normal opening hours:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday | 1-4 pm
24098 Volland Road, Alma, KS
785-499-3616
The Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, serves as an anchor for 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.
Otto and Bill Kratzer's Mercantile 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. 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 Volland boasts award-winning spaces with good art and friendly conversation. Join the artists, writers, scientists, and poets who enrich and enliven our community.
The Volland Foundation is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 1 to 4 pm
and by appointment
Call 785-499-3616 and leave a message. We will return your call.
If you visit when the gallery is closed, you will find information at the north door
- Discover the "Ruin" on the South Lawn
- Hike the History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail | Trail Maps at the north door
Open year-round, dawn to dusk
Reservations for private events, the Little House and the Loft
Kelley Hunt at the Ruin | Friday, September 22, 2023
Doors at 5:30pm | Food, drink, ice cream
Concert | 7:30pm | Bring your lawn chair!
Tickets at the door | $20 | Kids enter free
Weather Report - GOOD!
Allison Cekala: Salt Works
s e p t e m b e r 8 - o c t o b e r 2 2 2 0 2 3
The artist will speak October 22 | 2pm
Screening of Fundir, a short film by Allison Cekala
Refreshments | Free admission
details
psst..have you heard that the Wonderstruck Ukulele Academy is coming to Volland next April?
check it out!
The Volland History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail
Sculptures by Mark McHenry
The History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk.
SUMMER ON THE TRAIL
A passing train thunders down the elevated track above the trail and demands your attention, inspiring awe and wonder. Dense summer foliage softens the sound, but the train is no less commanding.
Further into the woods, buckthorns, elms, hackberries, bur oaks, white oaks, and chinkapins seem to come together as one living, breathing mass. A million stones cover the dry river bed, where you may find crinoids that are 500 million years old. The heavy scent of summer fills the air, and deer tracks abound. Birds and insects sing and chatter, staking their territories and searching for food, their wings, legs, and antennae alert and active, declaring the richness of summer and nature.
Take precautions to avoid ticks: 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. A summer ritual.
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.
Numbered in order of appearance, Sculpture #1 can be seen from the Volland gallery - it is to the west of the Ruin, close to the two trees along the mowed path leading to the trail entrance. Sculpture #2 is close to the trail's south entrance. The third sculpture is hanging in a tree just before the first bend in the trail - and it moves! Sculpture #4 is about halfway through the trail (see the movie). The fifth and sixth pieces will be installed before the end of 2023, followed by an "official" opening with a Walk and Talk by McHenry. In the meantime, you are invited to enjoy the first four sculptures now - with a pleasant walk in the summer woods.
Click here for a movie of the sculptor Mark McHenry checking the condition of Sculpture #4
(Please note, restrooms are not available when the Store is closed)
Future art studio at Volland
You can help build the studio!
Click here to see how...
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