WABAUNSEE COUNTY (KSNT) – The Volland Foundation supports artists from across the globe to create in a small town nestled within the scenic Flint Hills.
Volland is an unincorporated community in Wabaunsee County of mostly ranchers and homesteaders. There was never much in the community except a general store and post office, both of which were closed and abandoned by the 1970s. When Patty and Jerry Reece moved into town in the early 2000s, the crumbling general store caught their eye.
The couple purchased the property, located at 24098 Volland Rd, Alma, KS 66401, in 2010 to begin renovations. Now, the building stands as close to original as they could make it, and in 2021 it was donated to The Volland Foundation.
“My husband and I were out driving the back roads and noticed the abandoned building,” Patty Reece said. “We could see that the roof was gone and many windows were broken out, but the walls were very straight. It had good bones, and we had rehabilitated old, decrepit buildings before. My husband said, ‘That could be fixed up.’ I took that as permission, and the rest is history.”
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The old general store now serves the community as a space for arts, culture and events for community members as well as people from across the globe. The foundation is currently featuring “The Charra and The Cowgirl,” an exploration of the role of women in the cultural traditions of the charrería of Mexico and the rodeo of the American West, as well as “Compadres,” a collection of five equestrian sculptures made from carbon steel. Both exhibits run until Sept. 7.
“Our goal is to provide a wide variety of events, kind of a chautauqua – art, music, theatre, book readings, poetry, agriculture panels, science talks, stargazing, horse shows, etc. – to appeal to a wide variety of audiences,” Patty Reece said. “Events that bring people together and build community.”
The foundation also supports art and artists through its residency program. This program offers artists total access to facilities on site so they can create in isolation for six days. These residencies allow artists to disconnect from the world and focus on their work in peace.
“The Volland Foundation is a Place for Art and Community where creative ideas are catalyzed, realized, and shared; events nourish the human spirit, provide enjoyment, and build community; artists and other creative practitioners are supported with the gift of time and space; and economic development is enhanced in surrounding communities.”
Volland Foundation mission statement, per their website
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Alexandra Light is a contemporary ballet dancer based in Fort Worth, Texas who recently completed her residency from June 25 – July 9. She worked on a piece entitled “Prairie Run,” which drew inspiration from prairie’s shifting rhythms and Volland’s layered histories to create a piece that moves between past and present, stillness and motion.
“Volland was a perfect fit for me,” Light said. “It provided me a prairie centric, open space that was ideal, and it allowed me to leave behind the day to day and explore.”
(Photo Courtesy/Alexandra Light)
(Photo Courtesy/Alexandra Light)
(Photo Courtesy/Alexandra Light)
Light hopes to continue working on “Prairie Run” in the future, choreographing the piece to include more dancers. Currently, she is working on a piece for the Dallas Indie Dance Fest, choreography for high school dance teams and up-coming residencies.
Katrina Bello is a visual artist from New Jersey who discovered Volland through a friend who completed a residency there. Her stay was from June 10 – 24 and she worked on researching the area as well as collecting audio, video and images for her to create drawings in her studio.
“The most significant thing about Volland was the gift of time,” Bello said. “It was like a retreat with no expectations and total freedom.”
Bello said she felt particularly inspired by the vastness of the prairie and the natural beauty of the Flint Hills. Her works generally focus on landscapes and take almost a year to produce, so she hasn’t produced anything from her residency yet. She remarked how rare it is for artist residencies to not require some sort of presentation or display of the work they create while they’re there, and how Volland is one of the “best kept secrets in the art world.”
Bello has been busy with a new residency with Friends of Pando in Utah lately, but she is planning on returning to Volland soon to collect more research and get started on some drawings.
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Other upcoming events include: local music nights, art residency showcases, Latin American composer Nilko Andreas, guided nature tours and more. Volland will release dates for its 2026 residencies and open applications on Aug. 29.
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