By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Evan Reed grew up in Santa Clarita, California where he graduated from high school in 2016. Reed studied theater at a community college, spent a year as an intern at Walt Disney in Orlando, Florida and then returned to California to start his master’s degree.
Reed realized he wanted to take a different route
and now finds himself in St. John, Kansas.
"I always wanted to do a Peace Corps mission and I saw there was an opportunity domestically with AmeriCorps," said Reed. "I was looking at any arts-related AmeriCorps opportunities and St. John was one of the few that was up my alley and is exactly what I want to do professionally."
Reed relocated to St. John July 20 and will stay for a year to serve as an arts-focused
AmeriCorps VISTA. He will work closely with the Gray Photography Studio in St.
John to enhance the arts in rural Kansas. Along with increasing the art
programming in Stafford County, Reed will work to get the studio on Main Street
to become more functional as a community arts center.
"The opportunity to work with such a historical structure with such an immense background is really unique," said Reed. "The space itself has a lot of potential. The options are endless."
The Stafford County Economic Development helped secure a $50,000 grant from the Kansas Historical Society to help renovate the studio. W.R. Gray bought the building in 1905 where his family lived and also created and displayed thousands of photographs over the years. Over time, the building started deteriorating but an initiative over recent years has been made to restore the art studio.