The word culture comes from the latin for “to grow”. We seek to cultivate human culture and community within the agricultural landscape of the Northern Great Plains. Vilicus Institute is based in an area with fewer than 5 people per square mile. Art is a powerful mechanism for raising awareness about the issues of desertification, climate change, chemical agriculture, and agrarian livelihood that face our region, and to build relationships between people and place. Vilicus Institute sponsors artist residencies, art installations, and other culture driven programming in the Northern Great Plains.
Individuals interested in participating as an artist and farms interested in hosting artists can reach out to Anna Jones-Crabtree at [email protected].
— Willa Cather
Sarah Hanberry Baker retired in 2017 from a 28 year career with the US Forest Service. Sarah finished her career as the national deputy of Sustainable Operations, an office she helped develop. Her vision and leadership helped to reduce the agency’s environmental footprint.
Sarah also had an extensive writing career publishing novels, novellas, and short stories as well as adapting several books for audio drama. She wrote mysteries as S. H. Baker, romance as Sarah Storme, and the hot stuff as Lydia Parks.
In honor of Sarah’s memory, Vilicus Institute is sponsoring construction of a sustainably built tiny house on wheels (aka writer’s cabin) to honor Sarah’s love of story-telling and care for our environment. The writer's cabin will play host to artists in residency at Vilicus Farms.
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Landon George is a multi-disciplinary artist currently based in Marshall, North Carolina. In 2021 George began a series of sound installation projects inspired by the agricultural landscape of the Northern Great Plains. In 2022 the Vilicus Institute sponsored George’s two ongoing sonic expositions, "Organ Studies" and "DE/COMPOSITION”. George will be returning to North Central Montana in fall 2023 to continue his work.
George's Music