Inspiration Beyond Walls: Exploring The Alden B Dow Home and Studio
Episode 199 • 14th February 2025 • Total Michigan • Cliff Duvernois
00:00:00 00:32:08

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Shownotes

What makes the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio a landmark of both history and futuristic design? - Craig McDonald shares the unique architectural legacy of Alden B. Dow, highlighting the historic and innovative essence of his nearly 100-year-old home and studio. - Craig discusses his personal journey from a high school part-time employee at the Dow residence to becoming the Executive Director, emphasizing the deep community impact and educational programs associated with the Dow family's philanthropic work. -

The episode delves into

  • The influence Alden B. Dow had on Midland and beyond.
  • Introducing modernism to Michigan.
  • Inspiring future generations through creative and educational endeavors facilitated by the home and studio.

Links:

Alden B Dow Home and Studio Website: http://abdow.org/

Subscribe to our Email Newsletter: https://totalmichigan.com/join/

Find us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/totalmichigan

Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@totalmichigan

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction to Total Michigan

00:33 The Dow Family's Impact on Midland

01:48 Exploring the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio

02:48 Craig McDonald's Journey with the Dow Family

04:41 Alden B. Dow's Architectural Philosophy

06:48 Educational Programs and Community Impact

15:16 Future Vision and Legacy of Alden B. Dow

29:41 Conclusion and How to Visit

Mentioned in this episode:

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Transcripts

Craig McDonald:

We'll have some young kids who will say it the

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best, It's like walking back into

the future because it is a history.

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I know that's, isn't it great.

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I mean, kids see things the clearest.

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it's a historic structure that

will soon be a hundred years old.

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And yet it's, it looks as

if it's from the future.

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It defies a decade.

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It's really hard to define it in

words until you experience it.

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Even then, it's hard to define.

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Cliff Duvernois: Hello everyone.

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And welcome back to Total Michigan,

where we interview ordinary Michiganders

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doing some pretty extraordinary things.

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I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

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It's hard to think of Midland without

thinking about the Dow family.

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it's not an exaggeration to think

about how much impact the Dow family

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has had, not only for the businesses

that they've created and the products

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that they've created, but also.

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Two through their philanthropic work

throughout, not only Midland, but

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as well as the state of Michigan.

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Now, if you've ever been to the Dow

gardens and you've walked around and

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you've totally enjoyed that experience

there at some point in time, I will

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bet you dollars to donuts that you have

looked across this small body of water

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and saw this absolutely beautiful house

that was in the water and to walk us

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through this little treasure in Midland,

Michigan, and this is actually the.

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Alden B.

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Dow, a Home and Studio.

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One of the Dow, family actually is

a massive architect and to walk us

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through the story of the house, the

history of the house, and not only

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that, but a little bit about Alden B.

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Dow is Craig McDonald.

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He is the executive

director of the Alden B.

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Dow Home and Studio, as well as the

Alden and Vita Dow family foundations.

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Craig, how are you?

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I am great and happy to be here.

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How are you today?

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I am doing awesome.

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Thank you for asking So, why don't

you tell us what is the Alden B.

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Dow Home and Studio.

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Craig McDonald: The Alden B.

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Dow Home and Studio is

An incredible experience.

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We'll have some young kids who

will say it the best, fourth

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graders who come to the building.

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It's like walking back into the

future because it is a history.

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I know that's, isn't it great.

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I mean, kids see things the clearest.

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They, they see the building.

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They appreciate it the most of anyone.

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I think it's a historic structure

that will soon be a hundred years old.

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And yet it's, it looks as

if it's from the future.

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It defies a decade.

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It defies.

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It's really hard to define it in

words until you experience it.

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Even then, it's hard to define.

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Most of it was built in the 1930's

and yet because of who Mr Dow was

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and creating it for the human,

which always grows and changes.

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it Defies the definition.

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Cliff Duvernois: It certainly does.

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And I know we're going to talk a lot

more about the history of the house.

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Before I do that, Craig, why

don't you tell us a little

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bit about where you're from?

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Where did you grow up?

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Craig McDonald: I actually grew up

in Midland and growing up in Midland.

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I had an opportunity, a

friend, who worked for Mr.

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And Mrs.

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Dow, Alden invaded Dow, here.

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He was going way to college and they

needed someone to do like odd jobs after

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school and eventually working in Mr.

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Dow's architectural firm.

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I knew of the Dow's I had met Mr.

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Dow once.

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at the Midland Center for

the Arts was, was a massive

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project of his that he and Mrs.

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Dow brought to Midland.

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but I was asked if I wanted this after

school job and came over and met Mrs.

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Dow who took me through the building

and in, in their lovely way were

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so kind and gracious and said,

well, if you would consider it, we

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would love for you to work with us.

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And that was kind of my introduction

into the world of mid century modern

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architecture in, uh, you know,

my step into the great incredible

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things that the Dow family did and

continues to do for so many people

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throughout the state of Michigan.

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Cliff Duvernois: So when we're

talking about, because you said Mr.

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Dow and Mrs.

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Dow, you're talking about Alden

Dow, who actually is the owner or

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was the owner of this property.

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Craig McDonald: Correct.

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Alden and Vada Dow.

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Alden was the Uh, one of the

sons of Herbert and Grace Dow.

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Herbert being the founder

of Dow Chemical Company.

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And Alden was their youngest son and had

a passion for design and architecture

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and veered away from being an engineer,

which he tried in school and wasn't

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his passion, wasn't his focus.

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And.

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Luckily, he had parents

that said, be who you are.

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you know, bring out the gifts, the

innate gifts and talents you have.

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Cliff Duvernois: And that's beautiful.

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Craig McDonald: That's amazing.

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Especially for the turn

of the last century.

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When, you know, I think of Edsel Ford,

like probably had to go into the car

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company because of his father, Henry Ford.

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But Herbert and Grace

Dow valued education.

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They valued culture and they

valued the unique, talents

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and gifts that people brought.

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And we need to look at things

from different perspectives.

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So, off Alden Dow went, to Columbia

University after his brief stint

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at Michigan, studying engineering

and received a bachelor of

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architecture degree from Columbia.

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Cliff Duvernois: So, and then we're

going to talk a little bit more about

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that, but I want to go back real

quick to your story there because you

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were talking about how you basically

picked this up as a part time job.

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Craig McDonald: It truly was a part

time job after I was in 10th grade.

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when I started here, I

started right before Mr.

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Dow passed away.

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Uh, he died soon after I got here.

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So it was every day after school.

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And it was, you know, taking care

of the cars, running errands,

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doing those kinds of things.

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And just this real interesting

relationship became this great

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appreciation for who they were and

their kindness and then working in

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the architectural firm in my, uh, I

think it was my senior year of high

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school in the construction department.

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And so it was also as Mrs.

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Dow was aging, Mr.

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Dow had passed away in 1983 and Mrs.

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Dow said, I want to share this.

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I want to preserve this and

share this and, made me a part

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of that plan for the future.

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Cliff Duvernois: Nice.

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Cause you had not only built that

relationship with it, but also too, I

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can't think of a better term for this.

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But you actually put a lot of

sweat equity into the property.

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Because you really got to know it at

a very intimate level working here.

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Craig McDonald: Without question.

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I always say, I never ask anyone to

do anything here that I haven't done

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myself, washing windows, all kinds of

things were in my purview and still

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are to this day, we're a small staff.

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And so, it's a really collective staff.

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but yeah, so it's, it was when I started

an architectural firm in a home and

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then the idea was like, What if we share

it in a different way going forward?

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And this is Mrs.

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Dow Vada and her family, her children and

grandchildren, our great grandchildren

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saying, we were blessed with this

name and blessed with, you know, the

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financial resources that came with

it, but it's because of the hard work

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of everyone else in this whole region

and in other places that we have this.

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So this needs to go back to the

community, the things we have

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gathered, this legacy that Mr.

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Dow created.

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People can learn about

themselves through it.

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And if we teach people about themselves

and they build their own talents and

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gifts, they're going to be happy humans

and give great things back to the world.

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Cliff Duvernois: So let's go ahead

and start diving into the story

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behind this particular house.

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You've already shared with us a little

bit about the history of, of Alden.

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He was growing up.

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His parents said, Hey, you don't

have to follow in the family business

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if you want to do something else.

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So talk to us a little

bit about his journey.

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Craig McDonald: You know, he, again,

he went, he grew up here in Midland

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in what we know as the Dow Gardens.

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That was the backyard for the Dow family.

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That's where Alden and his

brothers and sisters played.

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That's where Alden learned about

the beauty of nature, the designs

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of nature, the strength of nature,

where he was immersed in it.

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And that certainly impacted

his architecture later on

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being an organic architect.

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again, with his parents and who they

were and what they valued, I think

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that's the greatest gift he received

was from his parents and their,

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their appreciation for other things.

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things and different viewpoints travel.

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He got to travel to Japan, when he was

17 or 18 years old, looking at that

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environment, looking at the beauty

that's created from that culture,

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which we see all around Midland.

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That's where he learned about the

relationship between buildings

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in nature and the impact.

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Each have on the other, and so, then

with formal schooling, that gained

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and helped grow his talents and gifts.

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And then he, got married to this

incredible woman who was studying

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education, Vada Bennett Dow, and had a

bachelor's degree from Kalamazoo college

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and a master's degree from Columbia

teacher school, was also looking at

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the human and the growth and potential

of human through education as Alden

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was looking at it through buildings.

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They both had an

opportunity to study with.

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Frank Lloyd Wright, this very

controversial architect, certainly

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at the time in the 1930s.

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but Wright is introducing an American

aesthetic, to our country, whereas

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prior to Wright and a few other people,

we were an amalgamation of our, mostly

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our European ancestry when we looked

at architecture, Wright was saying,

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let's create an American aesthetic.

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Who are we?

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What are our materials?

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What is our land like?

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And how do we blend them?

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Cliff Duvernois: Um,

this is a controversy.

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That you were talking about

there when he decided to start

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coming up with an American.

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Craig McDonald: I think, I think

Wright was just introducing new ideas

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and using products in different ways.

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He was tenacious.

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He was a bold human.

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He was outspoken and he, uh, he

was introducing ideas we hadn't

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heard of or hadn't seen before.

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And that was very appealing to Alden Dow

that someone was thinking for themselves.

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Nice.

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And that's what the Dow family had

always done it in a much more, way

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of humility and kind of being under

the radar where, and I think like

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their buildings explain who they are.

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Frank Lloyd Wright, he builds

a house called Falling Water,

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puts it on top of the waterfall.

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Alden Dow, his home in studios at

the end of a cul de sac folded in to

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the surrounding natural environment.

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so right, love the splash.

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He loved the notoriety.

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Alden Dow wanted to be one voice among

many because he thought Thought the best

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thing could be a concentration of variety

because we're all different people and

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we all respond to things differently.

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Cliff Duvernois: And when you talk

about his, you know, cause like you

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said, he, he studied under, right as

far as architecture goes and, and I

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think everybody out there actually

is very familiar with that name.

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So let's talk a little bit.

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Cause I, I know we only got so

much time here to kind of like

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compact his career a little bit.

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Talk to me about like, cause I know

he's designed a number of homes, he's

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designed a number of buildings, but talk

to us about the scale of his work and

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the influences that he's had, not only in

the Midland area, but around the state.

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Craig McDonald: Yeah.

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And I think that you just mentioned

a really important part, not just his

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work, but then the influence of it.

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Mr.

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Dow throughout his career

designed about 600 buildings.

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Cliff Duvernois: That's amazing.

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Craig McDonald: Amazing.

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many of the, you know, we have, uh,

roughly a hundred structures in Midland

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that he designed, that were built.

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There are many unbuilt structures

as well, for one reason or

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another, which are in our archives.

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Phenomenal things of differing sizes.

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But it was also that he also was tenacious

with new products, new ideas, creating

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a block system, like the block that

surrounds us in this house called the

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unit block system, but always challenging

ideas, always willing to look at

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options, always willing to incorporate.

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Test products, always willing to

challenge the world around us.

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He said, if we were going to grow,

in the field of architecture,

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it was, was something new.

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And you have to think

about that constantly.

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The, we appreciate the past we learned

for that, we get that foundation, but

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then we're always as humans, we grow.

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That's what our goal is,

is to grow as humans.

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And so that meant challenging

building products and new systems.

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And so other architects said, wow,

look, look what's happening in Midland.

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Look who this guy is.

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And so they came here, but he's also

the architect in Michigan who introduced

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modernism, Tan Arbor and to East Lansing

and to Petoskey and to Saginaw and to

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all these other communities that then

open people up for new definition.

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So he is.

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Influence is as large, if not larger

than, than his true body of work.

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Cliff Duvernois: That's amazing.

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And so let me, let me ask you this

quick, this question here, because

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we're talking about influence.

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Anybody who has got any kind of inkling

about architecture, or if you've

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renovated a home, I think you'd come

here and really appreciate the place.

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But what is it about this house that

you think just resonates with people?

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Craig McDonald: I think that you

can come multiple times and it

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impacts you in different ways.

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Because it's Because it's so connected to

nature what's happening outside impacts

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us in a way the sunlight behind me right

now you know streaming in this room is

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very different on a dull day or a rainy

day all beautiful in their own way.

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I think also that it challenges you

And reminds you there are different

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definitions that a house can be

something other than a rectangular

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building, uh, with a pitched roof that

Medina for how do materials impact you?

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I think when you come here again, I

think you learn about yourself cause

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you're constantly challenging yourself

like, wow, this is so different.

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Cliff Duvernois: Correct.

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Craig McDonald: Yeah.

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You know, I had a fourth grader

years ago, this brilliant young woman

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who I wanted to hire on the spot.

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And she said, um, Being in this house

is like being in a Picasso and I said,

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can you explain to us what you mean

by this is a fourth grader, mind you.

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Yeah.

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And she said, well, you know, you

look at a painting by Picasso and they

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say, Oh, it's a portrait of a person.

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It doesn't look like a person.

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I know I'm in a building, but

it doesn't look like any other

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building I've ever been in.

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It is.

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That, that's pretty magical, and

I think that you can come here

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repeatedly, and you take from it

what, how it impacts you, how you see.

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When you ask Mr.

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Dow a question about the building, he

would answer you with a question like,

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Oh, did you intend for it to be like this?

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How do you see it?

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Would be a response like he wanted us

to be really great observers in life.

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He wanted us to, to create our own

stories and to, to, to question, and

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to learn through our own eyes and our,

our own ways of thinking and doing.

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Cliff Duvernois: So you were

talking before about how you started

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working here and a few years later,

Mr Dow passed away very soon.

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Yeah, right.

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The year I started, he passed away.

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Correct.

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And then at some point in time.

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His wife made the decision, right,

rather than sell the house, walk away,

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let's retire to Florida and thaw out

like so many people from Michigan do.

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But she said, you know what, we're,

you know, we're going to keep this, but

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we're going to open it up to the public.

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Talk to us about that decision.

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Craig McDonald: I think that,

it was certainly after Mr.

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Dow passed away that Mrs.

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Dow together with her three kids,

that they said this needs to

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be given back to the community.

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part, just, you know, a tiny part of

their philanthropy to be quite honest,

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because they still do so many great things

for grants through their foundations.

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But it was about, this was

something unique and different.

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This is an identifier of Midland.

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If you grew up in Midland, you

went to a church, you went to a

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school, you interacted with in

public buildings, he designed.

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He actually created

definition of buildings.

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If you grew up in this town and continues

to the public library, the Center for

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the Arts, you know, many, many buildings.

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And so it was like, Like, let's share

this because it encourages people

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to think about their own creativity

and the things that they can create

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that can impact humans going forward.

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I mean, it was, it's been lovely

from the beginning, and with their

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focus on education, that education

could be done in a different way.

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There are many ways to learn

from the beginning, but one

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of this hands on, right?

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We use the artwork in the house.

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We use the correspondence, between

Wright and Dow and other people that

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we use these, uh, this lifespan.

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And of Mr.

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And Mrs.

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Dow and their family to teach

people about possibilities.

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And that was a very

conscious decision by Mrs.

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Dow and her family.

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And then just said, let's

preserve the building.

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Let's preserve the things in the

building and then let's move.

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Let's go.

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Cliff Duvernois: For audience,

we're going to take a quick

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break and thank our sponsors.

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When we come back, Craig McDonald,

executive director of the Aldenby

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Dow Home and Studio, is going to

talk to us a lot more about what

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you can expect when you come here,

we will see you after the break.

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Hello everyone.

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And welcome back to total Michigan,

where we interview ordinary

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Michiganders doing extraordinary things.

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I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

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Today, we are talking with Craig

McDonald, the executive director

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of the Alderby Dow Home and Studio

located in Midland, Michigan and Craig.

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Before the break, we were talking about

how the, the Dow family had decided to, to

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take this house, open it up to the public.

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It's now open up for tours and

people can come here and absolutely

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see this absolutely beautiful day.

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And it's, it's got, it's an amazing way.

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Actually, to kill, they actually do

some things in Midland, which is great.

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What I would like to do is I would

like to talk about how, this home

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in particular has impacted the

local community around Midland.

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You've talked before briefly about

some of the, some of the small

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programs, but I would really like

to kind of, kind of flesh that out.

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So if you would walk us through that.

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Craig McDonald: Great.

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Well, I think again, coming

here, you learn about you.

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:

learn about yourself.

370

:

You also learn about your heritage

because if you grow up in Midland,

371

:

Dow Architecture is a big part of it

because he designed so many structures

372

:

in Midland, like all different types of

structures, gas stations and flower shops

373

:

and schools, houses, all kinds of things.

374

:

And so, a goal was to have young

people, especially in the building,

375

:

uh, you know, an elementary, middle and

high school, meeting different needs.

376

:

All of our educational programming

is curriculum focused, like we

377

:

study curriculum and develop

programs around curriculum because

378

:

teachers have so much to do.

379

:

Teachers have a monumental job.

380

:

And so we thought, okay, if we base it all

on curriculum, plus it's a fun hands on

381

:

activity, that's win win for everybody.

382

:

And so from fourth grade up, we, we

have developed different educational

383

:

programs, whether it's a social studies

program, an English program, a phenomenal

384

:

experience with high schools in Midland

called the Theory of Knowledge, which is

385

:

part of the International Baccalaureate

Program, where students come here.

386

:

One day a week for a whole year.

387

:

Oh, wow.

388

:

And spend a class period,

once a week in this building.

389

:

And so it's utilizing all the

things that are here, and always

390

:

open to new ideas as well.

391

:

Um, and so we want to make

it accessible for education.

392

:

We do have daily tours, as you said,

every day, Tuesday through Saturday at 2

393

:

PM and on Fridays and Saturdays, 11 AM.

394

:

And you can schedule a private tour.

395

:

We have bus groups that come to bus

lines that come and bring bus groups of

396

:

people every week, May through October.

397

:

Uh, we do special events programming.

398

:

We offer movie Sundays.

399

:

We try to utilize the resource, the

incredible resources that are here in

400

:

different ways for all age levels to learn

about this heritage and about themselves.

401

:

Cliff Duvernois: What I would like to

do is, because some of the programs

402

:

here, like you were talking about,

like the students come here for

403

:

one hour a week for an entire year.

404

:

That's like, that is amazing.

405

:

The one program you were telling me

about, I'd like to talk a little bit more.

406

:

This is something near and dear

to my heart, creative writing.

407

:

Craig McDonald: You know, we started

a program called at the Dow House,

408

:

which is a seventh grade writing

program that meets core objectives in

409

:

seventh grade English, to get kids to

look at sensory details, be able to

410

:

then incorporate them into a story.

411

:

And so, as you've already seen a little

bit of this is a hyper visual building.

412

:

Oh, yes.

413

:

Cell, the things in it, it's environment

that were, you know, set in a pond in the,

414

:

you know, on the, the side of Dow Gardens.

415

:

And so during that program, and within the

first year, I was with a group of students

416

:

here in the living room and dining room,

and this young woman was writing, you

417

:

could just tell she just loved writing.

418

:

I mean, just was like oozing from her.

419

:

And so I just said, oh, I, you know,

I can just tell you love writing.

420

:

Tell me about your writing club.

421

:

And she's like, we don't

have a writing club.

422

:

I'm like.

423

:

We don't have a writing club in

our community for young people.

424

:

And so that same year we contacted this,

both of the middle schools in the city and

425

:

said, we would love to sponsor a writing

club for middle school and we will pay

426

:

for the bus to come and pick the kids up.

427

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh, beautiful.

428

:

Craig McDonald: And because busing is an

essential part of anything today, schools

429

:

don't have budgets to do those things.

430

:

and so we have what, what the kids define

and entitled, The young writers studio.

431

:

They came up with the name.

432

:

We wanted their input.

433

:

Um, we thought what would be success

for this if we're going to offer this

434

:

and, you know, use some resources,

that we have to bring these kids

435

:

here and spend time with them.

436

:

What's success with us at 15 or 20 kids

on average, we get between 40 and 65.

437

:

middle school kids who come here

once a month for writing club.

438

:

They come in.

439

:

It is pandemonium.

440

:

Of course, when that many young people

come in your building, which we love, we

441

:

love seeing the shoes lined up and the

musical instruments in the computer bags.

442

:

They have a snack.

443

:

They, you know, can be

social for a little bit.

444

:

Then we give them three prompts, which

they can use or don't have to use.

445

:

And we break them up into

usually three or four groups

446

:

and are throughout the building.

447

:

It is perfect silence.

448

:

I know people will not believe me when

I say you can have 65 middle school

449

:

kids in a building and it's silent.

450

:

These are kids who want to, young

students who want to focus on

451

:

writing, have a passion for it.

452

:

They write for a certain amount of time

and then we say, okay, if anyone would

453

:

like to share and we have sharing time.

454

:

You're just overwhelmed by the

things they're thinking about, right?

455

:

The issues in their lives or the beauty

they're creating and so like in a time

456

:

in our day when the public the public

tours would be over The building is

457

:

relatively empty except for those

of us working for the foundation who

458

:

are still in the building But what a

perfect use to utilize the space to

459

:

inspire something like creative writing

460

:

Cliff Duvernois: When you're talking

about influence on people because I

461

:

know that throughout the year people

are coming here You're talking about

462

:

like, you know bus groups come in here

and you got the tours everything else

463

:

like that What is like what is your

what is your hope that people take

464

:

away when they have an experience here,

465

:

Craig McDonald: you know, there are

a lot of takeaways I think I think

466

:

that we learn a little bit about Mr.

467

:

and Mrs.

468

:

Dow and the impact that

humans have on other people.

469

:

We forget that the world is created

of ideas that come usually from

470

:

one person and then that idea

is shared and then we expand it.

471

:

That it's individuals

who change our world.

472

:

They can allow us to see differently.

473

:

They create new definitions for us.

474

:

We all have the power to do that.

475

:

And I think that that's a really

important part of coming here is

476

:

remembering that being reminded of

that in our very complex, hypers,

477

:

uh, you know, media, social world.

478

:

it's still about an idea

you have as an individual,

479

:

And I think this reminds you of

it and the impact of environment.

480

:

that we're in structures all day long.

481

:

the size of the room, the shape of the

room, the colors, the textures, the

482

:

materials, it's integration that all

impacts us in positive and negative ways.

483

:

I think that's another big impact.

484

:

And that will people talk like,

oh, I'm going to see my house very

485

:

differently when I go back to it.

486

:

That is true.

487

:

And so I think that influence that Mr.

488

:

and Mrs.

489

:

Dow, had and continue to have, again,

through the gifts they've left and

490

:

are still impacting people, they, they

want a rich community, they want an

491

:

educated community, and an appreciation

for other people and other ideas.

492

:

Cliff Duvernois: When we talk about,

because you referenced this at the

493

:

beginning of the show about the

power of story and, you know, about

494

:

challenging people when they walk

through the door, why don't you share

495

:

with us maybe a surprising or maybe

even a little known story here that

496

:

visitors are always amazed to hear.

497

:

Craig McDonald: I think that the

building was built in pieces.

498

:

It's four different pieces put together.

499

:

It looks like this cohesive whole

looks like, man, he just built

500

:

this this large, you know, just

under 20, 000 square foot building.

501

:

But it wasn't.

502

:

He was always thinking about the

growth and potential of people and

503

:

that related to To buildings that you

design a structure, but you have to

504

:

think about the growth of the humans

that will utilize that building, whether

505

:

it's a home or an office or a church,

whatever, you know, house of faith.

506

:

And so the building grew over time,

you know, it was a tiny little

507

:

workshop and then called the first

drafting room and then added on was

508

:

the wonderful floating conference room.

509

:

We were in a little bit earlier.

510

:

Which is a room truly submerged in a pond.

511

:

So when you sit there, you're at

level with the water around you.

512

:

and then, you know, as the bill, as

the business grew, as his architectural

513

:

firm grew, then the physical space grew.

514

:

And yet it was all an idea from the

beginning on the original drawings.

515

:

You'll see office space.

516

:

future office space, future house.

517

:

Oh, wow.

518

:

That was all planned from the beginning.

519

:

Not necessarily exactly how it

was then realized, but the idea

520

:

that as we need this, if we grow

as a business, as if we grow as a

521

:

family, we will need these things.

522

:

And it was a part of the idea that we have

to think about the growth and potential.

523

:

you know, a really fun example I always

go back to is in Florence, the Duomo in

524

:

Florence, the architect who designed it.

525

:

design this incredible

dome on the top of it.

526

:

Yet at that time they didn't have

the technology to build a dome, but

527

:

he said it's going to take about a

hundred years to build this building.

528

:

And by that time we'll have the

technology to build the dome

529

:

that like that architect, Mr.

530

:

Dow was always thinking

about the growth potential.

531

:

What's in the future in new definitions.

532

:

And I love that someone is thinking about

the future and the:

533

:

paper, called man in modern architecture.

534

:

And he wrote a paper on what he

hoped the, what the world would look

535

:

like kind of from an architectural

perspective in the year:

536

:

I don't know if I'm thinking about

60 years from now, or how many people

537

:

are thinking about 60, but if we

don't think about it, it won't happen.

538

:

He would say if we don't think

about it, write about it,

539

:

draw about it, talk about it.

540

:

It won't happen.

541

:

Cliff Duvernois: You know, I, I love

this concept of future thinking.

542

:

What would be maybe something that you

would hope that the, you know, the,

543

:

the Alden B Dow Home and Studio could

inspire future generations, or maybe what

544

:

it could contribute to the legacy of.

545

:

Midland going forward.

546

:

Craig McDonald: You know,

I think always new ideas.

547

:

I mean, isn't that it's growth that

we're inspiring growth in people.

548

:

you recently had a guest on your show,

Ryan, who was who has designed this

549

:

incredible collapsible skateboard.

550

:

He was one of our Theory

of Knowledge students.

551

:

He did every camp, every

experience we have.

552

:

He he he he He participated in and he

will say, this is where he started to

553

:

think he, you know, he's from a family of

engineers and he said, I wanted to kind

554

:

of marriage this engineering mind that

I have and legacy I have in my family.

555

:

But it was also, I wanted

to design the skateboard.

556

:

And that this kind of opened him

and gave him some permission to be

557

:

this entrepreneur that he is today.

558

:

That's the legacy of this building.

559

:

And the, the impact of coming

here is challenging the world.

560

:

And as Mr.

561

:

Dow would say, positive

and constructive ways.

562

:

He had these three guiding

principles of honesty, humility,

563

:

and enthusiasm, which is part of

a larger philosophy that he had.

564

:

But those are pretty great principles

to live by and to be inspired by.

565

:

Cliff Duvernois: If somebody is coming

here, they've never been here before.

566

:

What would be something that you

would recommend, highly encourage

567

:

that they see, maybe spend some

time with, but what would that be?

568

:

Craig McDonald: I think that the

way the tours are given, which

569

:

is interaction, it's a dialogue.

570

:

It's not a monologue.

571

:

We're speaking with people, not at people,

that we learn where people are from.

572

:

And so if we know what we do know,

if you're coming from Petoskey,

573

:

in the archives, the archivist

puts out a building that Mr.

574

:

Dow designed in Petoskey.

575

:

So it relates to your community.

576

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh, cool.

577

:

Craig McDonald: So if you're

from East Lansing, if you're from

578

:

Ann Arbor, if you're from Grosse

Pointe, so that connection is there.

579

:

I think whatever you connect

with, that you are allowed to ask

580

:

questions and encouraged to ask

questions about tell me more about

581

:

this, this artwork, this pottery.

582

:

Tell me more about these trains.

583

:

Tell me more about this copper roof.

584

:

And that it's an interaction and you know,

a fun experience that you learn from it in

585

:

a fun way about what you're interested in,

what you connect with while you're here,

586

:

Cliff Duvernois: Let's use

your imagination for a second.

587

:

Knowing what you know about the

place now, because you basically

588

:

built your whole career here.

589

:

Craig McDonald: It has been my

whole professional career after

590

:

university and all through high

school, all through university.

591

:

Then after university, yes, it has been.

592

:

Cliff Duvernois: If we could somehow

lift that veil between this world

593

:

and the next, then you could ask Mr.

594

:

Dow, a question.

595

:

What would it be?

596

:

Craig McDonald: Oh, there's

a long list of questions.

597

:

Um, I'm going to have to think a little

bit on that, but we have to remember

598

:

also with history, there are always

going to be unanswered questions, and I

599

:

think it's actually a really good thing.

600

:

It makes us think.

601

:

It makes us look at things

from different perspectives.

602

:

Um, we never like to say what Mr.

603

:

and Mrs.

604

:

Dow would think today.

605

:

We don't, we don't know.

606

:

the family, his children and

grandchildren, really want us to,

607

:

to look at what life is and what it

is today and how can we, support it,

608

:

how can we challenge people to think

for themselves and think creatively,

609

:

yeah, there's so many questions we

want to, details that we want to know.

610

:

I already know how he would answer it.

611

:

So he'd answer it with a question.

612

:

Yes.

613

:

What do you think?

614

:

Without question.

615

:

Well, there's, you know, There's

again so many detailed questions like

616

:

what do you hope for the next phase?

617

:

I'd probably ask him more about

the future then it may be even a

618

:

detail like what do you want to see?

619

:

Next at the Home and Studio.

620

:

How do you want us to inspire

people going into the future?

621

:

And through his vision of what we, what

we've done together, the family and the

622

:

staff, because it's an amazing staff of

passionate humans who we're all very proud

623

:

to be a part of this legacy and share it

with other people and to inspire them.

624

:

and so, yeah, I would say like, what

would you like to see in the future?

625

:

How would you like us to challenge people?

626

:

Cliff Duvernois: And if somebody is

listening to this, they want to come

627

:

and check you out, find you online

because your, your website's beautiful.

628

:

The videos that you have out

there are absolutely beautiful,

629

:

but how can they do that?

630

:

Craig McDonald: you can do that.

631

:

But again, getting online at the, Alden

Dow Home and Studio website, abdow.

632

:

org.

633

:

We've also started a second, organization

called Mid Century Modern Midland,

634

:

where we've now documented not only his

structures in Midland, but then all those

635

:

other mid century structures that he

influenced other architects and designers.

636

:

And we've documented about 400

buildings in total in Midland that

637

:

were built between 1930 and 70.

638

:

And so that's mid century

modern Midland has a website.

639

:

again, we have lots of social media.

640

:

We have Facebook, all the, all the

things of the day, so to speak, if

641

:

that's how you want information,

the best way to learn about, the

642

:

all to meet at home in studio, Mr.

643

:

Dow is.

644

:

to come to the Alden B.

645

:

Dow Home and Studio,

646

:

Cliff Duvernois: which I

highly recommend that you do.

647

:

Craig McDonald: Yeah.

648

:

Come for a tour, come for movie

Sundays in February and March.

649

:

Come to adult camp or

summer camp for kids.

650

:

Come to, you know, special

events or lectures that we host.

651

:

you have to experience this building

to to fully appreciate it, that it's

652

:

almost beyond definition in ways.

653

:

And everyone, as we've talked about,

take something different way and

654

:

would define it in a different way,

which is exactly, the right way.

655

:

Cliff Duvernois: Craig, thank you so much

for taking time to chat with us today.

656

:

We really do appreciate it.

657

:

Craig McDonald: Thank you so much for

coming here and sharing this information.

658

:

It's, it's been a lot of fun.

659

:

Cliff Duvernois: For audience, you can

always roll on over to Total Michigan.

660

:

com and get the links

that Craig just mentioned.

661

:

We'll see you next time when we

talk to another Michigander doing

662

:

some pretty extraordinary things.

663

:

We'll see you then.

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