If you have never been to Medal Day at MacDowell, you really ought to consider joining in the fun on Sunday, July 21. It’s a unique opportunity to speak with artists and see where their art is made before it reaches the museum, movie screen or concert stage, and its free.

Medal Day is the only day of the year that MacDowell invites all of us to visit its campus in Peterborough, stroll the beautiful grounds, meet and listen to smart people talk about art and mix with artists and neighbors. And this year, we’re all invited to take part in adding to a Yoko Ono Wish Tree installation.

There are 31 art studios, each with its own design. The studios are charming, and it’s amusing to imagine what it would be like to stay and work in them. It’s likewise fascinating to talk with the artists about their work and their experiences of staying at MacDowell. As the preeminent artist residency program in the country and the model for many others around the world, MacDowell attracts artists from many different disciplines, so you might meet a writer, composer, filmmaker or an architect. The visual artists all have work you can view in their studios. MacDowell also draws emerging artists, and some of their work is unusual, but that’s part of what makes visiting the artists where they work so stimulating.

Of course, there’s also the medal. Each year the organization awards the Edward MacDowell Medal to honor the cultural achievements of an accomplished artist. The list of awardees is a who’s who of American art since the first medal was given in 1960 to Thornton Wilder.

The Medal Day celebration starts at noon under a big tent for a brief ceremony with inspiring speeches about and by the medalist. I’ve found over the years that the observations made by the experts who introduce the medalists can be more impactful than those of the medalists themselves. I remember when MacDowell gave the medal to composer Steve Reich in 2005, he spoke for barely a minute. But his brief acceptance speech was preceded by remarks by composer David Lang and visual artist Richard Serra, who offered the best explanations I’ve ever heard about what makes good art and how we benefit from it.

This year, the medalist is a true icon of interdisciplinary art – Yoko Ono. She, at 91, will not be present to accept the medal, but I’m sure the event will be as inspiring as ever as the curator Nora Halpern, an Ono expert if there ever was one, will explain and illustrate the artist’s importance to world culture.

Some years the medalist is a superstar, like Toni Morrison. In other years, I’ve been unfamiliar with the artist honored with the medal. I’ve learned that it’s worth going to Medal Day, regardless. I always leave the tent glad I attended and knowing more about an important artist.

After the speeches, everyone enjoys a picnic on the lawn and under the trees. You can bring your own picnic or order a prepared picnic basket. At different times, we have invited friends and family from outside the region to join us at Medal Day, and they inevitably love it.  You’ll be able to see and catch up with a lot of your local friends and acquaintances at Medal Day, too. 

While the studio visiting begins at 2 p.m., I recommend stopping first at the stunning library, named in honor of James Baldwin, one of MacDowell’s famous fellows, and watching some of Yoko Ono’s fascinating short films. 

MacDowell holds an important place in the American art scene. More than 3,600 applicants vie for the 300 residencies MacDowell awards every year.  It’s amazing that this important institution is here in “our town.” Come to Medal Day and see for yourself. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Visit macdowell.org for more information

Jamie Trowbridge is president and CEO of Yankee Publishing and a MacDowell board member.