MacDowell

What MacDowell does

MacDowell, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell, is the nation's first artist residency program and operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Headquartered on a 450-acre campus at 100 High St. in Peterborough, New Hampshire, with a regional hub in New York City at 521 West 23rd St, MacDowell provides fully funded residencies to professional artists working across seven disciplines: architecture, literature/fiction, music composition, theatre, visual arts, film/video/mixed media, and interdisciplinary work. The core offering consists of competitive fellowships awarded during two annual application cycles, with residencies typically lasting up to eight weeks. Each Fellow receives personalized studio space (from a portfolio of ~31 named studios), private accommodations, three chef-prepared meals daily, and direct stipend support through a financial aid program, with no charges to artists.

The underlying "platform" is physical rather than technological: a 450-acre wooded campus containing ~31 studios (including historically significant structures such as Star Studio built by Alpha Chi Omega in 1911-1912, Veltin Studio built by Veltin School alumni in 1913, and Sprague-Smith Studio from 1915-1916), the James Baldwin Library offering 24-hour access, modest Zoom spaces for occasional video-conferencing, and communal infrastructure supporting 300+ artists annually. MacDowell awards the annual Edward MacDowell Medal, a prestigious honor in American arts inaugurated in 1960 with Thornton Wilder as the inaugural recipient and continuing through the 66th Medal in 2026 to composer Anthony Braxton.

MacDowell generates no product revenue and operates a donation-based economic model. The organization is funded primarily by charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors, supplemented by a Sponsored Fellowships & Gifts program under which external donors fund named fellowship opportunities. Governance rests with a Board of Directors currently chaired by author and MacDowell Fellow Hernan Diaz, who succeeded Nell Painter in 2026. With 11-50 employees, MacDowell has stewarded more than 9,500 Fellowships since its founding and built an alumni network that includes 107 Pulitzer Prize winners, 1032 Guggenheim Fellows, 36 MacArthur Fellows, 9 Academy Award winners, 21 Grammy Award winners, and 38 Tony Award winners.

Name

MacDowell

Legal name

MacDowell

Website

https://macdowell.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MacDowell is the nation's first nonprofit artist residency program, founded in 1907. It provides fully funded residencies including studio space, accommodations, meals, and stipends to professional artists across seven disciplines on a 450-acre New Hampshire campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MacDowell is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Donations support the organization's mission of providing fully funded artist fellowships, including studio space, accommodations, meals, and financial stipend support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MacDowell operates fully funded artist residencies on a 450-acre campus in Peterborough, New Hampshire, providing selected artists with a personalized studio, on-site accommodations, three chef-prepared meals daily, and direct financial aid stipends. Artists apply competitively across seven disciplines (architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts), with more than 300 fellows arriving each year to work for up to eight weeks.

Product overview

MacDowell is the nation's first artist residency program, founded in 1907, offering fully funded residencies for artists working across seven disciplines (Architecture, Literature, Theatre, Music Composition, Dance, Film & Video, and Visual Arts). The core offering comprises artist fellowships providing dedicated studio space, accommodations, chef-prepared meals, and financial aid/stipend support on a 450-acre campus in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Supporting amenities include the James Baldwin Library (with internet access), approximately 31 named studios with historical significance, and occasional Zoom spaces for video conferencing. The organization also hosts annual Medal Day celebrations awarding the Edward MacDowell Medal to distinguished artists. Over 9,500 artists have been awarded fellowships, with more than 300 arriving each year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 107 Pulitzer Prizes, 1032 Guggenheim Fellowships, 36 MacArthur Fellowships, 9 Academy Awards, 21 GRAMMY Awards, 38 Tony Awards won by MacDowell Fellows

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yaddo: Yaddo is the most direct comparable — a historic artist residency in Saratoga Springs, NY, founded 1926, offering fully funded residencies to professional artists across similar disciplines. Closest peer in mission, scale, and model to MacDowell.
• Ucross Foundation: Ucross is an artist residency in rural Wyoming offering fully funded residencies to visual artists, writers, composers, and other creatives. Comparable mission and fully-funded model, though smaller scale and more rural than MacDowell.
• The Ragdale Foundation: Ragdale is a Lake Forest, IL-based artist residency offering residencies to writers, composers, visual artists, and other creatives. Comparable mid-size residency model with similar multi-disciplinary focus.
• Civitella Ranieri Foundation: Civitella Ranieri is a residency program in Umbria, Italy, offering fully funded residencies to international artists, writers, and composers. Comparable fully-funded model and prestige, with a European rather than U.S. base.
• Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center: Bellagio Center is a high-prestige international residency on Lake Como, Italy, run by the Rockefeller Foundation. Comparable fully-funded model, prestigious alumni network, and interdisciplinary scope.
• Blue Mountain Center: Blue Mountain Center is a small artists' and writers' retreat in the Adirondacks, NY. Comparable fully-funded rural residency model focused on writers and artists, though smaller scale.
• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Bemis Center offers fully funded residencies in Omaha, NE for contemporary artists across disciplines. Comparable fully-funded residency model with a stronger contemporary/visual arts focus.
• Djerassi Resident Artists Program: Djerassi is a resident artists program in Woodside, CA offering fully funded residencies for individual artists across disciplines. Comparable mission and rural residency model on the West Coast.
• Headlands Center for the Arts: Headlands offers fully funded artist residencies in Marin County, CA for visual artists and other creatives. Comparable fully-funded residency model in a different U.S. region.

Regional players

• Hedgebrook: Hedgebrook is a residency on Whidbey Island, WA, exclusively for women writers. Comparable fully-funded model but narrower audience (women-identified writers only).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MacDowell1907
• Facebookfacebook.com/MacDowell1907
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macdowell1907
• Instagraminstagram.com/macdowell1907
• Xx.com/macdowell1907

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MacDowell