Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County
A Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit
March 13 – April 25, 2021
The Volland Store is honored to be one of six venues in Kansas to host the traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian.
Please join us at Volland on Saturday, March 13, 2021, for the
Grand Opening Celebration!
(details later)
Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County
The Story of Wabaunsee County revolves around Grass.
Grass touches every aspect of our story.
RANCHING IN WABAUNSEE COUNTY (Deep Roots)
Grass gave rise to the culture of the Flint Hills
OUR RURAL COMMUNITY (New Growth)
The community arose to meet the needs of the ranching community.
Grass drives the economy.
From Humanities Kansas:
The Smithsonian is coming to Kansas! Humanities Kansas (HK) is pleased to announce a special Kansas tour of Crossroads: Change in Rural America, the newest Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition from Museum on Main Street, coming to Kansas in August 2020.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America will spark fresh thinking and new conversations about the future and sustainability of Kansas communities. Local exhibitions, public programs, online resources, and the Smithsonian exhibition will offer food for thought as we think about what’s at stake in small towns. Ultimately every community at a crossroads asks a similar questions– what do we need to survive and thrive? Innovation and creativity are two ideas. What are yours? Join the conversation with local experts, historians, journalists, artists, and other facilitators and community members to talk about 21st century Kansas.
Crossroads Smithsonian Exhibition Tour Schedule
The Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition provides an opportunity for the people of Kansas to think about how their communities have responded and adapted to change.
The Smithsonian exhibition will travel to six Kansas communities in 2020-2021 for a six-week stop at each venue. In addition to the national exhibition, the six host organizations will provide a one-of-a-kind companion local exhibition that tells their community’s unique Crossroads story, public programs with opportunities for discussion, family-friendly activities, and online resources.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, dates may be subject to change. For exhibition and event details, including hours of operation and online opportunities, contact the local organizations directly.
Crossroads Smithsonian Host Sites
The organizations bringing the Smithsonian exhibition to their hometown are:
- Bowlus Fine Arts Center / Allen County Historical Society, Iola
- Allen County: Trails to Rails to Highways and Back
August 29, 2020 – October 11, 2020
- 5.4.7 Arts Center, Greensburg
Greensburg Crossroads: Envision, Engage, and Endeavor
October 17, 2020 – November 29, 2020
- Kauffman Museum, North Newton
Of Land and People: Our Community at the Crossroads of Change
December 5, 2020 – January 17, 2021
- Independence Public Library / Historical Museum & Art Center, Independence
Independence: Include, Initiate, Innovate
January 23, 2021 – March 7, 2021
- The Volland Store, Alma
Deep Roots and New Growth in Wabaunsee County
March 13, 2021 – April 25, 2021
- Norton County Arts Council, Norton
Breaking Ground: Tales of Norton County Fireballs
May 1, 2021 – June 13, 2021
Crossroads Partner Sites
Crossroads Partner Sites extend the conversation across Kansas. Ten additional communities are featuring local exhibits, public programs, family-friendly activities, online resources, and other opportunities that explore the Crossroads theme in their hometown. Please note that the Smithsonian exhibition is not on display at the Partner Site locations.
- Dodge City Community College
Dodge City: Roots and Renascence
August 9 – October 15, 2020
- Ellinwood School-Community Library
Ellinwood: Continuous Innovation
October 16 – December 2, 2020
- Hays Public Library
From Crisis to Conservation to Conversation
May 1 – June 13, 2021
- Lebanon Public Library
Farming at the Center of it All
May 1 – June 13, 2021
- Thomas County Historical Society, Colby
Meeting at the Crossroads: Tales of Five Counties
May 1 – June 13, 2021
- Kansas Oil Museum, El Dorado
Rural Crossroads: The Changing Faces and Places of Butler County
December 1, 2020 – April 6, 2021
These are the two Partner Sites of the Volland Store
- Morris County Historical Society, Council Grove
Morris County: The Trails We’ve Traveled Since
March 13 – April 25, 2021
- Onaga Historical Society
Onaga Area: Crossroads into the Future
October 2020 – June 2021
- Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm Site, Olathe
Olathe Rural Roots as a Catalyst of Our Success
August 20, 2020 – January 31, 2021
- Satanta Area Arts Council, Satanta
Connected at the Crossroads
January 6 – February 28, 2021
We Look Forward to Seeing You in the Spring of 2021!
