Volland Store visitors take in Walena Fields, 2018, a portrait by Pawhuska, Oklahoma-based photographer Ryan RedCorn (Osage). RedCorn’s activist artwork subverts traditional, non-native images of Native people. He displayed two portraits of Native women in the 2019 Rural-Urban Invitational, offering viewers the vital cultural richness of his subjects. (image courtesy of Volland Store)
Volland – Then . . .
The Volland Store was the center of commerce for families of the surrounding ranching community in the early part of the 20th century. As the local shipping point for cattle, it was a regular destination for cowboys. Families shopped for groceries and dry goods at the Store and gathered nearby on Sunday afternoons to picnic and gossip while children played. The post office was at the Store, as were the first telephones and electricity. The school bus made stops at the Store for kids to enjoy soda pop and penny candy. As the century progressed, change came to the little town. Cattle were no longer shipped by train. Passenger service stopped. The post office closed. The town began to melt away. The Store closed in 1971 following the death of the owner, and the building sat vacant. Its roof began to leak, eventually falling in and taking the interior structure with it.
In 2012, the Store’s owner was offered a price for its bricks. She began a search for someone who would buy and restore it. Enter Patty and Jerry Reece. In 2015 The Volland Store opened again after extensive renovation, repurposed as “A Place for Art and Community.”
Volland – Now . . .
Today, the hallmark of the store is quality art and compelling programming, drawing visitors from near and far, building community that reaches beyond its borders. Guest artists, humanitarians and scientists present new perspectives in dialogue with audiences. It is a lively place where people feel at ease telling stories, sharing memories and exchanging ideas.
The Volland Foundation creates and presents the Store’s programming. This would not be possible without the enthusiastic support of donors who actively value culture and tradition and recognize that relevance can be gracefully recaptured.
Special thanks to the friends of Volland who have generously supported the opportunity to share our story: Cara and Henry Newell, Gloria and Dick Anderson, Suzie Aron, Brad Bradley, Tina and Bruce Breckenridge, Lynne and Peter Brown, El Dorado, Inc., Pam and Gary Gradinger, Beverly and Steve Johnston, Regina and Bill Kort, Peggy and Bill Lyons, Anita and Chip Osborn, Patty and Jerry Reece, Ann and Bob Regnier, Betsey and Rick Solberg, George Terbovich, Jane Voorhees, Nancy and Bruce Waugh, Helen and Frank Wewers
For a complete list of Volland Foundation donors, please visit thevollandstore.com. If you wish to support the mission of the Volland Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, please visit thevollandstore.com/join/
The Volland Store
24098 Volland Road, Alma, Kan. 66401
785-499-3616
–Patty Reese
