What makes MacDowell so special?
There are two things that stand out in my mind. One is the physical environment and the other is the community, the interdisciplinary nature of the group that’s there and the energy that’s created around sharing the work.

The physical environment is unusual in that each artist has a separate building as a studio. It isn’t just a room in a building, it’s a whole separate building that is off in the woods. You can’t see any other buildings from any given studio. The artists don’t live in their studios; they have rooms in an old farmhouse. They eat at the dining facility, and then they walk or bike through the woods to their very own space that is there for them to use in whatever way they see fit.

So that’s all that goes on there: creating.
Yes. For instance, the visual arts studios for the painters and the sculptors are freshly painted for each new occupant. You can tack things to the wall, you can paint on it. Each artist uses the walls to do something. We have 14 or 15 freshly tuned pianos in the composers’ studios for each composer, and there are 32 studios in all. The environment is very focused on providing the best creative setting.

These folks then get together every day, and there’s invariably a sharing of what they have done. The tradition at MacDowell, though it’s not required, is that the artists, at some time in their residency, will have an open studio and invite the others to come see and talk about what they’re doing. There’s a lot of interchange.

What kind of lesson can this model provide businesses?
Today’s business world needs creative people—people who come to work with their brain switched on. Those thinking beyond the boundaries and making contributions to the success of the business are the most valuable.

At Markem we’ve gone to considerable lengths to encourage creative thinking. We’ve run a poetry slam among our 1,400 employees worldwide, and we do all kinds of things to get people to think creatively. One of the lessons I took back from MacDowell is that it’s important to provide an environment that is conducive to creative work, whether it’s in a finance office or a manufacturing floor or in R&D.

That would have to take different forms for different kinds of businesses.
Yes, but for certain kinds of positions, the actual MacDowell model holds true. Take software developers. They do their best work when they’re leaning back in their chairs with their feet up on their desks looking out the window. The creative thinking that goes into software development calls for the kind of isolation a MacDowell studio provides.

How has Markem provided that specifically?
The room for our software developers has low-lighting levels. We designed it to be a very quiet space, because the developers requested it that way. They all work in cubicles, but they have high walls so nobody can see them. It’s because they do a lot of daydreaming, which is something we want them to do. So we created an isolated space for them. They love it; they thrive in it.

The other side of the model has to do with putting disciplines together. By being in close proximity, you are able to energize ideas from one another. We had one project that involved electrical engineers, software development people and mechanical engineers. We brought the group of about 15 people together and placed them in the same room.

Because all the team members were right there, they would solve problems and create solutions on the spot, without the normal overhead that goes along with big development projects. Those involved really seemed to enjoy it, and they designed and assembled a working prototype in six months—half the amount of time it usually takes.

There has to be an intention from management down that encourages these things to happen. Even if people are put together, I’m not sure that’s enough.
Definitely. There needs to be the permission to be creative to foster that spirit in the company. That’s why we did the poetry slam, and that’s why we have an art gallery on premises. We want to let people know it’s not only OK to be creative, but it’s expected.

Something goes on at MacDowell that has to do with feeling appreciated. Just to get in is prestigious.
In terms of fostering creativity, recognition is more powerful than remuneration. At MacDowell, the recognition of creativity comes through being selected. In business, recognition accrues to performance. It’s more after the fact than before the fact. But I do think that in the business world, people selected for plum jobs or prestigious assignments can feel that sort of recognition. Promotion is one of the major elements of recognition.

Do you think more businesses are concerned about creativity today?
There is more of it going on, especially in newer industries and smaller companies. Google is one example, Apple is another. Cost-reduction efforts didn’t have much glamour to most companies, but Toyota and the quality movement that came out of Japan in the 1980s began to change the way businesses looked at an employee’s contribution. It went beyond productivity and became about quality.

Can you think of specific companies that are doing a good job with this now?
Hewlett Packard, Raytheon—my mind goes to manufacturing companies. They’re doing these kinds of quality systems; they’re creating special-team environments. I think the more bureaucratic companies that haven’t been successful are businesses like Xerox, Kodak and IBM. The newer companies like Google and other Internet-oriented firms use these techniques. There are also some newer companies in the nanotechnology field—Dimatix in Silicon Valley is one example—that are very quick on their feet.

Do you see concrete ways the commitment to creativity is helping these companies on the bottom line?
I can’t cite specifics, but it’s my impression that fostering creativity—however they do it—is definitely a factor in their competitive position.

Are there some kinds of businesses where this just wouldn’t work?
I can imagine some businesses where it would be less important than others, places where the work is very routine. But even in those types of businesses, the idea of tapping into the workers’ desire to make something special is something most companies are aware of. And they’re trying to access that energy more than ever before.

What drew you as a businessman to get involved with the MacDowell board?
It comes from my interest in creativity and innovation. Markem is almost 100 years old, and the reason it has survived is because of the relentless pursuit of innovation. We like to obsolete our own products, and in order to do that, we have to stay on the forefront.

I was brought up believing that innovation is a really good thing and that creativity is to be nurtured. Since MacDowell was only 20 minutes away, my parents used to take me there as a kid. I went to the studios, I talked with the artists, I felt their excitement about being here. When I was the treasurer of Markem, MacDowell needed a treasurer, so they asked me to join the board and become theirs, which I did. They were looking for someone with business experience.

So arts groups need business, too?
Absolutely. If you look at MacDowell as a business that creates value through the work of the artist, then what is MacDowell as a business? It is a very specialized hotel operation that runs 365 days a year.

If the work is a measure of success, it’s been pretty successful.
It’s been very successful.

Photograph by Thomas Hart Shelby.