The Topeka state journal., 1922-05-06
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC y. HAsKIN. Direcenr.
Washington, ID. @.
GIVING AMERICAN ARTISTS
A LIFT.


in the near future to which poor but
promising artists may flee in sum-
mer from the oppressive heat and
noise of the city Like the MacDowell
colony at Peterborough, N. H, it will
/ be for all types of creative artists.
Writers, musicians, sculptors, paint
ers and poets will all be welcomed and
encouraged to unhampered self-ex-
preston by the use of cool, quiet
studios and a strictly sympathetic
atmosphere
The retreat is the gift of the late
Mrs. George Foster Peabody, and will
be located at Yaddo, the beautiful,
| 7O0-acre estate which Mrs. Peabody
and her first husband, Spencer Trask.
| created out of the woodlands near
| Saratoga Springs On the estate is one
1 of the finest country houses in that
part of New York, as well as many
smaller buildings that will be re-
modelled into studios. These are set
1 in a private park of great natural
/ beauty, including hundreds of acres.
I of native woodland, brooks, lakes,
waterfalls and dsgardens. There is also
/ a large farm-an enterprise that was
started during the war for the pur-
pose of raising foodstuffs most needed
/ by the allies. Now it will be devoted
to the future patriotic task of supplyo
/ ing American artists with a proper
vitaminic diet.
The idea of dedicating Yaddo to the
| arts was conceived by Mr.. and Mrs.
Trask as early as 1900 when cor
1 poration was formed to carry out the
plan under the euphonious title of the
! Trustees of Pine Garde- Mr. Trask
always had been deeply interested in
art, and was one of the patrons of
the National Art club, while at that
time Mrs. Trask herself wrote plays
and poems under the name of Katrina
Trask. They were therefore sympa-
thetically aware of the tremendous
obstacles that beset the path of the
struggling creative artist. Besides
themselves, the first board of trustees
included George Foster Peabody, who
had been a business partner of Mr..
Trask; Miss Allena G. Pardee, Br.
Henry van Dyke and the late Edward
Shepard.
After Mr. Trasl1's death. the board
was enlarged and the name changed
to Directors of the Pine Garde Es-
tate" The ten present members upon
whom will fall the burden of putting
the art retreat into operation are MI
Peabody. Miss ~Pardee, Mrs. Mia Pot
ter Sturges, wife of the Rev. Philemon
r. Sturges, rector of Grace church at
Providence; Doctor Van Dyke, the
Rev. DIR. Edwin Knox Mitchell. Acosta
Nichols, Thomas Mott Osborne, Edgar
Truman Bracket. Daniel Chester
value of the Trask gift to American
art will depend very largely upon the
sincerity and discretion of this board.
Joy in Art Circles.
The news of the legacy has spread
a good deal of cheer among New
York art circles, especially as1t comes
at a time of the year when the artistic
temperament feels the need of
strategic retreat from the city. During
the winter, New York is great little
inspiration to the creative faculties
It is an exciting stimulant which con-
Il rod mar
sonal ambition into action. But in the
spring the drug loses its power. pro-
ducing nothing but fatigue IN the pa
tient 1t is then that the creative |
artist begins to resent the nerce glare
of the streets. the incessant thunder
of the elevated, the raucous screen
of unending traffic. the dust ana
smoke of the factories. the stale at
mosphere of the crowds. His work
suffers and so does his health. He
feels that he must get away, but with |
a slim bank account this is easier con- |
femplate9 than done.
1.-The American writer or painter OF
composer or sculptor who IS young, !
who has made little money, but who !
vet has given distinctive promise and |
shown unplumbed potentialities has
but few resources" says one who is +
well acquainted with the problem. |
HE may secure a patron, but 1t is !
unlikely in a country where earning I,
capacity is admired vastly more than /
creative ability. He may leave the I
country. but he is liable to die OF .
starvation in a foreign country or /
pass all of his days struggling to pay
his bills"
lish sculptor. whose dairieS at least /
have received a cordial welcome, finds !
the world hostile toward the artistic
temperament in the spring. Il can
not live in America" she complained |
recently. ST must have serenity
would not live in England; have too
many relatives there. 1 could live IN |
Italy but there is no money Or III /
Russia but there is no food.
To the creative artist who finds /
himself or herself in a ~diIemmasof this /
kind, the art retreat offers an inter- I
esting solution. Nothing could be more /
satisfactory than the MacDowell Col |
ony. for example It IS in 10 sense n /
phiIanthropic enterprise of impecu-
nious artists. but it offers at abSurdly |
low rates precisely what the strug-
Cling writer or composer or painter
needs-a' place where he can work at
top speed with the necessary fresh
air, sound sleep and uninterrupted
days. There is serenity without bore
dom: for after working hours he
comes in contact with a number of
fellow workers just as earnestly ar
tistic as he
The small sums paid by the artists
for sleeping quarters, food. studios
and other comforts represent only n
fraction of the upkeep of the colony
1t draws its chief support from three
sources: From the annual dues of the
MacDoweu Association, which range
from $5 to $1O0 a year; from contri-
buttons to the general fund by private
the proceeds of Mrs Ed
ward MacDowells annual recitals
coming under this head, and the year
~ interest on the endowment fund.
which is. unfortunately. small and
somewhat cramping to the growth OF
the enterprise.
Memorial to Composer.
The Colony is a memorial to Ed
ward MacDowen. the composer. who
old 70 ~