The MacDowell Colony is one of about 100 artist colonies in the US that offer refuge for artists. “The 20 or 30 artists in residence at any given time gather each evening at Colony Hall, the large administrative building, for a family-style meal (served promptly at 6:30 p.m.) and informal activities such as pool and ping-pong. Other than breakfast, it’s the only time they are likely to see one another. The rest of the day the “colonists,” as the artists are called, scatter to some 30 studios that dot the rolling, wooded property. There they sculpt, paint, write, design, or compose. They don’t even have to account for how they spend their time.”