Originally designed to be a visual art gallery, this facility was built in memory of the late John W. Alexander and funded by Elizabeth Alexander and their son James. John W. Alexander is highly regarded as a portrait painter and, in the early part of the 20th century, served on the MacDowell Association board.

The design for Alexander studio, by Arden Studios of New York, was inspired by the Chapel of St. Joseph in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. (Late in the 1800s the MacDowells and Alexanders visited the chapel when traveling in Europe together.)

The interior is lit from the north by a pair of full-height windows. It is large and open, with a flagstone floor and a high ceiling. The room is distinguished on the west end by a large stone arch that separates the main studio area from an angled alcove and stone fireplace. It took six years to build as work on the stone walls progressed slowly. A 1993 renovation was funded by Ruth and James Ewing, in loving memory of Blanche Dombek who worked in the studio.