Tallgrass Artist Residency 2027

The Tallgrass Artist Residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains through engagement with the prairie ecosystem. As a program of Kansas Arts Commission, the Tallgrass Artist Residency offers individual artists/artist teams time and space to retreat and research in a rural, tallgrass prairie setting. Though the experience is rural, it is not meant to be isolating. Artists are provided lodging at Matfield Station in the small community of Matfield Green, Kansas, located 20 miles from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and home to a number of artists and community builders.

Who is this program for?

Since 2016, the Tallgrass Artist Residency has hosted visiting artists who want to spend time in a small, rural community setting learning about this unique place. The program prioritizes artists based in places that are ecologically considered prairie or grassland in order to strengthen a place-based dialogue specific to this region. However, we also host “eco-region exchange” artists each year in order to give artists living outside of prairie regions an opportunity to engage. 

The Tallgrass Artist Residency prioritizes artists working with contemporary themes, a self-driven dedication to learning about place, and an interest in participating in the small community atmosphere in Matfield Green. We welcome artists from all backgrounds and career levels, media and practice, from visual artists to writers, performers, composers, landscape architects and social practitioners.  You can learn more about past residents and their practices at https://tallgrassartistresidency.org/arists
 

Important considerations

Matfield Green, Kansas is a very small community with friendly people, but no traditional stores or commercial services! The population of the town is about 50 people. There are often social activities, and many residents welcome the opportunity to meet visiting artists. But, a visiting artist should be prepared for a slower, quiet pace of life.

Because it is about 20 minutes to the nearest town with basic groceries and restaurants, it is essential that visiting artists have their own vehicle and be comfortable driving on rural roads and highways. 

The Tallgrass Artist Residency does not exist in one specific building, but as a program that works with local building owners to provide visiting artists with lodging and spaces for programming. There is not a dedicated studio space for visiting artists, but each artist’s apartment has a table and chair, and other local work spaces may be arranged with advance notice, depending on the artist’s needs.

Because of the program’s rural setting, it is not uncommon to encounter wildlife such as snakes, coyotes, mice, deer and even bison. It is also common for public walking trails in the area to pass through cattle grazing pastures. When walking through tall grass in warm season months, ticks are common. It is important to wear appropriate clothing and bug spray when walking on trails through grass, and be aware of any safety guidelines that may pertain to wildlife in the area. 

The artist lodging at Matfield Station (www.matfieldstation.com) is comprised of 3 individual units with a full bathroom, kitchen and patio area. The building was renovated 20 years ago by neighbors Bill & Julia Fabris McBride, and used to function as living quarters for railroad workers along the BNSF rail line. Because of this history, the building is located very close to active train tracks, and trains may pass by in either direction approximately every 30 minutes. The trains do not sound their horns in Matfield Green, but the sound of the trains is noticeable from within the lodging. Earplugs are provided, and we have learned that visitors quickly become accustomed to the sound, but sensitive sleepers should come prepared!

The Tallgrass Prairie

The past 200 years have brought great changes to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem – a landscape that used to stretch from the southern United States up into Canada. Much of the American prairie has been converted into agricultural land, developed into cities or lost to woody encroachment. Even so, the prairie has been instrumental in constructing narratives and identities of the people who have occupied it over countless generations. The Flint Hills region has historically been home to many Native peoples including the  𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻 𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷 𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^(Osage); Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo); Očhéthi Šakówiŋ; Washtáge Moⁿzháⁿ (Kaw / Kansa); Gáuigú (Kiowa); Wichita; Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute). There are more than 60 federally-recognized tribes located across the greater prairie region today. After European settlers arrived in the mid-19th century, this vast landscape quickly became an invaluable resource, and contributed to the development of 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.

Today, only about 4% of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem remains, and the majority of that is located in an area known as the Flint Hills of Kansas. The Tallgrass Artist Residency places visiting artists in the heart of this area.

The town of Matfield Green, Kansas

Located in the heart of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie ecoregion, Matfield Green is a very special (and small!) town that has become the heartbeat of the residency program. Due to its picturesque setting and small scale (about 50 people live in Matfield Green), this ranching and farming community has drawn 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 (Saturday morning coffee hour at the School for Rural Culture & Creativity is a must!), and come with curiosity! 
 

Resident Commitments

• Residencies are offered in two-week (10 night) periods between April and September. Residency periods must occur in consecutive ten night blocks.
• Residents are expected to give a public program during this two-week period, and will be asked to contribute documentation of their experience through daily Instagram posts and a post-residency summary of their experience for the website (read Written Reflections on artists’ pages).
• Residents are also expected to share post-residency work at a time and venue to be determined in coordination with residency staff.
• Residents are required to make their own arrangements for transportation to and from the residency. Due to our rural setting, it’s essential for residents to have their own reliable method of transportation.
• Residents are responsible for their own food, but cooking and eating utensils are available in all rooms.

Awards for Residents

• Artists will be provided 10 nights of lodging at Matfield Station during the residency period.
• Artists will be connected with staff at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and may be granted special access, upon request.
• Each artist will receive a $650 stipend from the Kansas Arts Commission for travel and material reimbursement to be awarded after residencies are completed.
• Ecoregion exchange artists traveling from 700+ miles away will receive an extra stipend for travel.

Applicants will be asked to submit work samples and answer several short answer questions including:

1. Please provide a short artist statement that describes your practice and intentions as an artist.
2. Have you spent time in the Flint Hills before? What interests you in this place?
3. How do you anticipate spending your time during your residency and what do you hope to gain from this experience?

Who Can Apply

This residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains by prioritizing artists who currently live in a place that is ecologically considered prairie (click here to view a map). However, artists who live outside of a prairie region are encouraged to apply through the “ecoregion exchange” category.

Ideal applicants will have a strong body of work with a unique voice or perspective, a self-driven dedication to learning about place, and an interest in participating in a contemporary dialogue. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and career levels, media and practice.