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 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.
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.
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 Volland Store as seen in Winter, from the Volland History, Nature, and Sculpture Trail.” Photo by Ryan Jones.
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 precautions 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 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.
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.
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.
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