Historic tradition meets modern talent with The Pfister®Hotel’s acclaimed Artist-in-Residence program. Home to more Victorian art than any other hotel in the world, the historic hotel, which is owned and managed by Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, is in search of its next Artist in Residence.
Entering its sixth year, The Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence program features a working art studio and gallery that is open to hotel guests and the public. The program encourages visitors to interact with the artist, while watching the evolution of each piece of work firsthand.
“There’s been a great diversity in styles among our artists over the past five years,” said Paul Ohm, general manager of The Pfister. “We’re eager to meet our next great resident artist and see what unique talents he or she showcases to our guests.”
Each year, The Pfister’s Artist in Residence is chosen to fill the role from a pool of highly qualified candidates based on artistic process, personality and a public vote. The next artist, replacing multi-media artist Stephanie Barenz, will move into the studio space April 1, 2014, and will continue working at the hotel for a one-year period.
“My time as the Pfister Artist in Residence has been wonderful for my personal and professional growth as an artist,” said Barenz. “The exposure the program has given me has exceeded my expectations and is one of the things for which I am most grateful. Not only have I been connected to many people in Milwaukee’s local art scene through the program, but I’ve also met people from all over the world.
“The opportunity to run your own gallery for a year while having access to so many resources and support has been a surreal, amazing experience. I encourage anyone considering applying to definitely do so,” she added.
The Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence program has recently gained national and international attention. Earlier this year, the voting process for the program was recognized with a Social Hotel Awards from HOTELS magazine, a leading hotel industry publication, in the category of Best Integrated Digital Campaign. The overall program also was featured in an April 2013 article by the United Kingdom’s The Daily Telegraph.
The hotel’s current and past artists have been gaining attention, as well. Timothy Westbrook (2012-2013) appeared on the current season of the popular Lifetime Television show “Project Runway,” while Shelby Keefe (2011-2012) had her work featured on the cover of the September 2013 issue of PleinAir Magazine.
The deadline to apply for the program is Dec. 2, 2013. Interested artists can download the application form at www.thepfisterhotel.com/artist-in-residence. Application packages should be delivered to The Pfister Hotel’s front desk, to the attention of Donna Basterash.
For more information on the latest news and updates from Marcus Hotels & Resorts, please visit: http://media.marcushotels.com.
About The Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence Program
Entering its sixth 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.
The program’s current artist is Stephanie Barenz (2013-2014), stephaniebarenz.com. Past artists include Timothy Westbrook (2012-2013), www.unicorns.carbonmade.com; 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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