In January-February 2011 I had the privilege of living and writing at the glorious MacDowell Colony, America's oldest artists' colony, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. One evening, a new cartoon character popped into my life, who also happened to be there on a fellowship.
Please take a few moments to experience the MacDowell Colony, as seen through the glasses of
PENNY the POETESS:
The walls of each studio cabin are lined with "tombstones", on which each resident inscribes her or his name. Some go back to 1909.
Each new arrival is welcomed with the same questions: Name? Artistic discipline? Which part of Brooklyn you from?
What do you expect a couple dozen artists do after dinner? Drink and get into screaming matches about monochrome negative space?
Try ping pong. The only controversy that erupts is over when the ping pong should pause for evening readings and presentations.
The food at MacDowell indeed makes suffering nearly impossible.
The highlight of the day (other than the act of Creating Art) is the lunch basket left on your doorstep.
That's right, no Internet in the studios.
all cartoons ©2011 Larry Feign The MacDowell Colony