Where Residents Live and Work

Small white house with dark roof on a gravel road, trees on either side in a rural setting.
Black and white photo on building of waving couple. A house and road in the background.
Living room with mid-century furniture, artwork, and large windows; bathed in warm sunlight.
Round wooden table with red flowers, white chairs, black and white striped rug, and lamp.
Interior view with a round table and chairs, large artwork, and a window framing a white house and tree.

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.

A bedroom with a brick wall and a bed
Photo by Mike Sinclair

Bathroom with red brick wall, white vanity, and window overlooking trees.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a small window showing brick, and a plant.

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.

A small white house with a tree in front of it
Photo by Mike Sinclair

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.

White kitchen with open shelving, stove, sink, and hanging pots.
Bedroom with a bed, artwork, two windows, and dark wood floors. White walls and bedding.
White bathroom with shiplap walls, shower, toilet, and vanity, and brown wooden floor.
A living room with a black couch and yellow chairs
Photo by Mike Sinclair

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.

Open, rustic garage with tables, natural light, and open doorways.
Old wooden shed surrounded by trees in a grassy field on a sunny day.
Interior of a rustic, open-door barn with concrete floor, tables, and string lights.

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.

Basement with concrete floor, exposed beams, refrigerator, and ductwork.
Basement with concrete floor, exposed ceiling beams, and white studio backdrops stacked and leaning against the wall.

Lower Level Studio