MacDowell

MacDowell is a nonprofit artist-residency program based in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Founded in 1907 by pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell in memory of her husband, composer Edward MacDowell, it is one of the oldest continuously operating artist colonies in the United States. The organization offers creative practitioners a period of uninterrupted work in a rural setting, generally through fellowships that provide access to private studios, lodging, meals, and a community of fellow artists. The program grew out of the MacDowells' experience at Hillcrest Farm, which Marian purchased in 1896 as a summer home. The landscape and relative quiet of Peterborough supported Edward's composition, and the couple developed the idea of creating a permanent retreat where artists from different disciplines could work away from commercial and domestic pressures. Edward's declining health ended his composing and teaching career, and he died in 1908, shortly after the residency was established. Marian then became the principal builder and public advocate of the institution, raising funds, cultivating donors, giving lectures, and returning to the concert stage to perform her husband's music. She led the organization for nearly a quarter-century. MacDowell has supported artists working in architecture, film, interdisciplinary practice, music composition, playwriting, poetry, visual art, and fiction and nonfiction writing. Its campus comprises dozens of studios distributed across approximately 450 acres, allowing residents to work privately while remaining part of a broader artistic community. The organization has hosted both emerging and established creators. Works associated with residencies include important projects by figures such as James Baldwin, Willa Cather, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Thornton Wilder, Alice Walker, Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Tommy Orange. Alumni and fellows have collectively received major honors, including Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, Tony Awards, MacArthur Fellowships, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, Guggenheim Fellowships, and Rome Prizes. A visible public tradition is Medal Day, when MacDowell presents the Edward MacDowell Medal to an artist recognized for a significant contribution to culture. The recipient does not have to have been a MacDowell resident. The event typically combines a formal address with opportunities for the public to visit artists' studios, making it one of the limited occasions when the private campus is broadly open to visitors. The organization has also been involved in civic and institutional questions. In the mid-2000s, Peterborough officials challenged MacDowell's charitable tax-exempt status and sought a payment in lieu of taxes. Courts ultimately affirmed that the organization qualified as a charitable institution because its stated purpose was to promote the arts. In March 2020, MacDowell closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sending resident artists home; the closure was the first site shutdown since the 1938 New England hurricane. It reopened in October 2020. In July 2020, the board shortened the name from MacDowell Colony to MacDowell, explaining that the change removed terminology it regarded as carrying oppressive overtones. The organization continues to operate as a major American residency platform whose value proposition is based on artistic independence, free or supported access, privacy, interdisciplinary exchange, and long-term cultural stewardship rather than on commercial products.

MacDowell began with Hillcrest Farm, a property in Peterborough, New Hampshire, purchased by pianist Marian MacDowell in 1896 as a summer residence for herself and her husband, composer Edward MacDowell. The couple found that the area's quiet landscape helped Edward's composing. From this experience they developed the idea of establishing a permanent residential setting where artists could work in a nurturing natural environment and engage, at least conceptually, across creative disciplines. Edward MacDowell began suffering from an illness in 1904 that eventually ended his composing and teaching career. Marian continued developing the residency concept, and in 1907 she transferred the farm to the Edward MacDowell Association and established the MacDowell Colony in her husband's honor. The first residents that year were sculptor Helen Farnsworth Mears and writer Mary Mears. Mary Mears later described the experience in an article published in The Craftsman in 1909. In the program's early years Marian personally invited artists; by the 1920s, selection had been assigned to a committee. Edward MacDowell died in 1908, leaving Marian to build the institution's financial and organizational base. She solicited support from private donors, women's clubs, professional music organizations, industrialists, and philanthropists. Supporters cited in historical accounts include Andrew Carnegie, Grover Cleveland, and J. P. Morgan, although the organization also emphasized the sustained contribution of women's clubs and music sororities. Marian began public lecturing around the age of 50, resumed her performing career, and became a prominent interpreter of her husband's compositions while using those activities to raise money for the residency. She remained associated with the institution's leadership for almost 25 years. The campus expanded through purpose-built studios. In 1916, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge organized funding for a studio named in memory of her teacher Regina Watson. That building was renovated in 1993 and became MacDowell's first barrier-free studio. In 1918, students of Isabelle Sprague Smith funded another studio bearing her name. Additional studios were added over time, producing a dispersed campus of 32 studios across approximately 450 acres. MacDowell's reputation grew through the work created or advanced by residents. Its alumni and fellows have included writers, composers, visual artists, architects, filmmakers, playwrights, and interdisciplinary practitioners. Works associated with the site include Leonard Bernstein's Mass, Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring, Thornton Wilder's Our Town and The Bridge of San Luis Rey, James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room and Another Country, and projects by Willa Cather, Alice Walker, Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Tommy Orange. The program's cumulative record includes thousands of supported artists and fellowships, with alumni connected to a substantial number of Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, Tony Awards, MacArthur Fellowships, Grammys, Oscars, Guggenheim Fellowships, and Rome Prizes. The institution's heritage was formally recognized in 1962, when the site and its buildings were designated a National Historic Landmark District. In 1997, MacDowell received the National Medal of Arts. Medal Day, centered on the Edward MacDowell Medal, became an important public-facing tradition. The annual honor recognizes an artist's cultural contribution whether or not that person completed a residency at MacDowell, and the event commonly includes a keynote address and studio visits. MacDowell's nonprofit status became the subject of a dispute with Peterborough officials in 2005. The town challenged the organization's charitable tax exemption and billed it for a payment in lieu of taxes. MacDowell paid the bill while contesting the assessment. A 2007 Superior Court decision held that promoting the arts constituted a charitable purpose, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court subsequently upheld that conclusion, finding that the organization's governing documents required the property to be used for its charitable mission. The campus closed on March 13, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Artists were sent home, and the closure was historically unusual: according to the reference material, the site had not previously shut since the 1938 New England hurricane. MacDowell reopened in October 2020. In July 2020, its board changed the public name from MacDowell Colony to MacDowell, explaining that the word Colony had oppressive associations. Since January 2020, Nell Painter has chaired the organization, and in February 2023 Chiwoniso Kaitano became executive director. MacDowell remains an active nonprofit residency serving artists from the United States and abroad.

• 2023

  Chiwoniso Kaitano becomes executive director

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Kaitano was appointed executive director, becoming the first Black person identified in the reference material to hold the role.

• 2020

  Name changed to MacDowell

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  The board shortened the public name from MacDowell Colony to MacDowell.

• 1997

  Receives the National Medal of Arts

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  MacDowell Colony was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

• 1962

  Campus designated a National Historic Landmark District

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  MacDowell's site and buildings received National Historic Landmark District designation.

• 1918

  Isabelle D. Sprague Smith studio established

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Students of Isabelle Sprague Smith funded a studio bearing her name.

• 1916

  Regina Watson studio initiative

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge organized the creation of a studio honoring her teacher Regina Watson.

• 1908

  Edward MacDowell dies

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Edward MacDowell's death left Marian MacDowell to develop the residency as a lasting institution in his memory.

• 1907

  MacDowell residency founded

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Marian MacDowell deeded the farm to the Edward MacDowell Association and established the artist-residency program.

• 1896

  Marian MacDowell purchases Hillcrest Farm

  [1]MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org

  Marian MacDowell acquired the Peterborough property that later became the foundation of the residency campus.

A historic, interdisciplinary nonprofit residency that gives artists protected time, dedicated workspaces, and a rural environment for ambitious creative projects.

• Artist residency · 1907

  MacDowell artist residencies

  MacDowell's central offering is a supported residency for artists working across multiple disciplines. Residents receive protected time and access to a private studio in a rural campus setting, enabling them to concentrate on creative work without the normal pressures of employment, production, or public presentation. The program has historically welcomed writers, composers, visual artists, architects, filmmakers, playwrights, and interdisciplinary practitioners.

• Fellowship · 1907

  Creative fellowships

  Fellowships support selected artists during their time at MacDowell. The fellowship model is designed around artistic independence rather than commissioned output: artists use the campus, studios, and residential support to advance self-directed projects. The program has supported both emerging and established creators and has produced a large network of alumni across the arts.

• Creative workspace · 1916

  MacDowell studios

  The campus contains 32 studios distributed across approximately 450 acres. Their separation provides privacy and uninterrupted working conditions while the overall campus supports informal exchange among residents. The Regina Watson studio, renovated in 1993, became the organization's first barrier-free studio and expanded accessibility to the site.

• Arts award

  Edward MacDowell Medal

  The Edward MacDowell Medal is awarded annually to an artist who has made a significant cultural contribution. Residency at MacDowell is not required. Medal Day combines the award ceremony and keynote programming with limited public access to the campus and artists' studios.

• 2020MacDowell name transition

  United States · International

  The board publicly adopted the shorter MacDowell name after reviewing the former term Colony and its perceived oppressive overtones.

  Outcome. The organization continued under the MacDowell name while retaining its residency mission and historical association with the MacDowell family.

  Source
• 1997National cultural recognition

  United States

  MacDowell's institutional and artistic contribution was recognized through the National Medal of Arts.

  Outcome. The award strengthened the organization's national cultural profile.

  Source
• 1907Founding and fundraising campaign

  United States

  Marian MacDowell built public and philanthropic support for converting Hillcrest Farm into a permanent artist-residency institution, drawing on women's clubs, music organizations, individual donors, and prominent philanthropists.

  Outcome. The campaign established the MacDowell Colony and created the financial base for its early operation.

  Source

• 2020

  Adoption of the MacDowell nameStrategy

  Background

  The board reviewed the organization's former public name, MacDowell Colony, and concluded that the word Colony carried oppressive associations.

  Action taken

  The board shortened the name to MacDowell in July 2020.

  Aftermath

  The residency continued operating under MacDowell, with its core mission and historical campus unchanged.

  Source

• 2020

  Temporary COVID-19 campus closureStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 outbreak created public-health and operational risks for a residential program.

  Action taken

  MacDowell closed the site on March 13, 2020 and sent artists and fellows home.

  Aftermath

  The campus reopened in October 2020. The closure was described as the first since the 1938 New England hurricane.

  Source

• 2005

  Challenge to charitable property-tax exemptionOther

  Background

  Peterborough officials questioned whether MacDowell's residency program served a sufficiently public charitable purpose to qualify for local property-tax exemption.

  Action taken

  MacDowell paid the requested payment in lieu of taxes while challenging the assessment in court.

  Aftermath

  A 2007 Superior Court ruling, later upheld by the New Hampshire Supreme Court, affirmed that promoting the arts was a charitable purpose and that MacDowell's governing documents required charitable use of the property.

  Source

1. 1MacDowell residencyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2MacDowell official websitemacdowellcolony.org