Location: Peterborough, New Hampshire

Mission: The mission of The MacDowell Colony is to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals of the highest talent an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination.

The sole criterion for acceptance to The MacDowell Colony is artistic excellence. MacDowell defines excellence in a pluralistic and inclusive way, encouraging applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics.

Cost: There are no residency fees, however financial assistance is available. Each year 250 Fellowships, or residencies, are awarded to artists in seven disciplines (architecture, music composition, film and video, interdisciplinary art, theatre, visual art, and literature). Artists-in-residence receive room, board, and exclusive use of one of the 32 studios on the property for up to eight weeks.

Number of Artists: Up to 32 artists at a time

Accommodations: The Colony’s 450 acres of woodland and fields, as well as its 32 artists studios, are among the many hallmarks of the MacDowell Fellowship experience. In order to preserve privacy and a sense of sanctuary, almost no studio is within sight of another and each is comfortably furnished with the artists’ needs in mind. Composers’ studios, for instance, include pianos; visual artists’ studios have ample wall space, natural northern light, and full-spectrum interior lighting. All studios have bathrooms and heat; for those not assigned to a live-in studio (defined as a studio with a shower), bedrooms are provided in three different residences separate from the studios. Healthy and diverse meals are provided by the Colony. Breakfast and dinner are communal, but a basket lunch is delivered to the studios and left at the doorstep to minimize workday interruptions.

While no artist may visit another artist without an invitation, the Colony is designed to facilitate a balance between work and social interaction. Colony Hall, the main building at MacDowell, serves as the hub for artists-in-residence. It is here where meals are taken and common office needs are addressed. Landline phones for outside communication are available, as are scheduled “town runs” into downtown Peterborough.

Length of Stay: about 5 – 8 weeks

Demographic: We welcome artists engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice who are investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. Artists with professional standing in their fields, as well as emerging artists, are eligible for residencies. MacDowell encourages artists from all backgrounds to apply, and accepts applications from artists practicing in the following fields: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Students who are enrolled in a degree program at the time of the application deadline are ineligible for a residency and therefore cannot apply. While the Colony was founded as a place for artists in the United States, The MacDowell Colony is open to artists from around the world.

Benefits: Picnic baskets, two photography studios feature fully-equipped darkrooms, printmakers will find their studios appointed with lithography and plate presses, aquatint equipment, and good ventilation, and writers and architects are provided generous work surfaces, Meals provided, Library with WiFi, voluntary studio presentations,

Deadline: January 15, 2013 (June 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013), April 15, 2013 (October 1, 2013 – January 31, 2014), September 15, 2013 (Feb 1, 2014 – May 31, 2014)

Website