Home to a collection of more Victorian-style art than any other hotel in the world, the historic Pfister Hotel, which is owned and managed by Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, has hosted a popular Artist-in-Residence program for the past four years. The Pfister’s selection committee has chosen painter Stephanie Barenz as its fifth resident artist. She will begin working in the hotel’s lobby-level studio space beginning April 2013, replacing current Pfister artist Timothy Westbrook, and will work in the space for one year.
“The Pfister is the perfect stage for my work, which deals with how travel affects one’s relationship to place,” said Barenz. “The hotel carries thousands of stories from over a hundred years. The Victorian art collection, the antiques, and spaces have served as silent witnesses to all of it.”
“Over the course of the year, I plan to create a body of work that will include 20 to 30 paintings. Images of these paintings will be turned into a book and I plan to collaborate with the Pfister Narrator, the hotel’s writer in residence, to write text for the images. I am so looking forward to moving into the studio, starting my project, and getting to know more of the Milwaukee community through my platform at The Pfister.”
Barenz primarily paints and draws on wood panels using a range of media, including acrylics, sumi ink, and pencil. A Milwaukee-area resident for the past two years, she currently works as a full-time artist at Plaid Tuba, the studio of The Pfister’s first Artist in Residence, Reginald Baylor. With extensive experience teaching and studying art, Barenz has taught in Southeast China, studied in Florence, Italy, and completed a one-year residency at the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
“Each year, we are repeatedly impressed by the quality of artists who apply to our program,” said Joe Kurth, general manager of The Pfister Hotel. “We’re thrilled to be attracting such amazingly talented artists like Stephanie. Her proposal to bring a unique perspective by incorporating the memories and habits of the traveling public into her visual expressions will be an outstanding addition to the work of previous Pfister artists.”
Barenz was one of six finalists included in the four-week public voting period. In addition to the public vote via Facebook, Twitter, texting, and in-person ballots, a selection committee, consisting of leaders in the local art community, made the final decision in choosing the next Artist in Residence. This year’s selection committee was comprised of representatives from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Northwestern Mutual, United Performing Arts Fund, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Haggerty Museum of Art.
“The jury process to select the Pfister Artist in Residence was mindful of the program’s brief, yet esteemed, history of engaging the hotel, its guests and the greater Milwaukee community,” said selection committee member Wally Mason, director and chief curator for Haggerty Museum of Art. “The proceedings entailed research, intense scrutiny, and notable dialog among the panel of jurors. Ultimately, the selection was chosen based on the quality of the portfolios and proposals submitted, and how the artist would avail the resources that are particularly unique to the Pfister program.”
The winner of the public vote, Eddie Villanueva, will receive the opportunity to display his work in a solo exhibit at Gallerie M, inside InterContinental Milwaukee, while all finalists from this year and years past will be offered additional opportunities to show their work at future Pfister-sponsored exhibits throughout the Midwest.
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About The Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence Program
Entering its fifth year, The Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence program features a working art studio and gallery that is open to hotel guests and visitors. The program encourages the public to interact with the artist and witness the evolution of each piece first-hand.
Over the past few years, The Pfister has received national attention for its Artist-in-Residence program. Since 2009, the hotel has been a member of the Alliance of Artist Communities, www.artistcommunities.org, an international association of artists’ communities and residencies featuring a diverse field of more than 1,000 programs worldwide. In 2011, The Pfister’s residency program was highlighted at the organization’s annual international conference.
The program’s current artist is Timothy Westbrook (2012-2013), www.unicorns.carbonmade.com. Past artists include Shelby Keefe (2011-2012), www.studioshelby.com; Katie Musolff (2010-2011), www.katiemusolff.com; and Reginald Baylor (2009-2010), www.reginaldbaylor.com.
About The Pfister Hotel
Built in 1893, The Pfister Hotel has been the premier downtown Milwaukee hotel for more than a century, and continues to celebrate a tradition of gracious service and impeccable style; 2013 will mark the hotel’s 120th year as an icon in Milwaukee. The Pfister Hotel was purchased in 1962 by Ben Marcus, who vowed to renovate the distinguished hotel to its original beauty. Significant renovations were completed and a new 23-story guest room tower was built. In fall 2012, The Marcus Corporation celebrated its 50th year of ownership of the property.
Home to the largest collection of Victorian art of any hotel in the world, The Pfister is a AAA Four Diamond property with membership in two of the industry’s leading organizations: Historic Hotels of America and Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The Pfister Hotel is located at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. More information and updates on the hotel can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thePfisterHotel and on Twitter (@PfisterHotel).
About Marcus Hotels & Resorts
Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), owns and/or manages 20 hotels, resorts and other properties in 11 states. A force in the hospitality industry, Marcus Hotels & Resorts provides expertise in management, development and historical renovations. The company’s portfolio includes a wide variety of properties including city-center meeting hotels, upscale resorts and branded first-class hotels. For more information, please visit www.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@MarcusHotels).
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