In the woods…the light of being

I caught it the way you do when you reach out to catch the string of a balloon before it escapes your grasp and you give yourself a high five for still being quick enough to catch it.  I caught that corner of my mind that gets clouded with words, ideas and emotions, the corner that you sometimes need to retreat to when life gets topsy turvy…and it all happened in the woods at The MacDowell Colony on Sunday.


For those of you unfamiliar with The MacDowell Colony, it is the oldest artists' colony in the United States. Founded in 1907 by Edward MacDowell, a composer and Marian MacDowell, a pianist, both artists wanted a peaceful place to create and to be able to share their special retreat with fellow artists. Their search started in 1896 with the purchase of a farm in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Fast forward 118 years and their mission, to provide a place for artists to work peacefully and harmoniously amongst their peers...is thriving. Over 6000 artists have walked through and around the pines, flora and fauna on this 45 acre property where artist studios sit quietly in the landscape.

Their are only 32 studios and as you might imagine, this is a prized and highly sought after experience with an application process that rivals admission to Harvard. (So, I have been told). I believe it..who wouldn't want to experience the greatest depth of their creativity at The MacDowell Colony, when notable artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Thornton Wilder, Milton Avery, Alice Walker and Alice Sebold and many more have done the same.

I have to be honest, I had not heard of The MacDowell Colony before life at Tahilla Farm. When I stacked up the pros and cons for purchasing a farmhouse at the end of a country road in a town I had never heard of before…in the woods..well, let's just say, the story behind The MacDowell Colony helped to tip the balance. A country retreat..in the woods, down the hill and up the hill and around the corner from the oldest artist colony in America? Let's just say it was a moment of clarity.

Back to Sunday...when I attended Medal Day, the one and only day when the colony is open to the public. It is also the day when The MacDowell Colony recognises an individual artist who has made an outstanding contribution to his or her field with the Edward MacDowell Medal. Last year it was the composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, this year it was Betye Saar, a visual artist, and true hunter and gatherer, one who creates beautiful collages and assemblages of  collected objects often found at flea markets. When Betye mentioned in her acceptance speech that she has lived through 89 revolutions of the sun I smiled…and when she said "I feel this medal says for me, 'You go, girl'"…I joined everyone else in the standing ovation of this remarkable woman. I get the impression their is no stopping Betye…at any age.

Curiosity

about the unknown

has no boundaries,

symbols, images, places and cultures merge.

time slips away.

The stars, the cards, the mystic vigil

may hold the answers.

By shifting the point of view

an inner spirit is released.

Free to Create

Betye Saar

1998

After the ceremony, the crowd of over 1000 dispersed from the under a white tent for a picnic lunch on the beautiful grounds of the property. After lunch, a three hour allotted time period was allowed to walk into the woods to discover and meet the current artists in their studios.

And this is where I caught 

the light of being...

in the woods of The MacDowell Colony

where life happens in..

 a studio

on a bicycle

and a simple porch.

The porch is where artists are able 

to take their passion to the next level.

If the ideas are slow to flow…

they can sit and think about it

                                                         and consider their next project

In the woods one can find solitude

with a mountain

 The MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire 

is where artists are given the space

to contemplate and create

where white pines stand tall

and a library window awaits

It was here, standing on this porch where I caught

my proverbial string..when that corner of my mind cleared 

and I realised I was back in control again.

It was all so simple..

Edward and Marian MacDowell 

experienced it all those years ago…

in the light and shadow of the woods,

in the sway of a rocking chair on a porch...

you can find the light of your own being.

You just have to be open to it.

Thank you for letting me share this occasion with you. 

I chose black and white, in an attempt 

to let light and shadow speak for itself.

I hope it worked.

;)

To learn more about The MacDowell Colony

…click on the links below

The MacDowell Colony

Edward and Marian MacDowell

MacDowell video

MacDowell Artists

Betye Saar 2014 Medalist

To Apply

Peterborough, New Hampshire

Michele Mattei, Betye Saar, 2012;
Image © Michele Mattei

Betye Saar @ The Brooklyn Museum