Introduction
John Volk: Composition and Character
John Volk was born in Graz, Austria, and immigrated to New York City at the age of nine with his family. Volk studied architecture at Columbia University and apprenticed with H.P. Knowles, a Masonic architect in New York. In 1925 he relocated to Florida during the real estate boom, and he opened his own practice there in 1926. There is no particular style exclusively associated with Volk; he perfected many styles from Mediterranean Revival to Modern. Regardless of the style, he focused on the composition of the structure and its relationship to the site. Volk’s legacy can be found on almost every street in Palm Beach and throughout the United States and the Caribbean. He was also a member of Palm Beach’s first Landmarks Commission (1979) and voted for the designation of Phipps Plaza, where his home and office were located, as a historic district.
Jane Volk: Art and Preservation
Lillian Jane Kinney Volk grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from the American International College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1942. A few years later, in 1947, she met and married John Volk in Palm Beach. During the 1960s she began studying art at the Norton Gallery and School of Art under Eric Lundgren, Robert Moore, and sculptor George Jenkings. In 1965 she was awarded the Purchase Prize in the annual exhibition of the Artists’ Guild of the Palm Beach Art Institute for her painting Flowers. She had her first solo exhibition at the Norton in 1966, which was soon followed by exhibitions at the Parker Playhouse Gallery and the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Jane served on the Board of Trustees at the Norton for twenty-four years and was the director of the Board of Trustees from 1979–1981.
After John passed away in 1984, Jane became more involved in protecting the legacy of his work in Palm Beach. She was appointed an alternate member of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1987, became a regular voting member in 1989, and served as chairman from 1991 until 1995. During that period, Palm Beach designated ninety-nine buildings as landmarks, almost a third of today’s total roster.
Click here to learn more about the Volks.
"Architecture is the center of civilization and in that context, I do not mean just the mansions of the rich. Design and architecture are for every man to appreciate and cherish.”
—Jane Volk
Credits
Curated by Marie Penny & Katie Jacob
Designed by Katie Jacob & Amanda Capote
Archival images and artifacts from the John Volk Collection at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Archives, unless otherwise noted.
The exhibition is generously underwritten by Seabreeze Building.