Dorothy Day Placemaking Artist Residency
The University of Missouri Extension and Platte County Parks and Recreation are glad to offer an artist residency at the Dorothy Day Cabin. This residency aims to provide artists with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the tranquil and historic setting, fostering creativity and artistic growth.
The artist residency is a biannual event, taking place for two weeks each spring and fall.
To be eligible, artists must reside within the boundaries of the five counties in the Kansas City metro: Clay, Jackson, Platte, (MO), Johnson, and Wyandotte (KS). Submissions will be accepted from visual artists (including painters, sculptors and mixed media artists), as well as humanities artists (such as creative writers, non-fiction writers and poets).
The selected artist will agree to donate one piece of their artwork to the cabin, host a workshop and/or participate in an artist talk towards the end of the residency in collaboration with MU Extension’s partner, Mid-Continent Public Library, or other partners. Please refer to the current Artist Call (linked below) for more details about the stipend and supplies.
Artist call
The next artist residency will be Oct. 6-17, 2025. The deadline to apply is September 12. The artist who has been selected will be notified by September 19.
Artist Call (PDF) Submit application
Please contact MU Extension field specialist Elena Stephenson with any questions.
Featured artists
The first artist to stay in October 2024 was Rachelle Gardner-Roe, a KC Metro Fiber artist and poet. On her website, she says:
My work melds my Midwestern rural roots with a multi-media practice including fibers, sculpture and drawing. The intention is to foster a curiosity and love of the natural world through exuberant color and imagery. Often resulting in a maximalist “where’s Waldo” smorgasbord of the natural world, I entice the viewer to keep exploring. This opens the door to conversations around native species, conservation, and caring for the Earth…
Read the rest of Gardner-Roe’s Artist Statement and visit her website to see her extraordinary work.
Anthony holds a MFA in poetry from MNSU, Mankato, which built a strong foundation for his writing career. While there, he was awarded the 2021-22 Andreas Creative Writing Fellowship, which allowed him to teach creative writing at the collegiate setting for two semesters and read poems as part of the Good Thunder Reading Series with poet Ross Gay. He’d recommend this institution with two thumbs pointed toward the sky, smiling while he did so. He currently teaches writing at the college level. Anthony has hosted creative writing workshops for a diverse range of participants, from adults with developmental disabilities to high school students and coffee shop patrons. Doing so brings immeasurable joy. His creative pursuits extend beyond the written word. Through his photography, he endeavors to capture the spirit of Kansas City. Focusing on landscapes, architecture, and people, his images tell a visual narrative of the cities he calls home. His artistic interests also include creating flyers and covers for literary arts journals and events. He’d love to design yours.
Visit his website: anthony j. procopio ross to learn more about him and see his library of work.
MacKenzie Fulmer’s background in illustration and interest in observational drawing inform her still life paintings. Living between reportage, fantasy, and curio collections; her paintings serialize daily life and depict her attachments to objects. She utilizes formats like zines and still life paintings as a way to catalog life autobiographically and make discoveries about individuals’ connection to their environment and taste.
Visit her website: MacKenzie Illustration to learn more about her and see her paintings.
Media highlights
Show-Me MO Success Podcasts about the Artist Residency
- Supporting Rising Art in the Dorothy Day Cabin - July 7, 2025
Host Luke Dietterle speaks with Elena Stephenson, field specialist in community development, and Rachelle Gardner-Roe, a fiber artist and poet, following up on our previous episode on the Dorothy Day Cabin almost two years ago. - Historic cabin turned into an artistic space - Sept. 26, 2023
This episode takes you to the Civil War-era house, known as the Dorothy Day Cabin. After Platte County spent $1 million to preserve that cabin, tune in to see how MU Extension is transforming it into a creative space for artists and the community.
One of Platte County's oldest buildings finds a new use - FOX4 News Kansas City
A Toast - poem by Rachelle Gardner-Roe
Dorothy Day Cabin and Green Hills of Platte Wildlife Preserve
Nestled in the hills of Parkville, the pre-Civil War Dorothy Day Cabin now stands among developed properties in the southern part of the county, adjacent to the Green Hills of Platte Wildlife Preserve. The gently sloping hills feature nature trails, wetlands, and views of wildlife in their natural habitat. Platte County Parks & Recreation has also restored several acres of natural prairie grass that blooms brilliantly in the spring and fall. The Preserve is home to abundant wildlife, including raccoons, opossums, rabbits, squirrels, and deer. Historical assessments trace the cabin’s construction back to the mid-1800s, making it one of the oldest structures still standing in Platte County from the earliest days of settlement after the opening of the Platte Purchase territory in 1836.
Despite being surrounded by nature in southern Platte, the cabin is only 15 minutes away from downtown Kansas City. Dorothy Day herself found inspiration in this serene environment, and we aim to continue this legacy by offering the same inspiration to contemporary artists.
This opportunity is made possible due to the partnership between Platte County Parks and Recreation and Platte County Extension Council, with special thanks to Platte County Commissioner Joe Vanover.