Today our fraternity focuses on more than just our musical
abilities, but it is still important to remember why we celebrate MacDowell
Month. Every February we celebrate MacDowell month, but do we really know why
it is so special? Do we know what the MacDowell Colony creates for
artists? We celebrate this month to
honor the arts and how important they are to the community.
Alpha Chi
Omega first got involved with the MacDowell Colony when Fay Barnaby Kent, an
alumni of the Delta chapter and a former student of MacDowell, proposed that
the fraternity should work with the Edward MacDowell Association in 1908. Edward MacDowell was a talented American
composer in the early 1900s. His wife,
Marion Nevins MacDowell, also a former Alpha Chi from the Zeta chapter,
supported her husband in his composing and wanted to do something special for
him. Edward MacDowell composed much of
his work in their home, an old New England farmhouse in Peterborough, New
Hampshire, but he was never able to fully concentrate on his work. Marion
thought of the idea of a retreat for her husband to go on so he would be
completely isolated and be able to fully engage in his work. She thought a log cabin would be an ideal
place because he loved nature and the woods relaxed him. Marion Nevins MacDowell secretly designed and
helped construct a cabin so her husband could have a remote workshop to
compose. The cabin was placed not far
from their house on Hillcrest Farm in a secluded setting. The cabin sparked the
idea not only for great music but also the beginning of an institution that
would foster creative art. Unfortunately soon after the cabin was built, Mr.
MacDowell passed away, with a wish to create a haven for other artists to
compose and create their own work in a quiet atmosphere. Since Edward MacDowell’s untimely death, his
wife Marion has built 23 studios. In the
next 40 years, the original 80 acres turned into 700 acres and 3 buildings
turned into 40.
In 1909
Alpha Chi Omega started sponsoring Marion Nevins MacDowell, in the project
which would become one of the most outstanding art movements in America. The following year, Alpha Chi Omega began
fundraising to build a studio at the MacDowell Colony. Our fraternity donated a studio to MacDowell
Colony so artists can continue to create masterpieces in a serene environment
with no distractions.
The Star Studio was completed in 1911. It is completely hidden from the road that
passes the MacDowell’s home. Above the
door of the studio, a plaque reads “Star Studio, dedicated to the cause of Art
and to the artist’s need of solitude by Alpha Chi Omega, 1911.” MacDowell Colony is the 1st National
philanthropy Alpha Chi sponsored. With
the help of the fraternity and Marion’s hard work, today the colony means
emancipation for many artists, freedom from the pressure of noise and hurry,
constant interruption, nervous tension, and the consequent loss to society of
inspired painting, sculpture, literature and music. Now, MacDowell Colony is an
exclusive place where artists can go to develop their work. It is unbiased to
the different types of arts but is limited to a certain number of men and women
each year. The Colony is open from June
until the end of September and most artists stay a period of two months. It is home to about 25 artists at a
time. Some famous artists that have
benefitted from MacDowell Colony are Aaron Copeland, who wrote the musical,
Billy the Kid, and Alice Sebold, the author of The Lovely Bones.
So maybe this February stop by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum
of Art and think about how this artwork was created, or just admire the work
and celebrate the arts!
I had no idea that there was so much more to MacDowell Month! Remember to enjoy the arts this month and celebrate what we were founded off of!
LITB,
Chrissy Hardesty
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