The Artists of Summer (Published 1988)

TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW CONTEMPORARY art, the large rock behind Daniel Chester French's tiny second studio in Stockbridge, Mass., may seem strangely familiar. That's because its form, transposed onto a thin aluminum skin, reappeared on 57th Street in an untitled sculpture by Robert Lobe. Mr. Lobe, who lives in New York, spent the summer of 1985 living and working at Chesterwood, French's estate, in the popular 19th-century artist's former studio. Like Mr. Lobe, many creative artists - painters, dancers, writers, sculptors, composers - spend their summers deeply immersed in the creative process. Taking advantage of residency programs in scenic, secluded locations, they are able to work without the distractions that seem part and parcel of daily life. This summer some are working away at their art in studios near the sea in Montauk, on Long Island's eastern tip; others can be found deep in the woods of New Hampshire, in the resort town of Saratoga Springs, and in Giverny, in France, in the midst of the legendary gardens of the Impressionist Claude Monet.

For artists, the surroundings are only part of the appeal. Left to their own devices, they can experiment with new materials and new approaches without the anxiety of jeopardizing their careers. Isolated from their peers and from the marketplace, they can risk making mistakes while exploring new territory.

Since most such programs bring together artists from a wide variety of disciplines and mediums, there is also an interaction among the arts. Said the playwright Edward Albee, whose Edward F. Albee Foundation has supported sojourns for 24 writers and painters every summer for the last 18 years, ''It offers a chance to mix with other creative artists. We've had a few marriages - and a few break-ups - over the years.'' The large Montauk barn he bought to house the program offers living and working space for four writers and two visual artists at a time, for one-month stays.

Mr. Albee, who, with a small board of directors, picks the artists from up to 400 applications, looks for young talent. ''I like to take chances,'' he said, adding that the average age of participants is 30. The policy can pay off: young painters often donate work done at ''the barn'' to the foundation, and when their careers take off the paintings add to the program's assets. Mr. Albee's emphasis on less established artists is shared by almost all summer residency programs, with some logic; successful artists tend to have vacation retreats of their own.

Past participants in the Albee program have included the monologuist Spalding Gray and the painters Sean Scully and Denise Green. This year's visual artists include Dan Simas and Barbara Klein. Said Ms. Green, ''It's something an artist does at a certain stage in her career. You wouldn't want to do it your whole life.''

The Albee Foundation, like the better-known ''artists' colonies'' of MacDowell and Yaddo, fosters the creative process by placing the general public off limits. Others, like Chesterwood, encourage an interaction between artists and the public. The benefits work two ways: the public gets to see how works of art are made in a studio setting, and the artists-in-residence get important feedback during the formative stages.