Friends in Residence 2024

Kriss Young Miller and Gary Miller: 2024 Friends in Residence

Kriss and Gary Miller are looking forward to returning in 2024 for their third year as the Friends in Residence team at Quaker House.

Kriss and Gary live on a small “art farm” in a wooded corner of Kansas City. Living in an inter-generational home with family and farm critters is a way of life that they value. There they also operate a recording studio and actively support artists of all walks of life. Gary and Kriss bring this practice of mindful hospitality to the Quaker House.

Our Friends in Residence have roots in the Chautauqua community. Kriss spent time many childhood summers in a house owned by her grandparents. They were introduced to the wonders of Chautauqua when Kriss’ uncle joined a boy’s choral ensemble. This sparked a family tradition and Kriss included Gary from their early days of dating. Kriss and Gary have shared Chautauqua with their 3 children, and will hopefully include their grandchildren in 2024.

Kriss – always the tree lover, always in overalls

Gary’s first love is music and finds great joy playing with others in the Chautauqua community. He enjoys musical collaborations with all ages and skill levels and carries extra instruments to encourage others to join in. He can often be found playing at Bestor Plaza in a spontaneous gathering of musicians. Kriss is an active “maker” focusing on sustainability and earth care practices. She hosts Mindfulness and Mending programs at Quaker House and facilitates Church of the Wild at Chautauqua as an opportunity for sacred reconnection to the natural world and “that of God in all beings”.

Both Kriss and Gary have Quaker roots that have taken deep hold in the past couple years, as Kriss graduated from the Earlham School of Religion while Gary discovered his 9th great grandfather heard George Fox speak and was convinced.

Come Join us!!

Gary and friends make music on Bestor plaza