The Tallgrass Artist Residency is a program of the Kansas Arts Commission centered in the small community of Matfield Green, Kansas near the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. We work with local organizations to house artists and host events in addition to collaborating with other partners throughout the Flint Hills region.
The Tallgrass Prairie
Though only a fraction of the unique tallgrass ecosystem remains, the prairie has been instrumental in constructing a narrative and identity of the North American Midwest. Given the prairie’s geographic location, this vast sea of grass has remained significant to the peoples who have occupied it. From first nation communities to European settlers, this vast sea of grass has proved to be an invaluable resource to cities as far apart as Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, and Dallas. Urban communities have continually relied on prairie resources to establish themselves, as well as the many farming and ranching communities of the Midwest that support the majority of the country’s agricultural production.
Matfield Green
Located in the heart of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie ecoregion, the town of Matfield Green (pop. ~50) has become an essential component of the residency. Due to its auspicious setting and small scale, this ranching and farming community has drawn outsized interest over the years from authors, artists, and cultural organizations interested in contemporary rural life. This legacy continues today with a mix of long-time residents and relative newcomers working to keep the town alive and thriving. We encourage artists to join in the life of the community during their stay, and are grateful to local residents for contributions of lodging, space for public programs and exhibitions, and personal hospitality.
Residency Team
Kelly Yarbrough,
Lead Administrator
Kelly Yarbrough is an artist and arts organizer whose work takes shape in the studio, the field, and spaces in between. Her work seeks to foster a deeper literacy of the landscapes we each call home. Kelly holds an MFA from Kansas State University and is the founder and lead administrator of the Tallgrass Artist Residency. She lives in Manhattan, Kansas.
Katherine & Derek Hamm,
On-site Residency Managers
Katherine and Derek Hamm took over management of The Bank Art Space in 2016 in time to host the first Tallgrass Artist Residency Group Exhibition and have helped manage the program since. They both grew up in central Kansas, work as graphic designers, and love sharing the experience of living in the prairie through hosting artists.
Partners
Matfield Station
Artists stay at Matfield Station during their residency in their own casita with kitchen, private bathroom, and communal porch. Owners Bill and Julia McBride worked with a local team to restore the historic Santa Fe Railroad building that was “one good rain away” from collapse, and converted it into three comfortable and cozy guest rooms. Bill and Julia are gracious hosts and ardent supporters of contemporary art in Matfield Green.
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City offers space and support for artists’ public programs during their residencies. Knowledgable staff and volunteers are also a great resource to learn from about tallgrass ecology and the preserve’s many unique features, including a herd of about 100 bison.
The School for Rural Culture & Creativity
Housed in the 1938 Matfield Green Grade School building, The School is a developing space for community, art, agriculture, and ideas for a place-based life. The School has been the primary site for the residency’s annual Fall Gathering, providing exhibition and presentation space and a local food dinner.
Matfield Green Works
Matfield Green Works connects people to the Earth and each other. The non-profit was an early supporter of the residency, hosting the annual group exhibition at The Bank Art Space — now closed for renovations. Matfield Green Works contributes to the residency’s fall events by organizing open studios of local artists.