promises to be – don’t miss it!

Join us before the concert for a light supper of chili by Dave Hedges of DJ’s Bar and Grill with all the condiments. The most decadent brownies. ever. courtesy of Jeanette at the Alma Bakery and Sweet Shoppe.

Dinner Reservations here by December 3 please

Calamity Jane

Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:18:00 GMT

Presented by Dr. Joyce Thierer

Sunday, August 4, 2019

2 pm | outside by the Blacksmith Shop | bring a lawn chair

Refreshments | Free Will Offering

“Law of the Saddle (II)” art exhibit in the gallery of The Volland Store

CALAMITY JANE TO RIDE INTO VOLLAND

“everyone’s favorite rowdy Western woman”

Have you ever wished you could ask Calamity Jane what Wild Bill Hickok was really like?

You can ask that and more at The Volland Store, Sunday, August 4, at 2pm. The public is invited to hear Dr. Joyce Thierer tell stories as everyone’s favorite rowdy western woman and then answer questions, first as Jane and then as Joyce. Dr. Thierer’s Calamity Jane is a delightful frontierswoman who has spun a good many yarns about her life, and does not mind letting her audience know how she has helped create her own myth.

“Make the best of what life gives you,” was one of Calamity Jane’s mottoes. Life gave her a family she loved, but lost, when her parents died along the Overland Route. Her parents had, however, already given Martha Jane Cannary skills that helped her survive. She was an excellent rider and able to hunt, farm, and drive a team. In time, she tells us, she parlayed those skills into becoming the only woman scout the U.S. cavalry ever had. She will also, though, have you know that in addition to playing men’s roles she also played very traditional women’s roles on the frontier, giving birth in a dugout along the Yellowstone River and nursing the sick during the smallpox epidemic.

Calamity Jane will no doubt talk about her horses. She will also tell of having to give her daughter up for adoption and how a visit to her daughter in Virginia led to a disturbing encounter with late nineteenth-century fashion. Calamity Jane’s many stories come from the letters she wrote to her daughter.

Calamity’s alter ego, Joyce Thierer, grew up riding horseback on a diversified farm/ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, master’s degrees in library and history from Emporia [KS] State University, and her Ph.D. in American History from Kansas State University. Dr. Thierer is Professor Emeritus of History at Emporia State University, and during her career as an award-winning professor, she researched, published, and lectured in the areas of women’s history, rural life, and agricultural history. Among other classes, she taught “Women of the Old West,” and in 2017 Dr. Thierer was inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Her performances have been produced for thirty years by Ride into History , an historical performance touring troupe on the Kansas Arts Touring Program and the Mid-American Arts Alliance roster as well as the Kansas Humanities Council. The troupe performs for a wide variety of audiences. Based in Kansas, Ride into History has performed from Minnesota to Texas, and the Smithsonian to Saipan. Audiences of all ages have praised Ride into History’ s performances for being both entertaining and educational.

Ride into History calls what they do, “sneaky history,” engaging people with the past through drama. They frequently get notes from students saying, “You made it seem as if we were really there in the Wild West.”

Ride also conducts workshops for adults, and camps to teach young people how to research, write, and perform first-person narratives, usually with a local history theme. Dr. Thierer is author of Telling History: A Manual for Performers and Presenters of First Person Narratives (AltaMira Press, 2010) and co-author with Ann Birney of Performing History: Researching, Writing, Acting, and Coaching for Historical Performance (Rowman Littlefield, 2018).

According to Dr. Thierer one of the most fascinating things about Calamity–and other famous women–is discovering how an ordinary girl becomes a woman whose choices change history and make her a symbol, a mythic figure.

She says that Ride into History ’s performances help audiences understand “what each of us has in common with these extraordinary people–and each other. Each of us has extraordinary potential.”

Calamity Jane was of the nineteenth century. And, Thierer remarks, “She may have lived largely outside proper roles for women, but those roles were clearly labeled, and she knew the meaning of the choices she made. Earning wages which would enable her to be independent meant wearing men’s clothing and becoming a man among men, an outsider in ‘proper’ society. Circumstances having placed her on the western frontier, she became also a marker of the frontier of possibilities for women.” In her later life Calamity Jane manipulated her public image, earning her living not as a scout or stagecoach driver, but as a performer, a storyteller who told her stories in exchange for basic necessities. She was, ironically, a survivor who died young.

Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at The Volland Store!

Stargazing at Volland | 2019

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 23:19:00 GMT

Saturday | August 24

Stargazing | Star Stories | Live Music

Bring your lawn chair

Free Will Admission

photo by Dave Leiker, Stargazing at Volland 2017

7:30 pm | Gather at the Volland Store. Beverages by donation

7:45 pm | Jerelyn Ramirez of The Kansas Astronomical Observers will tell us about the night sky

Sunset through twilight | Star Stories from the 2019 edition of Symphony in the Flint Hills Field Journal

“Star-gazing Cowboys”
a reading by its author, Jim Hoy
“on the trail from Texas to Kansas”

and

“Stars to Freedom”
a reading – and a performance of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” by Rob Manes
the long-hidden history of
a secret song that led slaves to freedom

Rob will continue to entertain us with song throughout twilight until the stars appear

After twilight ends | Stargazing with the big telescopes of The Kansas Astronomical Observers

The 2019 edition of Symphony in the Flint Hills Field Journal is a brilliant work about the Night Sky in the Flint Hills – past, present, and future.

Two stories in particular relate to the roles that stars played in the lives of those who traveled these hills before us. The Volland Store is pleased to present the stories at Stargazing 2019 in collaboration with Symphony in the Flint Hills . Copies of the 2019 Field Journal will be available for sale at The Volland Store. It is a worthy addition to your library.

“Star-gazing Cowboys”
Jim Hoy tells how cowboys used the stars on their cattle drives north from Texas.

“Stars to Freedom”
“The Drinking Gourd” is a song that secretly led escaping slaves to freedom. The meaning of the song remained hidden (except to slaves) for years.

When you stargaze at Volland on the summer night of August 24 you will see the same stars that looked over cattle trails in Kansas and the Underground Railroad that crossed Mount Mitchell those many years ago.

“The Volland Foundation is a Place for Art and Community where descendants of homesteaders and visitors from Anywhere, USA, gather to enjoy good art, interesting speakers, and friendly conversation that enrich and enliven our community both near and far.” If you would like to be part of our effort, please visit vollandfoundation.org" – Patty Reece, Founder, The Volland Foundation

“Symphony in the Flint Hills works to heighten appreciation and knowledge of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie—and the dark skies that make it possible for us to see the stars that shine light on our big dreams. We envision a future where our efforts inspire people to strengthen the Flint Hills by sustaining the region’s unique culture and landscape. You can learn more ways to join us at symphonyintheflinthills.org. ” – Leslie Von Holten, Executive Director, Symphony in the Flint Hills

"You spent the night in the Loft. It’s awfully dark out here. How was that?"

"We took the lawn chairs and went out in the front yard and looked at the stars. It was wonderful!"

– at Volland

" Experience the darkness of the night sky and the brilliance of the stars.

It’s one of the best things about the Flint Hills."

Suggestions for Lodging around Volland

Night Sky Photography Tips by Dave Leiker

Our friend, Dave Leiker, is an exceptional photographer. Dave has generously presented Night Sky Photography “tips” to our previous Stargazing audiences, and his suggested equipment list for Night Sky Photography follows:

These are basic equipment recommendations for successful night sky photography. You may

get by with less, and still have a great time under the stars but there are good reasons for

everything mentioned below – Dave Leiker

A camera with these capabilities

● Manual control of basic settings (aperture, shutter speed and ISO). Learn how to set

these ahead of time so that it’ll be easier to do in the dark.

● Live view manual focus. For best (sharpest) results we will focus on one of the brightest

stars or planets.

● Decent quality at higher ISOs. The 1600 to 3200 range is usual for milky way studies.

Wide angle lens – ideally in the 14mm to 24mm range. We need to gather as much light as possible so “fast glass” is best. That means a lens with a large aperture, ideally F2.8, F4.0 or faster. The wider the field of view, the more night sky we can capture in our frame. The “faster” the lens, the more starlight it can capture.

Remote Shutter Release (cabled or wireless) – This allows you to release and close the shutter in the camera’s “bulb” setting with a minimum of camera shake. Low light levels require long exposures, usually in the 25 – 40 second range. Learn ahead of time how to use the “bulb”setting on your camera, if available, to give full control of your shutter speed. Some cameras may allow you to set such a long shutter speed directly in the camera.

Sturdy Tripod – Star photography requires very long exposures, impossible to hand-hold.

Light sticks – Colored chemical light sticks such as can be found in the party section at Walmart are very useful. Small sticks designed to be used as children’s’ bracelets are easily fastened to the tripod legs. These will help mark your camera and help you and others avoid tripping over your rig in the dark. Light sticks can also be used as a personal light source. Red is a good color for use during night photography. Flashlights with red filters are also very useful. It takes time for our eyes to adjust to the dark. Use of low intensity red light interferes the least with our adaptation.

Flashlight – For general walking around in the dark use of a red-filtered flashlight is recommended. Flashlights can also be used to “light paint” objects in the foreground.

Please note: There is no rain date, but the party will continue if it’s cloudy. In case of event cancellation due to rain or lightning, a notice will be posted on Facebook.

The Volland Foundation is located at 24098 Volland Road, eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas, on Old K-10 Highway,

then ¼ mile south on Volland Road. vollandfoundation.org

Internet directions are unreliable for this location. Click here for a map

Emerald City Singers

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 04:06:00 GMT

December 8, 2019

2 pm

A Christmas Treat!

Bring your family, friends and neighbors

Free admission | Holiday refreshments | Shopping

“Emerald City Singers” is a children’s vocal performance group based in Wamego, Kansas. The group was established in September 2019 by Director Chelsea Coon, owner of Studio Ambit, a music instruction studio in Wamego, and Assistant Director Samantha Williams, a Senior at KSU majoring in Vocal Performance. They agreed that Emerald City Singers was a perfect Wizard of Oz-themed name for the new vocal group in Wamego. Children ages 5-8 are welcome to join the group, and they meet weekly to practice throughout the school year. They have been working very hard to learn how to sight read music, work through beginner level music theory, and practice proper vocal techniques.

This year’s Emerald City Singers are: Anna Debler, Josie Meyer, Jovie Coon, Maggie McCune, Killian Bixby and Cambri Theel. They are proud to present their Christmas music for all to enjoy!

Shop for small gifts at The Volland Store: local honey, home-made goat soap, organic jellies, hand-knit wash cloths, Flint Hills books, note cards

Your friends at The Volland Store wish you Happy Holidays

and a Fabulous New Year!

The Volland Store will close December 9, 2019, for Winter Break
and will re-open January 25, 2020

SOIL JOURNEY with JOSH LLOYD

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 11:37:00 GMT

September 29 | 2019

2 pm

I like to eat. You like to eat. Everyone likes to eat. Food. Which comes from soil. Without good soil, crops don’t do well, and food is less nutritious.

The current art exhibit at The Volland Store, H U N G R Y H E A R T L A N D , is a look at food deserts in several communities in northern rural Kansas. The exhibit has begun a conversation about food. Whether you are rural or urban, it is a subject that affects us all.

Food comes from farms and gardens. From the soil. Soil is a thin skin on the earth and is eroding rapidly. It is also being stripped of its ability to grow things, gradually but persistently. It’s time to think about dirt. Enter Josh Lloyd.

JOSH LLOYD graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Business, but he went back to the family farm in Clay County in North Central Kansas. He began to change his way of thinking about how to farm. He began to transition the farm away from the existing paradigm used by four generations. A tall order for sure. The transition is not complete, but he thinks it’s going in the right direction.

Josh grows wheat, corn, soybeans, rye and cover crops on his farm. He also uses perennial pasture breaks in his crop rotation to help soil and crop resilience, and provide additional grazing for his hair sheep flock and cow-calf herd.

Hear Josh talk about why he changed his thinking, how he convinced his father and partner Gale, to try new ways of farming, and the latest innovations that are re-building his soil and making his farm more profitable. It’s a good story about an important journey.

Join us at The Volland Store for conversation and refreshments. Free admission.

H U N G R Y H E A R T L A N D is the culmination of the multimedia educational and outreach campaign initiated in Fall 2018 by K-State faculty members in three departments: Shreepad Joglekar, Associate Professor, Art Department; Tom Hallaq, Associate Professor – Digital Media, A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications; and Han Yu, Professor, English Department. Twenty-one of their students participated in the project. The exhibition of their work includes photography and short documentaries that reveal, document and interpret the issues of healthy food accessibility and food insecurity in Kansas. The exhibit continues through October 6, 2019. For further information about this project, contact: Shreepad Joglekar, Associate Professor, KSU sjoglek@ksu.edu

Tallgrass Tales: Stories from the Flint Hills

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 04:38:00 GMT

Hosted by The Volland Store and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society

Saturday, October 5, 2019

12:30 pm

Pot Luck Lunch at The Volland Storebring a dish and share lunch with the Wabaunsee County “Stars”

Soup, beverages, and table service provided

It’s free but let us know you’re coming!email us here

2pm

Presentation by Mark Feiden, filmmakerPanel led by Jim Hoy, historian and folklorist

Free admission | Refreshments

“I’ve been so cold I figured I was going to freeze to death and I’ve been so hot I figured I was going to die. I’ve been so dry I figured I was gonna shrink up,” said Kenny Stahl of Strong City. “I always ended up working cattle during the day, and then I’d have to go home and farm. I’d work 16-18 hours a day.”

“Tallgrass Tales: Stories from the Flint Hills” is a collection of recollections from Flint Hills ranchers and other cow-folk, captured on film.

Saturday, October 5, at 2 pm, filmmaker Mark Feiden , of Roeland Park, will share highlights from a series of interviews in a presentation at the Volland Store. After the screening, folklorist and historian Jim Hoy , of Emporia, will lead a panel discussion. An informal reception follows.

“An 85-year-old who has spent a lifetime on the farm or ranch has witnessed extraordinary change—from mechanization and electrification to herbicides, genetics and GPS. If we are to preserve the humor, wit and wisdom of a largely bygone era, we must do so now,” said Feiden. “Above all else, we record these stories because we can—what would you give to hear one of your great-great grandparents sharing a good tale?”

Interviews feature: Tom Burton, Dennis Hague, Piper Hayes, Pat Sauble, Kenny Stahl, and Annie Wilson of Chase county; Wayne and Marcia Bailey, Paul Seeley, and Louie Surber of Greenwood county; Jackie Hett of Marion county; Gene Barr of Morris county; Bill Brethour, Martin Gnadt, Tony Meseke, Gary Schultz, Mary Schultz, Bill Schwalm, and Evelyn Zeckser of Wabaunsee county.

This program has been made possible by a partnership with Pioneer Bluffs, Wabaunsee County Historical Society, Volland Store, and Humanities Kansas.

Kandango Gravel Ride

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 17:21:00 GMT

October 11-13 | 2019

“Our base for this year’s ‘Kandango Unpaved’ is the über-cool Volland Store, located roughly 20 miles south of Manhattan, KS, in the most beautiful part of the Flint Hills. The ride features two loops that begin and end at the store, each of which is about 35 miles long. Riders have the option of riding both loops or skipping the second loop to enjoy an afternoon of entertainment.”

Information/Registration

“Our base for this year’s ‘Kandango Unpaved’ is the über-cool Volland Store, located roughly 20 miles south of Manhattan, KS, in the most beautiful part of the Flint Hills. The ride features two loops that begin and end at the store, each of which is about 35 miles long. Riders have the option of riding both loops or skipping the second loop to enjoy an afternoon of entertainment.”

Information/Registration

Day 1 – Friday, October 11 | Check-in, Festivities, Camping

Day 2 – Saturday, October 12 | Gravel Rides, Food Trucks, Live Music, Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit , More Camping

Day 3 – Sunday, October 13 | Morning Ride, Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit

Curator Elizabeth Seaton and Artist Jeremiah Ariaz

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 02:11:00 GMT

November 16, 2019

2pm

Artist Jeremiah Ariaz
will give a talk on his exhibit
Louisiana Trail Riders ,
now on view through December 9, 2019, at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, focusing on the African American trail riding clubs of southwest Louisiana

and

Elizabeth Seaton, Curator,
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University
will talk about the museum’s exhibition
“John Steuart Curry and the Cowboy Within,”
a survey of the Kansas artist’s depictions of the American West. The Curry exhibition runs through March 21, 2020. Catalogues will be available.

Jeremiah Ariaz will sign copies of his 2018 book, Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders, following the program. Ariaz was raised in Great Bend, Kansas, graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute, and is now a professor of photography at Louisiana State University. Jeremiah Ariaz exhibited Staging the West, at The Volland Store in the summer of 2016.

Elizabeth Seaton is curator of Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders and co-curator with independent scholar Frank Owings of John Steuart Curry: The Cowboy Within.

Join us for conversation and refreshments following the program.

Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders

Jeremiah Ariaz’s recent work focuses on the African American trail riding clubs of southwest Louisiana, a unique Creole culture that gathers weekly to ride horses to the syncopated rhythms of zydeco music.

The African-American trail riding clubs of southwest Louisiana are a part of a Creole culture that has its roots in the population of free people of color, French settlers, and American Indians who lived in the region during the 18th century. Today, trail rides are an opportunity for generations from rural parts of the state to gather and celebrate. Club members assemble on weekends and move through parish communities and prairie grasslands, listening to Zydeco music from a sound system or live bands in tow.

For Louisiana Trail Riders Ariaz was awarded an ATLAS grant, the South Arts finalist prize, and the Michael P. Smith Award for Documentary Photography from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Louisiana Trail Riders has traveled nationally since its inaugural exhibition at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies in Durham, NC.

The exhibit is now on view through December 9, 2019, at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University, curated by Elizabeth Seaton. louisianatrailriders.com.

One image will be chosen as the 2019 Friends of the Beach Museum of Art Gift Print, a limited-edition photograph for sale to Friends and the public. For more information about supporting the museum as a Friend or purchasing a gift print, call 785-532-7718 or go to beach.k-state.edu.

Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders
at the Beach Museum of Art
August 6 – December 9, 2019

John Steuart Curry: The Cowboy Within
Elizabeth Seaton, Co- Curator with independent scholar Frank Owings

John Steuart Curry was raised on a farm in northeast Kansas and is best known for his depictions of the Midwest. Experiences on a family-owned ranch in Arizona nurtured Curry’s love of the Western landscape. During the 1920s, the artist illustrated serialized magazine stories that took readers on Wild West adventures. In later years, he created mural interpretations of Westward Expansion.

Through paintings, drawings, magazines and books the exhibition is the first to survey Curry’s vision of the American West. John Steuart Curry: The Cowboy Within is accompanied by an 80-page exhibition catalogu e.

Happy Holidays from your Friends at The Volland Store

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:37:00 GMT

2015 – 2019

Thank you for joining us in 2019!

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:00:00 GMT

It was a very good year

Geraldine Craig

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 22:24:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

“Moroccan Book of Hours” (detail), 2016-18
Moroccan newspaper, textile inks, printing, turmeric, powdered cobalt, stitching
12” x 12” x 1” individual works, series of 29 together 5’ x 8’ x 1”

“The Moroccan Book of Hours” is a phenomenological journal, a new work for each day of February 2016. Arriving in Tetouan, struck by the beautiful Arabic script of the newspapers with news of the world that I could only surmise from photos, I moved within an impenetrable membrane, a sensation at the back side of words. I was in the infantile stage of language, inchoate sounds that moved through my ears and brain, simultaneous with sublime images of an ancient city. A deep pleasure requiring no language but which compelled my desire to learn was our food prepared by a Moroccan woman. I asked for the Moroccan names of food I ate each day and recorded it in the work. The English text was cut through the newspaper of that day yet rendered backwards so they read right to left in sympathy with the Arabic script. I layered this with textile printing techniques, and a stitched line of the imagined path I walked through the medina each day.

– Geraldine Craig

Geraldine Craig is an artist and writer whose research-based practice focuses on the intersections and relationships between textile history, theory or criticism, curatorial work, studio practice. Her response usually includes language.

Craig’s creative work includes social practice. As the founder of The Earl Project (2018) – a community arts program for veterans/ soldiers that promotes creativity through burn-out art workshops and contributions to a community cloth – she received an Artistic Innovations Grant by Mid-America Arts Alliance & National Endowment for the Arts (2018-19) and KSU 2018 University Small Research Grant. She also completed a thirty-feet long mixed media art commission for the University of Kansas Medical School- Salina with Nelson Smith (2018). She’s been selected as an International Artist-in-Residence for residencies in Thailand (2018) and Morocco (2016), and a Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs Individual Creative Artist Grant. Craig’s work has been exhibited across the United States, and in England, Mexico, Japan.

Craig’s writing is formed by modes of knowing as a maker, with primary research interests contemporary art and craft and Hmong textiles, generating knowledge of craft practices marginalized in Western art history canons. She was the 2012-2013 Dorothy Liesky Wampler Eminent Professor, James Madison University, and 2014 International Fellow-in-Residence, at the Women’s International Study Center, Acequia Madre House, Santa Fe, NM. She has presented at conferences throughout the United States, Italy, Brazil, Canada and Denmark. Craig has written a monograph on sculptor Joan Livingstone (Telos: London), and published over ninety book chapters, catalog essays, articles and reviews in Art in America, Hmong Studies Journal, The Journal of Modern Craft, Surface Design Journal, and Sculpture, among others.

Holly Wilson

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 23:11:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

“Spectrums Within Under Our Skin” (detail)
Crayola Crayon
100” x 70” x 2”, 2018
Price on request

“Spectrums Within Under Our Skin” is 144 girls made from Crayola Crayon. There are 12 different girls, each girl is made from the 12 colors I see when I look at the color spectrum. I wish we could see the light within us all and the variations that make each of us that light passing through a prism showing the many spectrums within us all. We are more than a classification in terms of a position between two extremes, we are all the colors and an untold number of possibilities.

The way we see others and how one is seen has been a subject that I have had in my life since I was small. I am both Native American and Caucasian, but growing up I felt more times than I care to count that I was not enough of one or the other and that pull made me question all parts of myself. If I did not look like_____ could I be ______? Where did I fit if I was not a part of this or that group?

I have had conversations with many that are from other races and that too was a struggle as well. Is my skin too dark or not dark enough, the texture of my hair or the accent that I speak with? All of this history, this past came to a head one day while getting my children ready for school we were pulling together pencils, folders, colored pencils, and crayons. They had to have 4 sets of 24 crayons each and we had leftovers from sets of the past years, some colors had never been used, and we were combining them together so we’d know how many new boxes would be required. The kids were talking about their friends at the new school and friends of their past school. In the conversation, they were describing the children “the girl with the yellow hair, the boy with the brown skin”, in a very casual descriptive manner with no malice to the differences.

This made me think more about how we see people and how one is judged. The smell of the crayons, the vivid colors, and the thoughts of my youth brought me to this crayon project. How we change in our viewpoints of people, and how we judge people based on race and color. We are all one below that surface, that surface of skin, no matter the color, the shape, or the origin. I think if we could see ourselves as all the colors in the crayon box in all the shades we would be kinder we would be able to feel if just for a moment another’s life and our world could change in such a way that kids don’t worry about if they are too light or too dark or if their hair is the right texture to belong.

– Holly Wilson

Multi-media artist Holly Wilson creates figures which serve as her storytellers to the world, conveying stories of the sacred and the precious, capturing moments of our day, our vulnerabilities and our strengths. The stories are at one time both representations of family history as well as personal experiences. Wilsons work reaches a broad audience allowing the viewer the opportunity to see their personal connection. Wilson works in a variety of media including bronzes, paint, encaustic, photography, glass, and clay.

Wilson has received recognition for her artwork through her inclusion in important exhibitions, most recently “Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now” that opened at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. Wilson’s work has also been included in exhibitions such as “Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present,” a traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia. She was chosen to represent Oklahoma in the Museum Exhibition “Four by Four 2016: Midwest Invitational” at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri and “Expressions of Spirit” at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.

Wilson has received many awards, grants, and fellowships for her evocative sculptures, including a 2017 SWAIA Discovery Fellowship from the Santa Fe Indian Market and a 2015 Eiteljorg Fellowship from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Currently, Wilson has a solo exhibition, “On Turtle’s Back” at Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida till Dec. 23, 2019.

Holly Wilson of Delaware Nation and Cherokee heritage is now based in Mustang, Oklahoma. In 2001 she graduated with an MFA in sculpture and in 1994 she earned an MA in ceramics both from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas; she received her Teaching Certification in K-12 Art from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1993; and in 1992 she finished her BFA in ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Levi Robb

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 00:12:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

Till N o 1, 2018
Automotive finish powder coated steel and Kansas chert
32 x 32 x 32 in
Price on request

Till N o 1 incorporates visual vocabularies and archetypes stemming from the intersection of human and landscape. Domestication of land over time, depletion of wildness, and the formal objectivity left behind through the process of human living are underlying themes found throughout the piece. The work invites the viewer to consider the reciprocal relationship of human and landscape — what people and culture hold to be sacred, what is considered commodity, and the impact of time.

I grew up on a small family farm in Morning Sun, IA, surrounded by vast expanses of space, dense timberland, and the Mississippi River. This agrarian landscape played an important role in shaping me as an artist and designer — influencing the way I visually see, perceive and interact with my environment. This vernacular has also stimulated an obsession with scale — furthermore, how scale can be shifted and manipulated within 2-dimensional work, sculpture and architecture. After studying architecture I started a studio practice in downtown Des Moines, IA, where I currently work and reside — continuing visual investigations of landscape, material adjacency, space and time.

– Levi Robb

Levi Robb’s work explores the entanglement of person and context — time and atmosphere. With a focus on the formal objectivity of place, the work is influenced by human interface with environment, landscape, and artifact.

Through acts of printmaking, sculpture, installation and an interaction with locality the work emerges, a visual interpretation and record of an act in context. The emanation of the work embodies a dichotomy between permanent and impermanent objects and mark making. Human relationship with site based artifacts, and the interrelationship between the material and immaterial, are often common underlying themes throughout his work. Through the analysis, manipulation and reinterpretation of latent items and specific spatial conditions the work takes on a continual timeline with an inherent connection to the past. This process yields a unique body of formal objects that speak to cultural identity and concretize the idea of contemporary relics.

His work has been exhibited internationally and is in both public and private collections.

Robb earned a B.Arch at Iowa State University and has authored many articles in design and architecture publications. He recently participated in a residency program in Reykjavik, Iceland, and in the Tallgrass Artist Residency in the Flint Hills.

Robb presented a solo exhibit, Frenetic Pause , and an installation Frozen Charlotte , at The Volland Store in 2017.

A. Mary Kay

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 03:57:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

For 23 years I have engaged a particular four acres of land in rural Kansas.

A symbiotic relationship has developed between working as a visual artist, creating and nurturing this environment. This small acreage of meadow, woodland, paths, gardens of flowers and vegetables provides habitat for an enormous diversity of flora, fauna, and insects. A place of constant flux, it embodies cycles of birth, growth, decline, death and regeneration. The plot has become an essential reference for my artistic practice, a practice in itself, a place of deep research. Whilst not a collaborative artist in a conventional sense, I have a vital collaboration with this piece of land. Studio and garden have combined, becoming my center.

Working in the studio I quicken to viscosities and materiality. Experimenting with these increases my visual vocabulary and inspires discovery of possibilities of expression, subject and meaning. My images contain intersections and sharp juxtapositions between: close observations of structures and lifecycle of the natural world, and the visual language of paint and its expressive possibilities. Recently I have begun to integrate the celebratory, and ecstatic imagery of the natural world found in historical decorative arts. Persian, Indian, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Chinese art have been especially inspiring. Expanded visual vocabulary opens possibilities for the emotional, spatial and temporal sensations.

– A.Mary Kay

A. MARY KAY

A. Mary Kay lives and paints in rural Lindsborg, Kansas. Born in London England, she has lived in the USA for 32 years. Kay earned a BA Honors in Fine Art from Bath Academy of Art UK, an MA from Goldsmiths College, London University, England, and an MFA in Painting from Yale University. Her web site is: marykaypainting.com

In 2018 her work was exhibited in Big Botany at the Spencer Museum, Kansas University, Lawrence KS. In 2018 Kansas University School of Medicine in Salina KS commissioned “Seasons” a Quadriptych painting.

In 2014 Kay was selected as one of three artists to represent Kansas for the exhibition State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now , at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR.

Her work is in the collection of:

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
Spencer Museum of Art, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS
Business School Art Collection, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS
Kansas City Collection, Kansas City, MO
Emprise Bank Art Collection, Wichita, KS
Binney and Smith Corporate Art Collection, Easton, PA
Private Collections.

A. MARY KAY

Presentation for the exhibition Big Botany, The Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas 2018

Botany was a sacred word in my mother’s vocabulary, and she inadvertently presented a mixed message as she conveyed its importance. Growing up in southern England between the 1st and 2nd world wars she pedaled this countryside, finding plants and flowers for her herbarium.

The narrative of her childhood was tied to memories of a mythic and bucolic rural England, one steeped in a deeply romantic vision, a world that was clearly fast disappearing by the time I was born in 1954.

By the late 50’s in England DDT was doing its dirty deed; and farmers, embracing a green revolution tore out miles of ancient field hedges, which had been home to diverse trees, plants, insects, and creatures for hundreds of years. This ripping out of hedges made way for larger fields, and the eventual industrial production of crops.

The “tidying up” of the countryside also meant that “wild” floriferous verges along the roads and lanes were mown too often and usually before the natural seeding process of wild plants had occurred.

My parent’s stories of this lost world fuelled a kind of malaise in me, a lamentation for a world I would never see, for an “un spoilt” England that was gone, that had held a “wildness” and plenty; that seemed by then mostly irretrievable.

As a child who was moved by the visual, my longing for this mythic world was further impressed on me early, through the few books with pictures at home. So, a strange world was placed in my mind; conjured through the images of Stanley Spencer’s paintings…

Beatrix Potter’s anthropomorphic stories with their exquisite specificity of creatures and plants…. The wood engravings of Agnes Miller Parker for HE Bates’s “Down the River” written in 1937.

The drawings and paintings of the visionary artist Samuel Palmer; and Claire Leighton’s Wood engravings illustrating her musings on country matters and gardening.

There were memorable visits to the Art Museums in London with my Dad, often to see the Constable paintings. It was my Dad who taught me how to see and draw as a child, and this understanding lay like a backbone to my innate love of the natural world. A longing and an unrealistic yearning for a botanical world that flourished unhindered, and untouched was born in me by the time I was 5.

However, I was lucky as despite this impression of a poverty of wild plants, walking in and observing the natural world was a large part of my family’s rituals. The extensive public footpath system still offered a deep access to nature.

Flower book in hand my mother searched usually in vain, for rare orchids and cowslips on the chalk escarpments of the Chiltern Hills. Seasonally we searched for wild food, hazel nuts, mushrooms and blackberries. Identifying and eating was a large part of the ritual.

So, I learnt to walk in order to see, to love and be within the natural……Life changes and as an adult I relocated to this continent.

One summer in Connecticut I was absolutely astonished to find huge stretches of woodland and a variety of wild flowering plants and their vast entourage of insects. There, an engagement with searching for difference and intimacy within the natural world was rekindled, and took hold, and I started to collect.

Eventually I came to live in the Midwest, and found myself in a deeply unfamiliar landscape, needing a lifeline, a means through which to connect to place, I grew any, and all plants that I could coax to life.

For 22 years I have been inspired by these 4 acres I live on in rural Kansas. Here I have built a small kind of haven, a natural refuge, a stark contrast from the surrounding fields of industrial agriculture thousands of acres of monoculture. Building these gardens has become essential, and has helped satiate the craving for botanical difference and gardening that my mother sowed so many years ago.

The relatively small acreage holds much diversity, especially of birds, plants, and insects. I have become very aware of their cycles of life. I walk and collect natural detritus in order to see and understand. Walking locally, with no system of immediate footpaths, I walk the Edgelands, the river, the dirt roads, the places the till cannot reach, the scrappy, weedy and overlooked, but all rich with wild life and specimens, if I look deeply.

Somehow the natural world is hanging on in a ragged diversity and beauty, despite and because of its neglect.

The constant flux of the natural world is reflected in my studio practice. Studio and garden environments have combined, becoming my center. Whilst not a collaborative artist in a conventional sense; I have a vital collaboration with this piece of land.

Drawing and Painting are my means of concretizing experience. Quickening to materials and their viscosities I experiment with visual language: this allows my love of difference and variation in the plant and insect world expression. Finding meaning in the individual visual structure, order, and function of a plant, a bone an insect; then I am here.

The natural occupants of the land have become the metaphoric characters I use in my work to talk of being human, to being a part of a larger process of cycles in nature, to remind myself of my transitory existence.

These four recent oil paintings were commissioned by the KU School of Medicine in Salina. By using the inhabitants of the garden within the Seasons of the natural world I can speak metaphorically of the cycles of life, creating a meditation on the processes of living and dying, aspects of being that the medical students will have to face daily.

Summer fecundity, Fall, a time for the onset of decline, Winter, a confrontation with mortality and then Spring a time of precarious renewal.

NOTE: Mary Kay’s three paintings in the Rural | Urban Exhibit II are new work, created in 2019, exhibited here for the first time.

Norman Akers

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 23:18:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

“Interference and a Tiny Spot of Hope”
2019, Oil on Canvas, 74” x 68”
Price on request

My art actively seeks to engage people in examining important issues. I address the topics of personal and cultural survival. Instead of speaking out words, I pursue a visual dialog. Through color, line, and visual form, I express deeply felt concerns regarding removal, disturbance, and the struggle to reclaim cultural context.

As an Osage artist, I explore issues of identity, culture, including mythos, place, and the dynamics of personal and cultural transformation. Over the years I have used a visual vocabulary consisting of images and symbols drawn from my cultural heritage, personal life experiences, and contemporary culture. The underlying principles that inform my art include tribal oral histories, art historical references, and nature.

Through visual narrative, I explore how my point of view relates to a historical, political and cultural sense of place in contemporary society. The use of narrative in my work acts as a continuation of the Native American storytelling tradition. Ancestral tribal stories and sayings have served to explain the world in which we lived. New and emerging stories serve as allegories of transformation in an ever-changing world.

– Norman Akers

NORMAN AKERS

Norman Akers was born and raised in Fairfax, Oklahoma. A rural community located in the Osage Hills, in the southern portion of the Flint Hills. He is a member of the Osage Nation. He received a BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1982, and a Certificate in Museum Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1984. In 1991, he received a MFA in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Akers had solo exhibitions at the Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, Kansas, Jan Cicero Gallery in Chicago, Illinois, and the Gardner Art Gallery, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions including, Mapping: Motion and Memory in Contemporary Art, Katonah Museum, Katonah, New York, Unlimited Boundaries, The Dichotomy of Place in Contemporary Native American Art, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Who Stole the Tee Pee?, at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Museum, New York, New York.

His paintings and prints are in several collections including the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rockwell Museum, Corning, New York, Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC, and Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 2007 he was selected to participate in the “We Are All Knots” print project, sponsored by the National Museum of the American Indian and ART in the Embassies Program Print Series. He was a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Painters and Sculptors Grant in 1999.

In 2009 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Kansas where he is currently an Associate Professor of Drawing and Painting.

Rena Detrixhe

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 04:40:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

The Square Meter Series was created during a residency at The Land Institute, Salina, KS.

An early project of The Land Institute carried out by Wes Jackson and Terry Evans (and others) involved isolating square meter sections of Prairie and meticulously documenting the diversity of plant species within these bounds. The intention was to better understand the beautiful and complex system of the prairie and the way the plants interact. These drawings are an homage to that work. Parts of grasses, forms, and flowers from the Wauhob Prairie were gathered, dried, and pressed in the ancient tradition of plant collecting. The plant specimens were then delicately traced onto the paper by carefully dusting over each segment with powdered graphite, rendering it in a ghostly silhouette. Layer by layer, merging and overlapping, the square meter canvas becomes filled with a dense mat of the memories of individual plants. This same process was used to interpret a Four Sisters Garden planted in collaboration with seed-keeper Taylor Keen and cared for by Research Resident Abbi Han and other Land Institute staff, residents, and interns.

Bushel Baskets description:

At one time, grains and other agricultural products were measured by the amount that could be stored, carried, and transported in a bushel basket or sack, a volume of roughly 8 dry gallons. With the industrialization of agriculture the unit of the ‘bushel’ was redefined to represent a unit of mass or weight specific to each commodity, rather than its volume. Despite layers of abstraction the unit of the ‘bushel’ harkens back to a time when agricultural practices were more closely related to the pace of the human body.

These woven forms are made in an effort to understand, visualize, and embody this unit of measure in relationship to both annual and perennial wheat. Through the process of their making, I become more familiar with the plant itself. Weaving is a way of knowing the plant’s physical structure, form, texture, scent and color as well as its limits and capacities such as the tendency to bend, break, or shatter.

The daughter of a soil conservation technician and a ceramicist, I grew up in the post rock region of central Kansas, just south of Russell. I had lived in three limestone houses by the age of six and spent most of my childhood on my family’s 10 acres in the country surrounded by farmland and a creek tributary to the Smoky Hill River. This place and all its varied complexities, from the native plants and grasses to the neighboring monocrops and their worn soil, the deep horizons dotted with oil wells to the powerful thunderstorms, the snakes skins found beneath stairs to the fossils in our limestone walls- continue to influence my work and the way I understand material, time, and the more-than-human world.

– Rena Detrixhe

Rena Detrixhe

Rena Detrixhe is an interdisciplinary artist currently based in Salina, KS where she is working as a Research Resident with The Land Institute. Through objects and installations, ephemeral sculpture, performance, drawings, and process-based work, she explores systems of value and cultural relations to land and the more-than-human world with attention to histories of injustice. Her current research is focused on Midwestern agriculture as both an important cultural signifier, and a deeply troubled relationship to the land.

Her research has been supported by multiple grants and residencies including: a Serenbe Co-Esistere Residency, Stoneleaf Retreat, Tallgrass Artist Residency at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, a two-year residency with Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, and a three-year residency with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship among others. Detrixhe’s work has been shown nationally and internationally; recent exhibitions include Place out of Matter at Spencer Brownstone Gallery in NYC and In Times of Seismic Sorrows , at the Center for Craft in Asheville, NC. Detrixhe holds a BFA from the University of Kansas.

Ryan RedCorn

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 05:30:00 GMT

Rural | Urban Artist | II

Excerpt from The Washington Post , “Putting Osage women in control of their own images” By Thomas Ryan RedCorn, November 21, 2018:

“Photos like these of Osage women have a complex history.”

“Like many Americans, Osage women in Oklahoma in the early 1900s loved to put on their best clothes and have their portraits taken. The photos were a nice gift for family or descendants and an expression of self-respect that attacked prevailing American attitudes about indigenous people. But the practice quickly went bad.

“After being removed to northeast Oklahoma in the 1800s, Osages had negotiated themselves into an advantageous position. Oil was “discovered” on their land, and by the 1920s, Osages were the wealthiest people per capita on the planet. But as American “discoveries” so often go, murder followed — hundreds of murders. Osage women were the primary targets of unscrupulous white men.

“Portraits of Osage women like these were created by local photographers. Merchants would sell the photos to white men to track down wealthy Osage women. They would proceed to court and marry an Osage, then kill her relatives so she would receive an inheritance — and then kill her, too.

“The Osage Nation paid the fledgling FBI to come investigate, trying to fight corruption of local, state and federal government in Oklahoma. Only two white men went to prison. The vast majority of the killings would go unsolved.

“While the FBI was impersonating heroes, Osage women protected themselves and their families, holding fast to values that came before them and still exist today.

“Osage men and women looked after my grandfather when his father was killed in 1931, well after the FBI “solved” the crimes. Those relatives, despite being targets themselves, gave my grandfather the tools and values that he used not only to survive, but to laugh his way to 94.

“To this day, non-Native photographers are sent to Native communities to ‘document.’ The relationship between indigenous people and non-Native photographers is at best strained, and at worst, gratuitous, invasive, repulsive and deceitful. America loves photos of Indians (usually old photos), but everyone loses when the country sees and hears only images and stories that reinforce disappearance, poverty, silencing and voyeuristic othering of our ways.

“My collaborative approach for these portraits respects the person, the space, the voice and the time the photo is being taken. Through this lens, these women’s voices and values emerge. These values have always been central to the Osage community. They carry with them respect, generosity, fairness, adaptation, prayer and humor…These women don’t dress this way on a daily basis, but it’s their representation, their choices. The representation of self is itself an Osage value. And the fact that those ideas survive and thrive is its own hero story.”

Excerpt from Indian Country Today, March 8, 2011:

“The big picture idea is we’re…creating something new to combat the established media, rather than simply criticizing it…Take a visual inventory of Native images—which you can do by just running a Google image search on ‘Native American.’ That will tell you what images recur and what images rank highest. And what you see is that Curtis really controlled, and still controls, that image. And his pictures are really good; they deserve to be celebrated…But they shouldn’t dominate our idea of how Indians look or who they are… We need to add more of our own images to compete against Curtis’s. We have to be aggressive about it—my attitude has always been, create, create, create. Create more and better art and you’ll take up more bandwidth and tip the scales.”

Thomas Ryan Redcorn co-founded the design and marketing company Buffalo Nickel Creative, whose clients include Nike and NMAI; operates Red Corn Native Foods; shoots videos and performs for the Native comedy group, the 1491s; launched Demockratees, a successful line of edgy political t-shirts; and serves as the co-executive director of NVision, a Native youth media arts group.

Thomas Ryan RedCorn (Wakant’ia)

Ryan RedCorn was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma into a family of preachers, salesmen and politicians which are all pretty much the same occupation. He is the ilonpa of Raymond and Elizabeth RedCorn, and the object of jealousy from his three younger brothers Jon, Alex and Studebaker, who between them have three masters degrees and two Phd’s. Ryan, however, took 6 and half years to get an art degree in visual communications from the University of Kansas. To the surprise of many, Ryan has been able translate his education, his ilonpa entitlement, and his family lineage into something some people think is valuable. Sometimes people laugh at him for co-founding the Indigenous comedy troupe, the 1491s, and Buffalo Nickel Creative ad agency, but he’s ok with that. He recently woke one morning and realized he was married and had three daughters. He remarked, “I live a crazy life” and promptly enrolled in an MFA in screenwriting program to test his capacity for stress.

Happenings at a Glance

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 15:52:00 GMT

2019

Photo by Pete Clouston. Opening Reception of Rural | Urban Invitational, November 2018

FEBRUARY 2
Sky Smeed, The Kansas Tour . Singer/songwriter – country/folk | 7 pm

FEBRUARY 3
Rural | Urban Invitational Art C losing Reception. Artist Panel | 2 pm

FEBRUARY 9 – APRIL 28
ARMIN MÜHSAM | The Unburdened Present
Opening Reception Feb 10. Artist talk | 2 pm

MARCH 9
Jump!Star Constellate 6: SKY+STARS+STORIES
A collaboration with Symphony in the Flint Hills and Harvester Arts | 6 pm

MARCH 30
Screening of “Big Sonia” | 7 pm
Light supper at 6 pm | $12.50 | Reservations here .

APRIL 7
“The Loveliness of Air (I Can’t Breathe)” An original electroacoustic composition by Dr. Joseph Wytko, featuring Dr. Ann Wytko, saxophonist | 2 pm

APRIL 28
Susan Mayo and the WC String Quartet | 2 pm
ARMIN MÜHSAM | The Unburdened Present Closing

MAY 4
Fish Wizard Tour | Reservations
Pop-up exhibit of Joseph Tomelleri’s fish portraits

MAY 4 – MAY 25
MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE | Architectures of the Flint Hills
Opening Reception May 4. Panel | 4 pm
Closing Reception May 25 | 12-5 pm

JUNE 1 – SEPTEMBER 1
LINDA BLACKBURN | Law of the Saddle (II)
Opening Reception June 2. Artist talk | 2 pm
Closing Reception Sept 1 | 12-5 pm

JUNE 8
“Bison, Saddles and Cherokee Maidens”
Artist Zhang Hongtu and Poet Mary Pinard | 4-5:30 pm
Food truck available | 5:30 pm
The Cherokee Maidens and Sycamore Swing | 7 pm

JULY 27
Charro Jerry Diaz and Company. Traditional Vaquero (Mexican cowboy) demonstration | 4 pm

AUGUST 4
“Calamity Jane” first-person narrative by Dr. Joyce Thierer of Ride into History | 2 pm

AUGUST 24
Stargazing at Volland. Jerelyn and Paul Ramirez, Kansas Astronomical Observers | Music | Stargazing | Star Stories with Jim Hoy and Rob Manes | 7:30 pm

SEPTEMBER 7- OCTOBER 6
HUNGRY HEARTLAND , a collaboration of the Art, Journalism, and English departments at Kansas State University
Opening reception Sept 7. Program | 2 pm | Closing Reception Oct 6 | 12 – 5 pm

SEPTEMBER 8
CANCELED . Kaw Creek Duo. We regret that this event has been canceled due to an out-of-town memorial service for a family member. We hope to re-schedule in the coming year.

OCTOBER 5
“Tall grass Tales: Stories from the Flint Hills” A collection of recollections of Flint Hills ranchers other cow-folk by filmmaker Mark Feiden. Screening of the interviews, followed by a panel discussion led by folklorist and historian Jim Hoy | Potluck Lunch at 12:30 pm | Presentation at 2 pm | details

OCTOBER 6
Closing Reception for “HUNGRY HEARTLAND.” Conversation with artist Zhang Hongtu and National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson. Refreshments | 2 pm

OCTOBER 11 – 13
Kandango Gravel Ride. Registration at ridekandango.com

OCTOBER 12-13
Time Machines IV: A Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit | 11 am – 4 pm both days. Live music and food trucks.

OCTOBER 19 – FEBRUARY 16, 2020
Rural | Urban Invitational Art II | featuring rural and urban artists
Opening Reception October 20. Artist Panel | 2 pm
Closing Reception March 1, 2020. Artist Panel | 2 pm

NOVEMBER 16
Elizabeth Seaton, Curator , Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University, will discuss the exhibit Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders, currently on display at the Beach Museum. Ariaz will be present to sign copies of his book Louisiana Trail Riders | 2 pm

DECEMBER 6
Kelley Hunt and Friends | Winter Soulstice with eminent bassist James Albright and singer Allena Ross. Advance Concert Tickets | $17.50 at eventbrite.com $25 at the door. Chili dinner by reservation $12.50. Reservations here by December 3.
Dinner | 6 pm Concert | 7 pm

DECEMBER 8
Emerald City Singers . Children’s vocal performance group sings songs of the Season, Audience Sing-along, Christmas refreshments, Shopping | 2 pm

DECEMBER 9
The Volland Store closes for Winter Break and re-opens January 25, 2020.

FEBRUARY 2
Sky Smeed, The Kansas Tour . Singer/songwriter – country/folk | 7 pm

FEBRUARY 3
Rural | Urban Invitational Art C losing Reception. Artist Panel | 2 pm

FEBRUARY 9 – APRIL 28
ARMIN MÜHSAM | The Unburdened Present
Opening Reception Feb 10. Artist talk | 2 pm

MARCH 9
Jump!Star Constellate 6: SKY+STARS+STORIES
A collaboration with Symphony in the Flint Hills and Harvester Arts | 6 pm

MARCH 30
Screening of “Big Sonia” | 7 pm
Light supper at 6 pm | $12.50 | Reservations here .

APRIL 7
“The Loveliness of Air (I Can’t Breathe)” An original electroacoustic composition by Dr. Joseph Wytko, featuring Dr. Ann Wytko, saxophonist | 2 pm

APRIL 28
Susan Mayo and the WC String Quartet | 2 pm
ARMIN MÜHSAM | The Unburdened Present Closing

MAY 4
Fish Wizard Tour | Reservations
Pop-up exhibit of Joseph Tomelleri’s fish portraits

MAY 4 – MAY 25
MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE | Architectures of the Flint Hills
Opening Reception May 4. Panel | 4 pm
Closing Reception May 25 | 12-5 pm

JUNE 1 – SEPTEMBER 1
LINDA BLACKBURN | Law of the Saddle (II)
Opening Reception June 2. Artist talk | 2 pm
Closing Reception Sept 1 | 12-5 pm

JUNE 8
“Bison, Saddles and Cherokee Maidens”
Artist Zhang Hongtu and Poet Mary Pinard | 4-5:30 pm
Food truck available | 5:30 pm
The Cherokee Maidens and Sycamore Swing | 7 pm

JULY 27
Charro Jerry Diaz and Company. Traditional Vaquero (Mexican cowboy) demonstration | 4 pm

AUGUST 4
“Calamity Jane” first-person narrative by Dr. Joyce Thierer of Ride into History | 2 pm

AUGUST 24
Stargazing at Volland. Jerelyn and Paul Ramirez, Kansas Astronomical Observers | Music | Stargazing | Star Stories with Jim Hoy and Rob Manes | 7:30 pm

SEPTEMBER 7- OCTOBER 6
HUNGRY HEARTLAND , a collaboration of the Art, Journalism, and English departments at Kansas State University
Opening reception Sept 7. Program | 2 pm | Closing Reception Oct 6 | 12 – 5 pm

SEPTEMBER 8
CANCELED . Kaw Creek Duo. We regret that this event has been canceled due to an out-of-town memorial service for a family member. We hope to re-schedule in the coming year.

OCTOBER 5
“Tall grass Tales: Stories from the Flint Hills” A collection of recollections of Flint Hills ranchers other cow-folk by filmmaker Mark Feiden. Screening of the interviews, followed by a panel discussion led by folklorist and historian Jim Hoy | Potluck Lunch at 12:30 pm | Presentation at 2 pm | details

OCTOBER 6
Closing Reception for “HUNGRY HEARTLAND.” Conversation with artist Zhang Hongtu and National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson. Refreshments | 2 pm

OCTOBER 11 – 13
Kandango Gravel Ride. Registration at ridekandango.com

OCTOBER 12-13
Time Machines IV: A Vintage Motorcycle Exhibit | 11 am – 4 pm both days. Live music and food trucks.

OCTOBER 19 – FEBRUARY 16, 2020
Rural | Urban Invitational Art II | featuring rural and urban artists
Opening Reception October 20. Artist Panel | 2 pm
Closing Reception March 1, 2020. Artist Panel | 2 pm

NOVEMBER 16
Elizabeth Seaton, Curator , Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University, will discuss the exhibit Jeremiah Ariaz: Louisiana Trail Riders, currently on display at the Beach Museum. Ariaz will be present to sign copies of his book Louisiana Trail Riders | 2 pm

DECEMBER 6
Kelley Hunt and Friends | Winter Soulstice with eminent bassist James Albright and singer Allena Ross. Advance Concert Tickets | $17.50 at eventbrite.com $25 at the door. Chili dinner by reservation $12.50. Reservations here by December 3.
Dinner | 6 pm Concert | 7 pm

DECEMBER 8
Emerald City Singers . Children’s vocal performance group sings songs of the Season, Audience Sing-along, Christmas refreshments, Shopping | 2 pm

DECEMBER 9
The Volland Store closes for Winter Break and re-opens January 25, 2020.

It has been a wonderful year. Thank you for being part of it!

Cellar Tour and Barn Tour schedules will be announced first in the Volland Store newsletter.

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Please check back frequently for updates and new events. Follow us on Facebook at The Volland Store.

Prairie Studies Institute

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:15:00 GMT

A Collaboration of The Volland Store Gallery and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Artat Kansas State University

A Biennial Residency in the Flint Hills of Kansas

Prairie Studies is a term the Beach Museum of Art has used since 2013 as an umbrella for public programs and exhibitions that bring together knowledge about this place – the Flint Hills and tallgrass prairie – from a variety of perspectives. Scientists, farmers, artists, poets, historians, and ranchers have all contributed to initiative programs. Meanwhile, the Volland Store Gallery in Alma, Kansas, has pursued a similar vision since opening in 2015. The two organizations, the museum and the gallery (the Volland Foundation), have agreed to join their efforts in a collaboration named the Prairie Studies Institute.

The Prairie Studies Institute will host biennial residencies that allow experts working in different fields to share information and creative discoveries.

We envision hosting residents and speakers simultaneously within a given time period, each from a different discipline, but having related or intersecting interests, and hailing from around the country and the world. Our mission is to create opportunities for creative thinkers and makers to juxtapose and exchange knowledge of the prairie and the Flint Hills and inspire one another to reach beyond their own areas of expertise. We envision connecting visual and performing artists, writers, musicians, scientists, and historians and letting the program generate unexpected conversations and perspectives about the prairie’s ecosystems, natural history, and cultural richness.

Every Prairie Studies Institute biennial program will engage the community and build connections through a variety of activities, such as artist and scholar residencies, talks, readings, performances, installations, exhibitions, and publications, and vary according to the interests and abilities of the program participants. In this way the program will serve as an ever-changing mirror that reflects aspects of the region with due regard for their complexity, uniqueness, and larger relevance. A natural effect of the public events will be to contribute new perspectives to regional audiences.

Every two years leaders at the Museum and the Volland Foundation will consider and invite two or three PSI program participants from different disciplines. The choices are invitational, rather than the result of application or competition, and made with consideration of themes covered over time. When feasible, other collaborations may be sought among organizations with relevant missions and interests.

Residents will receive lodging, a stipend they may apply to cover travel and meals, a suitable place to work, and necessary support for public events, such as talks, performances, or exhibitions. Residencies may be continuous for up to four weeks, or broken into segments as negotiated in advance. Lodging and work space for residents will be provided at Volland. Programming will occur at Volland and at the Marianna Kistler Beach Art Museum at K-State.

Photos by Patty Reece

The first PSI residents arrived in October 2019.

Artist Zhang Hongtu (Brooklyn, NY) and photojournalist Jim Richardson (Lindsborg, KS, and citizen of the world) spent time together discussing their work- past, present, and future. Visits to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Bedrock Art Editions in Kansas City, Flint Hills Stone in Alma, Kansas, and a fly-over of the Flint Hills arranged by Richardson deepened their knowledge, enriched their experiences, and provided inspiration for future and ongoing work.
For information on the artists, please click here.

Through the following public programs, Zhang and Richardson discussed their interest in the tallgrass prairie in terms of ecology, agriculture, and culture.

Sunday, October 6 | 2pm
Jim Richardson and Zhang Hongtu in conversation with the exhibition Hungry Heartland
The Volland Store Gallery

Thursday, October 10 | 5:30pm
“New Yorker on the Prairie”
Talk by Zhang Hongtu
Beach Museum of Art

Monday October 14 | 4pm
Public Conversation: The Anthropocene Prairie
Jim Richardson, Zhang Hongtu, and 2019 Gardiner Lecturer Dennis Dimick
101 Thompson Hall, Kanas State University (next to the Beach Museum of Art)

Sunday, October 6 | 2pm
Jim Richardson and Zhang Hongtu in conversation with the exhibition Hungry Heartland
The Volland Store Gallery

Thursday, October 10 | 5:30pm
“New Yorker on the Prairie”
Talk by Zhang Hongtu
Beach Museum of Art

Monday October 14 | 4pm
Public Conversation: The Anthropocene Prairie
Jim Richardson, Zhang Hongtu, and 2019 Gardiner Lecturer Dennis Dimick
101 Thompson Hall, Kanas State University (next to the Beach Museum of Art)

Zhang Hongtu and Jim Richardson

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 13:59:00 GMT

in conversation with the exhibition Hungry Heartland

October 6 | 2pm

Lunch at 12:30 pm by reservation here ($12.50 per person)

in Celebration of the Inaugural Event of the Prairie Studies Institute

A Collaboration of The Volland Store Gallery and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art
at Kansas State University

A Biennal Residency in the Flint Hills of Kansas

Photos of Jim Richardson and Zhang Hongtu courtesy of Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

The first pair of PSI residents arriving this fall are artist Zhang Hongtu and photojournalist Jim Richardson. Through public programs, Zhang and Richardson will discuss their interest in the tallgrass prairie in terms of ecology, agriculture, and culture.

ZHANG HONGTU

grew up in China as a member of its Muslim minority, suffering persecution for his religion and his political beliefs under the regime of People’s Republic of China founder and Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong.

Hongtu traveled around China as a young artist and was heavily influenced by his study trip to Dunhuang in the western province of Gansu.

Dunhuang was an important stop along the network of trade routes known as the Silk Road, which connected Europe and Africa to the Middle East and Asia. Through the Silk Road, Buddhism traveled from India to China, resulting in the establishment of Buddhist cave temples around Dunhuang between the fourth and fourteenth centuries. The cave temples featured painting styles different from what Hongtu learned in art school and showed signs of the mural artists’ awareness of European painting.

In 1982, Hongtu moved to New York City to study art and decided to make the city his home. His wife Miaoling and their infant son arrived in New York two years later.

His recent landscape paintings contemplate the impact of human activity on nature and native animals. His first visit to Kansas in 2018 inspired him to work on a new painting series on bison and prairie. Zhang is an internationally recognized artist whose work has been exhibited in Asia, Europe, and America.

To read his autobiography visit ht tp://www.momao.com and select Reading Room, the Autobiography. It is fascinating.

JIM RICHARDSON

photographs global issues for National Geographic Magazine and is a documentarian who explores life in remote places. He is best known for his work on feeding the world in the face of peak population, preserving native grasslands and dark night skies, and living on lightly populated islands and skerries of Scotland.

A major part of his work focuses on the people and land of the prairie, as well as agriculture and food production in the American Midwest and abroad. Jim has documented 40-plus years of life in the town of Cuba, KS, pop. 200, and part of these photographs were presented in the internationally award-winning video production “Reflections from a Wide Spot in the Road.” Jim’s work has been profiled twice by CBS News Sunday Morning and by ABC News Nightline.

He speaks and exhibits around the world, as well as engages an audience of 450,000+ on his Instagram account. A Kansas native, Jim received an honorary doctorate from Kansas State University in 2017 and is an honorary citizen of Cuba, KS.

Jim recently co-founded Eyes on Earth , with photographer Dennis Dimick , to nurture the idea of witnessing environmental change through photography, with a goal of inspiring a new generation of environmental photographers

Presentations by Zhang Hongtu and Jim Richardson, and related activities:

Sunday, October 6 | 2pm
Jim Richardson and Zhang Hongtu in conversation with the exhibition Hungry Heartland
The Volland Store Gallery

Thursday, October 10 | 5:30pm
“New Yorker on the Prairie”
Zhang presents his work in progress for his new painting series on bison and prairie. Reception to follow.
Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University

Monday October 14 | 4pm
Public Conversation: The Anthropocene Prairie
Jim Richardson, Zhang Hongtu, and 2019 Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecturer Dennis Dimick
101 Thompson Hall, Kanas State University (next to the Beach Museum of Art)

Related program:
Monday, October 14 | 7pm
Dennis Dimick, Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture: “Living in the Human Age”
McCain Auditorium, Kansas State University

Summer Residency at Volland

Sat, 18 May 2019 11:45:00 GMT

June 2019

How the residency unfolded…

The first multi-disciplinary residency took place at Volland in the summer of 2019 with artist, Zhang Hongtu, and poet, Mary Pinard. The residency at Volland provided an opportunity to share observations and knowledge, enriching each practice through exposure to a different discipline.

Hongtu and Mary brought sincere interest and deep respect for the Flint Hills and the culture of our community. Hongtu is developing a new portfolio of work on bison and prairie, and Mary is expanding last summer’s experimental work of aspects of the Kansas tall grass prairie to include three additional US prairies. The artist and the poet talked about their work and shared the experience of their residencies at The Volland Store on June 8 at 4 pm. A reading by Mary included an ekphrastic poem created in response to a recently completed work by Hongtu. Following the discussion, Hongtu demonstrated how he uses the iPad to begin a drawing or painting. It was a good time for the community to meet and visit personally with Mary and Hongtu – and was followed by an evening of food and music with “The Cherokee Maidens.”

Hongtu and his wife Miaoling headquartered in the Loft at The Volland Store, while Mary was hosted in the Reece bunkhouse on Trails End Road, near Volland.

A warm Wabaunsee County welcome was extended to Hongtu, Miaoling, and Mary –

Zhang Hongtu, Artist

Zhang Hongtu is a Chinese American artist based in New York, whose recent landscape paintings contemplate the impact of human activity on nature and native animals. His first visit to Kansas last year inspired him to work on a new painting series on bison and prairie. Zhang is an internationally recognized artist whose work has been exhibited in Asia, Europe, and America.

"“never wanted to leave this place"

Mary Pinard is a poet and a professor of poetry and literature at Babson College in Boston, Massachusetts. A published poet, her work has recently centered on the prairie, and she has spent time in the Flint Hills during the last several summers. The photo above is a “selfie” she took on one of her long walks in the summer of 2018 – an attempt to explain the Flint Hills to her friends back home – and why she finds it so compelling. She titled it: "“never wanted to leave this place." Nor do we want her to.

Hookers Show and Tell

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 22:10:00 GMT

Sunday, January 28, 2018

12-5 pm

All hookers and collectors are invited.

Bring a few favorite hooked items to share with fellow enthusiasts. Bring a project you are working on, and demonstrate your craft.

Share information. Ask questions. Visit. Mrs. Clement will be in attendance.

Free admission | Refreshments

map and directions

don’t trust your GPS or internet driving directions
(trust us)

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Christmas Bells at Volland

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:55:00 GMT

December 9, 20182 pm

The JuBellation Bell Choir from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Alma

will perform a holiday concert

A Joyful Christmas Gift to our friends and neighbors!

Director: Kathy Schultz

Bell Ringers from smallest bells to largest:

Kerri Cole, Becky Frank, Becky Mayes, Deanna Moege, Sharon Bush, Sandy Altevogt, Mary Reed Spencer, Lowell Henne, Orville Altevogt, Jacque Henne, and Bruce Schultz

Happy Holidays to all!

Free admission | Family Friendly | Christmas cookies and hot cider | Door Prizes

Select last-minute stocking stuffers and hostess gifts from the “Store.”

The Volland Foundation closes for Winter Break at the end of the day, Sunday, December 9. Normal operating hours will resume January 26, 2019.

During Winter Break, the Store may be scheduled for private events,
the Loft will be available to rent,
and we are always open by appointment.
Please call 785-499-3616 for information.

Poetry by Beasley and Brimhall | and an Open Mic

Sun, 30 Dec 2018 14:33:00 GMT

February 17, 2018

12 noon | Lunch with the poets

Lunch reservations here

1 pm | Readings by Sandra Beasley and Traci Brimhall

2 pm | Open Mic | poets of all levels are welcome!

(sign in at the door; a drawing will be held for ten slots)

Free Admission

SANDRA BEASLEY is coming to Kansas to serve as a Writer-in-Residence at Wichita State University during most of February 2018. During her residency at Wichita State she will travel to Volland to experience the Flint Hills. On Saturday, February 17, Sandra will participate in a poetry reading at The Volland Store with her friend and colleague, Traci Brimhall, a published poet and Assistant Professor at Kansas State University.

Ms. Beasley is the author of four books: three poetry collections and Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, a memoir and cultural history of food allergies. Her nonfiction has been featured in The New York Times and the Washington Post . Recognition for Ms. Beasley’s work includes an NEA Fellowship, the Barnard Women Poets Prize, and inclusion in many anthologies including The Best American Poetry . She has served as a visiting writer at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, Cornell College in Iowa, and the University of Mississippi. She holds an MFA in creative writing from The American University, and she is on faculty for the University of Tampa’s low-residency MFA program. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Sandrabeasley.com

TRACI BRIMHALL is the author of three collections of poetry: Saudade (Copper Canyon Press); Our Lady of the Ruins (W.W. Norton), winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize; and Rookery (Southern Illinois University Press), winner of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award; as well as an illustrated children’s book, Sophia & The Boy Who Fell . Her poems have appeared in The New Yorker , Poetry , The Believer , The New Republic , Orion , and Best American Poetry 2013 & 2014 . She’s received fellowships from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and the National Endowment for the Arts. Currently, she’s an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Kansas State University and lives in Manhattan, KS.

https://www.poemhunter.com/traci-brimhall/biography/

The Volland Foundation
24098 Volland Road, eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas.
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 1-4pm and by appointment 785-499-3616.

MAP

Telling Water’s Story

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 16:47:00 GMT

“Art, Science, and Narrative”

featuring Cynthia Barnett, author of Rain

and

Jeff Davidson, Watershed Specialist, Flint Hills Watersheds, Kansas State University

Saturday, March 10

Lunch with Cynthia and Jeff, 12 pm | Reservations

Presentation and conversation at 1 pm

Refreshments | Free Admission

“How much rain did you get last night?” Rain is a universal topic of conversation. Rain feeds watersheds. Watersheds fill streams and then rivers, watering our crops and giving us fresh water to drink. Rain has had a profound effect on civilizations throughout history.

There is probably no one whose livelihood is affected more by rain than ranchers and farmers. And everyone else depends on rain for cool, clear drinking water (not to mention industry).

Here’s your chance to talk about a subject that is dear to all of us with Cynthia Barnett and Jeff Davidson.

Cynthia Barnett is an award-winning journalist who has reported on water and climate worldwide and is the author of three popular water books, the latest of which is Rain .
(editor’s note: I highly recommend it)

Jeff Davidson is an experienced watershed specialist who provides research-based, practical solutions for the environmental stewardship of water resources throughout the Flint Hills. Jeff, a well-known cowboy poet and singer as well as a scientist, is bringing his guitar.

Together, they will explore moving toward a new water ethic as they tell stories of water in Kansas and our nation in narrative and song.

Join us for a fun and stimulating afternoon!

Cynthia Barnett’s most recent book, Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, is longlisted for the National Book Award, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing , and named among the best nonfiction books of 2015 by NPR’s Science Friday , the Miami Herald , the B oston Globe , and others. She has written for National Geographic , the New York Times , Los Angeles Times , Wall Street Journal , The Atlantic , Salon , Politico , Discover , and many other publications. Her other books are Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. and Blue Revolution, which calls for a new water ethic for the nation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in environmental history and lives in Gainesville, Florida, where she teaches Environmental Journalism and other courses at the University of Florida.

RAIN, A Natural and Cultural History , by Cynthia Barnett
“A lovely, lyrical, deeply informative book.” – Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction”

Cynthia Barnett’s most recent book, Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, is longlisted for the National Book Award, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing , and named among the best nonfiction books of 2015 by NPR’s Science Friday , the Miami Herald , the B oston Globe , and others. She has written for National Geographic , the New York Times , Los Angeles Times , Wall Street Journal , The Atlantic , Salon , Politico , Discover , and many other publications. Her other books are Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. and Blue Revolution, which calls for a new water ethic for the nation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in environmental history and lives in Gainesville, Florida, where she teaches Environmental Journalism and other courses at the University of Florida.

RAIN, A Natural and Cultural History , by Cynthia Barnett
“A lovely, lyrical, deeply informative book.” – Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction”

Jeff Davidson has been with KCARE (KS Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment) since 2012, providing research based information and educational programming related to environmental stewardship of water resources throughout the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Educational efforts include promoting off-stream watering sites for cattle, improved rangeland management practices in regards to water quality, confined feeding animal management, cover crop management, soil infiltration improvement strategies, and riparian zone management practices. Additionally, he is the initial contact for landowners who own streambank sites along the Cottonwood River that are deemed highly erodible. These landowners are eligible for a high percent cost share for allowing streambank stabilization projects to be put in place. These projects not only preserve crop ground bordering the stream, but reduce the amount of sediment that will flow into John Redmond reservoir.

Jeff worked for K-State for many years previous to KCARE as an Agricultural Extension Agent in Greenwood County where much of his time was devoted to management of natural resources. He earned both a B.S. degree in Range-Forest Management from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Range Science, specializing in range animal nutrition.

The Volland Store and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum at Kansas State University are pleased to present visiting author Cynthia Barnett in conjunction with the complementary exhibits of Lynn Benson:

“Water Stories by Lynn Benson,” February 13 – May 26, at the Beach Museum.

“River Compositions | Paintings by Lynn Benson” May 5 – July 15, 2018, at the Volland Store.

Jeff Davidson has been with KCARE (KS Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment) since 2012, providing research based information and educational programming related to environmental stewardship of water resources throughout the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Educational efforts include promoting off-stream watering sites for cattle, improved rangeland management practices in regards to water quality, confined feeding animal management, cover crop management, soil infiltration improvement strategies, and riparian zone management practices. Additionally, he is the initial contact for landowners who own streambank sites along the Cottonwood River that are deemed highly erodible. These landowners are eligible for a high percent cost share for allowing streambank stabilization projects to be put in place. These projects not only preserve crop ground bordering the stream, but reduce the amount of sediment that will flow into John Redmond reservoir.

Jeff worked for K-State for many years previous to KCARE as an Agricultural Extension Agent in Greenwood County where much of his time was devoted to management of natural resources. He earned both a B.S. degree in Range-Forest Management from Colorado State University and an M.S. in Range Science, specializing in range animal nutrition.

The Volland Store and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum at Kansas State University are pleased to present visiting author Cynthia Barnett in conjunction with the complementary exhibits of Lynn Benson:

“Water Stories by Lynn Benson,” February 13 – May 26, at the Beach Museum.

“River Compositions | Paintings by Lynn Benson” May 5 – July 15, 2018, at the Volland Store.

The Volland Foundation is located at 24098 Volland Road, eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas, on Old K-10 Highway, then ¼ mile south on Volland Road. vollandfoundation.org

Internet directions are unreliable for this location. Click here for a map

Weather Events

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 19:55:00 GMT

Spring-Summer 2018

The Volland Store will explore “weather” from the perspective of artists, poets, writers and scientists during

Lily Brooks’ exhibit SIREN CALL

and

Lynn Benson’s exhibit “River Compositions”

All events will be held at The Volland Store

March 10 “Telling Water’s Story: Art, Science, and Narrative”
Cynthia Barnett, author of Rain and Jeff Davidson, Watershed Specialist, Kansas State University
1pm

April 8 “Kansas Weather in Life, Literature, and Photography”
Caryn Miriam-Goldberg, former Poet Laureate of Kansas | co-sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council
2pm

April 15 “Climate Change: Testing the Resilience of Flint Hills Prairies”
Chuck Rice, Distinguished University Professor, Mary L. Vanier University Professorship,
Kansas State University
2pm

April 22 | Earth Day “The new science of weather: how the way we treat the land has an impact on the kind of weather we experience.”
Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet and Water is Everywhere; and Walter Jehne, Soil Microbiologist and founder of Healthy Soils Australia
2pm

May 19 “Rattlesnake Creek, the Mississippi River, and Kansas”
Heidi Mehl, David T. Beals III Healthy Streams for Kansas Initiative Manager, The Nature Conservancy
2pm

June 24 “Water in Kansas Past and Present” Rex Buchanan, Director Emeritus, Kansas Geological Survey
co-sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council
2pm

24098 Volland Road, eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas.

Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 1-4pm and by appointment 785-499-3616.

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Kansas Weather in Life, Literature, and Photography

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 13:53:00 GMT

April 8, 2018

A Kansas Humanities Council Presentation by

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

Kansas Poet Laureate 2009-2013

2 pm

Refreshments | Free admission

Lunch with Caryn | 12:30 pm | $12.50

Reservations

“In Kansas, our skies are central to how we see ourselves, understand our connection to this place, and learn about the challenges, beauty, and courage inherent in living meaningful lives,” said Mirriam-Goldberg. “This presentation isn’t just about poetry and photography, but about how we live, who we are, and what we can discover.”

When it comes to talking about the weather, we have a lot to say in Kansas, and for good reason: not only is our weather some of the most dramatic in the world, but our relationship to weather shapes how we see ourselves. This presentation opens with weather chaser Stephen Locke’s vibrant images of Kansas weather paired with poetry by contemporary Kansas writers inspired by the drama that unfolds in the Kansas sky. Audience members will have an opportunity to share their own weather-related stories and striking images through a short 10-minute writing prompt that will lead into a discussion about how the weather influences our lives, our understanding of the natural world, and what it means to be a Kansan.

The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council and is part of their Kansas Stories Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions that examine our shared human experience—our innovations, culture, heritage, and conflicts.

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ph.D. the 2009-13 Kansas Poet Laureate, is the author of 21 books, including two novels, a non-fiction book on the Holocaust, a bioregional memoir on cancer and community, and six poetry collections. Her recent books are Miriam’s Well, a novel, and Everyday Magic, memoir. Founder of Transformative Language Arts at Goddard College where she teaches, Mirriam-Goldberg also leads writing workshops widely, and with singer Kelley Hunt, writing and singing retreats.

“Chasing Weather: Tornadoes, Tempests, and Thunderous Skies in Word and Image” by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg & Stephen Locke will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

www.CarynMirriamGoldberg.com

Climate Change: Testing the Resilience of Flint Hills Prairies

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 13:07:00 GMT

featuring

Dr. Chuck Rice

Distinguished University Professor, Mary L. Vanier University Professorship

Kansas State University

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Presentation and conversation at 2 pm

Refreshments | Free Admission

Lunch at 12:30 pm | Reservations

Anyone age 50 or more has seen the climate change in their lifetime. Young people age 20 have seen extreme weather events their entire life.

What will the changing climate mean for the Flint Hills? The tallgrass? How will it affect the lives and livelihoods of FlintHills ranchers? What changes must be made to adapt?

Kansas State University is a leader in climate research, particularly as it pertains to agriculture and grasslands.

Dr. Chuck Rice is a Distinguished University Professor at K-State and holds the Vanier University Professorship at Kansas State University. He was a co-winner of a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He will discuss “Climate Change: Testing the Resilience of Flint Hills Prairies.” There will be time for questions and conversation following his remarks.

Recently, Dr. Rice’s research has focused on soil and global climate change, including C and N emissions in agricultural and grassland ecosystems, and soil carbon sequestration and its potential benefits to the ecosystem. Dr. Rice is one of five team leaders for a $20 million Kansas NSF EPSCoR project researching global climate change and renewable energy research. He leads the group that will use climate modeling strategies for adaption and mitigation.

Rice’s research has been supported by more than $30 million in grants from the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Energy, as well as the National Science Foundation and others. He has advised more than 40 graduate students and has more than 100 publications.

Rice earned his bachelor’s from Northern Illinois University and his doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He joined the Kansas State University faculty in 1988 and was promoted to associate professor in 1993 and to professor in 1998.

In addition to his involvement in research and teaching in soil microbiology at K-State, Rice has been active with the Soil Science Society of America, where he served as president in 2011. He currently chairs the Board on Agriculture of the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Named a university distinguished professor in 2009, he also is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2017, he received the “International” awards from the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy and was named the Hugh Hammond Bennett Awardee from the Soil and Water Conservation Society which recognizes exceptional service and national and international accomplishments in the conservation of soil, water, and natural resources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EELce_OqTWM

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The New Science of Weather

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 13:47:00 GMT

featuring

Judith Schwartz

and

Walter Jehne

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Presentation and conversation at 2 pm

Refreshments | Free Admission

Lunch at 12:30 pm | Reservations

We often think of weather as something that “happens” to us. One way to think about weather is as an ongoing conversation among air, water and life. The way we manage our land has an impact on the underlying dynamics that help drive weather and climate. Join us to learn how native plants help generate clouds, the role of forests in determining where rain falls, and why thriving ecosystems make for a more pleasant climate.

– Judith Schwartz

Judith D. Schwartz is a widely published journalist and the author of Cows Save the Planet and Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth and Water In Plain Sight: Hope for a Thirsty World . She has a B.A. from Brown University, an M.S.J. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and an M.A. in Counseling from Northwestern. Her husband, Tony Eprile, is an author and photographer originally from South Africa and her son, Brendan, is a singer/songwriter who has just moved to New York City. She likes to cross-country ski in the winter and in the summer she grows things; a new student to karate, she now has a green belt. She speaks nationally and internationally about soil-water-climate connections and solutions, most recently in Mexico, France, Norway and Switzerland. She lives and works on the side of a mountain in southern Vermont.

Walter Jehne is an internationally recognized climate scientist, soil microbiologist and innovation strategist. He has immense field and research experience in forests, grasslands, agriculture and soils at national (CSIRO) and international (UN) level. For the other half of his decades, Walter has worked more broadly beyond science, at Federal Government level, leading transformation in industry. This diversity of experience has given Walter a unique and exceptional capacity to devise solutions – he makes challenges opportunities. Walter has a remarkable ability to explain complex science and economic paths forward in easy to understand ways. This year he was part of an invitation only UN FAO conference in Paris looking at bringing soil into the next IPCC report. Walter’s primary scientific focus is soil biology.

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Water Events

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 13:01:00 GMT

May – June 2018

“Spring Creek, Wabaunsee County” by Patty Reece

The Volland Store will explore “water” from the perspective of an artist, poet, scientist, curator and geologist during

Lynn Benson’s exhibit “ River Compositions”

All events will be held at The Volland Store

May 19 “Rattlesnake Creek, the Mississippi River, and Kansas”
Heidi Mehl, David T. Beals III Healthy Streams for Kansas Initiative Manager, The Nature Conservancy
2 pm

May 20 “The Art of Lynn Benson”
Aileen June Wang, Curator, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum
2 pm

June 2 Details to be announced
Mary Pinard, Visiting Poet from Babson College, Boston

June 24 “Water in Kansas Past and Present”
Rex Buchanan, Director Emeritus, Kansas Geological Survey
co-sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council
2 pm

The “Water Events”
are made possible with the support of
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission
National Endowment for the Arts
Volland Store Fund , a 501c3 nonprofit administered by
the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation

24098 Volland Road, eight miles southwest of Alma, Kansas.
Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 1-4pm and by appointment 785-499-3616.

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Exploring the Nooks and Crannies of Kansas

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 18:40:00 GMT

featuring

Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe

of the Kansas Sampler Foundation

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Presentation and conversation at 10am

Refreshments | Free Admission

The Capital City Explorers are a group of Topeka area members that have been touring/visiting interesting Kansas locations since October 2000. Current membership is about 50 on our email list.

During the past 18 years Explorers have scheduled Saturday morning tours then gathered for lunch at a local cafe/restaurant. Five to six tours are schedule each year.

Research duo to give program on exploring Kansas

Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe of the Kansas Sampler Foundation spent four years going to every one of the 626 incorporated cities in Kansas. The result or their research journey is The Kansas Guidebook 2 for Explorers .

On May 12th at 10:00 AM, Penner and Rowe will come to the Volland Store between Alma and Alta Vista to present a program for Topeka’s Capital City Explorers, and it is open anyone interested in exploring Kansas communities. The presentation, “Exploring the Nooks and Crannies of Kansas” will take place at the historic restored Volland Store.

Penner said, "We will take the audience on a picture journey throughout the state sharing road trip ideas and telling stories about our adventures. From restaurant suggestions to art, architecture, history, geography and more, we’ll give you a sampling of what to see in Kansas and share tips on how to explore."

After the program, the co-authors will sign and sell the Kansas Guidebook 2 . The 480-page, coil-bound book is chock full of information that can be used to plan Kansas road trips. Along with 4,500 entries that provide descriptions, directions, hours, and contact information, there are more than 1,600 color pictures. Rowe says, “Many people will be interested in the 843 restaurants, cafes, drive-in’s, and soda fountains!”

The book is designed to help achieve the Foundation’s mission to preserve and sustain rural culture. Penner says, “Though the book reads like a travel guide, it’s intended to help people get to know the state and learn about towns of every size.”

Among the diverse entries, guidebook users will find historic bridges, beautiful statues, specialty shops, quirky sites, little known points-of-interest, cemetery finds, bike trails and backroad scenic drives statewide. Rowe said, “There really is something for everyone whether you are looking for outdoor sites or ways to get to know a town.”

Find more information at kansassampler.org.

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The Volland Foundation

ART | Reimaginations

Barry Anderson Dylan Connell Clive Fullagar

Shreepad Joglekar Sash Stiles

April 4 - May 24 | 2026

April 12 | Opening Reception | 1-4pm | Artist Panel 2pm

April 18 | 2pm | Examining New Technologies in Art

From Volland:

From Clive Fullagar:

ARTIST BIOs and STATEMENTS

BARRY ANDERSON

DYLAN CONNELL

CLIVE FULLAGAR

SHREEPAD JOGLEKAR

SASHA STILES

Autumn Phillips: Learn to Write About Your Life

Saturday, May 9 | 10 - noon

Reservations are filled | please sign up for waiting list below

Announcing "FishWizWeekend" Sponsorships

Your sponsorship includes not only the unique experience of wading in a clear prairie stream and seeing fish in their best spawning attire, it expands your fun to an entire weekend in the Flint Hills and helps bring the joy of science, music, and art to others in the broader community.

Sponsors receive:

A Weekend in the Flint Hills Two nights at the Brandt House

Your choice of the Saturday or Sunday Fish Wizards Tour for two

Admission to Fish-A-Palooza II + Fish Dinner for two

and a menu of "things to do" in your free time. Explore Wabaunsee County $1000 ($524 tax-deductible)

The Fish Wizards Tour has become one of Volland's most anticipated events of the year!

With the addition of Fish-A-Palooza in 2025, nature, science, and art reach a broader community, with music and food adding to the fun!

Please call us at 785-499-3616 or email us if you are interested in being a sponsor for "FishWizWeekend."

Only two sponsorships remain! Please don't delay! (the opportunity is valid until April 25)

Your sponsorship will bring the fascination of science, the inspiration of art, and the joy of music to this extraordinary environment in the Flint Hills.

Thanks you for your consideration of supporting

the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation!

Elijah Gowin | The Last Firefly

August 15 - October 4, 2026

August 15 Opening Reception 1-4pm Presentation at 2pm

BIO

Fish-A-Palooza II

A fundraiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byway and the Volland Foundation

Saturday, May 30 | 3- 6pm

"Flint Hills Fishes," Artist Garold Sneegas, Paleosculptor Gary Staab, Music by "Lonesome Charlie" Bonner,

Fish Dinner by Adam Waechter

$15 General Admission

Fish Dinner by reservation | $20

Saturday May 30 only

3pm - 6pm

t ickets and details F

﻿

"FishWizWeekend" Sponsorships

"A weekend in the Flint Hills"

Fish Wizard Tour - two tickets

2 nights at the Brandt House in Alma!

Fish-a-Palooza for two, Saturday night dinner for 2

Thank you to our FishWizWeekend Sponsors!

Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park

Greg & Dina Wingfield

Flor de Toloache

Mariachi from Latin Grammy Award Winners Mireya Ramos & Shae Fiol with

Beau Bledsoe, Jeff Freling, Marco Pascolini, John Currey, and Trevor Turla

August 22, 2026

Doors | 6:30pm Food, Beverages, Ice Cream Performance | 8pm Tickets Available Soon

JuBellation Bell Choir

JuBellation Bell Choir of St. John's Lutheran Church in Alma, KS

Sunday, December 6 | 2026

Doors 1pm | Music 2pm

Light refreshments served

Admission is free, seating is limited.

Reservations are required | RSVP here

An afternoon of festive music and fun, fit for the whole family!

American Souvenir: Log Slab Paintings from the E.G. Schempf Collection

Opening Reception Saturday February 7 | 1-4pm

Conversation with E.G. Schempf | 2pm

American rest almost always includes travel. Seeing something we don’t normally see and being somewhere we normally aren’t piques our interest.

From E.G. Schempf

Souvenir Day at Volland

Saturday, February 21 | 2026

1-4pm | Free Admission | Light refreshments

John Depew & Beth Watts Nelson: A New Kind of Concert

March 7th, 2026

6pm | Doors & Dinner

7pm | Music

A Weekend in the Flint Hills
Two nights at the Brandt House

and a menu of "things to do" in your free time.
Explore Wabaunsee County
$1000
($524 tax-deductible)

Only two sponsorships remain! Please don't delay!
(the opportunity is valid until April 25)

"Flint Hills Fishes," Artist Garold Sneegas,
Paleosculptor Gary Staab,
Music by "Lonesome Charlie" Bonner,

t ickets and details
F

Mariachi from Latin Grammy Award Winners
Mireya Ramos & Shae Fiol
with

Doors | 6:30pm
Food, Beverages, Ice Cream
Performance | 8pm
Tickets Available Soon

$20 Music Only | $35 Dinner & Music
Wabaunsee County Residents:

10am - Noon
$40
Wabaunsee County Residents $35

Soup's on! | Bring a dessert to share
Script-in-Hand Readings to Follow
$10 | Tickets here

Purchase tickets here
$50 + tax and fee

(the fundraiser continues - open to all)
$15 General Admission

Saturday May 30 only
3pm - 6pm

Phase 2: Actor Auditions, Writing and Acting Sessions

May 30 - June 29 | 2026
Opening Reception during Fish-A-Palooza II | May 30