Reflections of Remarkable Milwaukee
Last Monday January 28th an event was held at the historic Pabst Theater,which is just a stroll down the avenue from the Pfister and Intercontinental. The evening was titled Remarkable Milwaukee and gathered many of Milwaukee’s innovative business leaders, successful creative types, and championing envisionistas. The group relaxed on stage while seated on Victorian couches to discuss their visions for our city’s future over coffee and cocktails. The occasion was also a fundraiser for Historic Milwaukee, a non-profit whose goal is to both increase awareness of Milwaukee’s architecture and preserve our built environment.
In front…
The Votes Are In...
Your votes are in and tabulated. On behalf of all the Artist in Residence candidates we want to thank the community for there overwhelming support via the online and paper voting.
Voting is just one of the final steps to becoming Artist in Residence at the Pfister Hotel. Today the Artist in Residence Committee will convene to deliberate the votes and discuss the candidates. “I am very excited to see the committees conclusion on deciding who our next Artist will be,” says Joe Kurth, General Manager of the Pfister Hotel. “It’s really…
The Next Pfister in Residence Finalists
This January’s gallery night tested the courage of every driver. The six finalists for the Pfister Hotel’s next Artist in Residence displayed their work in Gallery M at the Intercontinental. I braved the seven block walk from my Wisconsin Avenue home base and spent an evening taking in the feel of a different hotel in the Marcus family. Please help us by voting for our next resident artist on our Facebook Page. For anyone not on Facebook, you can enter your ballot in person at Gallery M, or email amyhansen@marcuscorp.com with your selection. Below is what…
Pfister Art: Ninon De Lenclos
by: Keia Wegner, Hotel Assistant Manager
Mademoiselle Georges Achille-Fould worked in the studio of Rosa Bonheur, who was one of the best known French female artists of her time. A book on the Pfister Art Collection written in the 1940’s mistakenly labeled Ms. Achille-Fould as a male painter. She has three paintings in the Pfister collection and there is also one by her sister Consuelo Fould; as far as we are aware these are the only pieces in our Victorian collection that were painted by female artists. Their mother, Wilhelmina Simonin was also an artist but painted…
Meeting "The Captive"
One morning I was having breakfast in the lobby lounge and ended up speaking with a young lady. She was enjoying a Healthy Start Frittata and I’d ordered my favorite, The Vegetable Omelet. This young woman’s name was Jessica and we spoke about many things including art, cuisine, travel, music. Most of the topics you hope a new acquaintance will be able to discuss at length. Eventually we got to the topic of relationships and Jessica told me a story about a preposterous first date she had recently gone on. One might say say her experience was uncannily…
Details, in photographs
So much of the Pfister Hotel is about details. See if you can pick out where I took some of these photos. A cheat list is included at the end. Happy Hunting!
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The Pfister Hotel Names Six Finalists for Next Artist in Residence
Home to more Victorian Art than any other hotel in the world, the historic Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee for the past three years has hosted a nationally recognized artist-in-residence program. A selection committee, consisting of members of the local art community, has announced the six finalists for the 2011—2012 term of the program. This year’s finalists are Pamela Anderson; Matt Duckett; Albin Erhart; Hal Koenig; Brandon Minga; and Timothy Westbrook.
“Each year of this program we are astounded by the amazing talent seen in the applicants,” says Joe Kurth, general manager of The Pfister Hotel…
My favorite lady lives on the 2nd floor
My mother has always had portraits of women around the house. Her taste for paintings and sculpture spans the 1870′s up to early art deco. Overall she’d probably list Monet as her favorite painter. I grew up with these ladies hanging around so they’ve probably influenced which variety of painted ladies I find attractive and prefer to have in my walled company. I’m sure Freud would have plenty to say…
The art collection encompassed in the Pfister is the world’s largest hotel art collection on permanent display. Given that the hotel was initially completed in…
Your City Through Visiting Eyes- "Absolutely Gobsmacked!"
The other night I was sitting in the lobby lounge editing photographs on my computer. Something a bar patron said caught my ear and made me laugh. I don’t remember what exactly he said, but the gentleman’s tone and volume invited anybody within earshot to join. Hearing my chuckle he turned around, delighted that another was entertained by his observation. As he approached my table with a glass of beer in hand I closed the screen on my laptop and returned the machine to it’s case.
Wayne was this fellow’s name and he was in…
Final Deadline For Our Next Artist In Residence
At the Pfister, we’re known for our expansive Victorian art collection, but we are also very proud of the continued evolution of our Artist In Residence program. We have been fortunate to have such talented artists like Reginald Baylor, Katie Musolff, and currently Shelby Keefe, create amazing works of art within our own walls.
Now heading into our fourth year, we are on the search for the next great artist to continue the great tradition. We are looking for artists to work in the studio and gallery in the hotel lobby, interact with guests and visitors, and have others…
A Concierge Favorite: “Sunday Afternoon”
By Keia Wegner, Assistant Manager at the Pfister Hotel
Originally, I was going to write about one of our paintings that are a bit more nationally known. I had heard through the grapevine that one of our beloved concierges, Peter Mortensen, knew a great back story on the piece I wanted to blog about. After lingering around the lobby for a bit I finally caught Peter at a free moment to ask him about this infamous story. His response was something along the lines of “Well…that one does have a good story, but can I tell you about the…
The Fuel of Magnificence
“When I first decided to be a professional artist, I wanted that fishbowl experience, so I got a storefront studio,” Reggie says.
“It’s not intimidating to discover an artist in public space,” adds Caitlin.
A group of us are seated in the Lobby Lounge, discussing the two residency programs the Pfister has developed for art and writing. As the current artist-in-residence, Shelby Keefe, is out of town, the inaugural AIR, Reginald Baylor, joins us instead – along with his business partner Heidi Witz. One of the managers, Jessica, is also taking part in the conversation, at the head…
Shelby Keefe's 30 Paintings in 30 days
Last month, The Pfister Hotel’s Artist in Residence, Shelby Keefe, began her mission to create a painting a day for 30 straight days. Using her own photos and images from the public as inspiration, Keefe has focused her pieces on people in local, urban landscapes.
The 12” by 12” works, along with several of her other paintings, will be on display during gallery night and in her studio at the Pfister Hotel until early November. The works also will be featured at The Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin at a show this late fall.
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Letter to a New Narrator
As the proverbial pen is about to passed to the next Pfister Narrator, recently chosen through hours and hours of deliberation by a committee of writers, editors, marketers and businessfolk, and soon to be announced, I wanted to pass the pen not only to my successor, but also extend it to those who didn’t get selected or who have yet to apply.
Dear New Narrator,
So it begins: your quest to write about the people, events, and moments that occur within the historic Pfister Hotel. Where else can you walk the same floors tread by every U.S. President…
The Pfister Hotel to Host October Gallery Night
The Pfister Hotel will be showcasing a gallery from 5-9pm, Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, as part of Gallery Night and Day, an art event put on by the Historic Third Ward Association and the East Town Association.
Last month, The Pfister Hotel’s Artist in Residence, Shelby Keefe, began her mission to create a painting a day for 30 straight days. Using her own photos and images from the public as inspiration, Keefe has focused her pieces on people in local, urban landscapes.
At the start of the 30 days, Keefe put a call out to the public to…
Daniel Ridgway Knight's "The Rose Garden"
By Keia Wegner, Assistant Manager at the Pfister Hotel
Daniel Ridgway Knight (1839-1924) was an American artist born in Philadelphia. In 1871 he moved to France where he purchased a house and studio at Poissy on the Seine. This was a perfect area for him as it provided lush natural scenery that can be seen in the majority of his paintings. He used this as a backdrop for his favorite subject to paint, peasant women at work and play.
The Rose Garden is a perfect example of this; a young woman taking a contemplative break while tending to her…
Dinner for Books
“Life is a bunch of crazy!” interjects the young man seated across from me at a table in one of the back rooms of Mason Street Grill, as he shakes his head with slow acceptance of this fact. Nate, 14, is the son of one of the dinner guests, herself the long-lost childhood friend of the guest of honor, Lisa McMann. Lisa’s other guests are all fairly nondescript, which is not a surprise once you find out they’re all booksellers or librarians. Book people aren’t known for their flamboyance, but they certainly get animated when you…
Victorian Artwork in the Pfister Hotel [VIDEO]
Meet Keia, Hotel Assistant Manager for the Pfister Hotel.
With a MA in Public History and Museum Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Keia is the right person for the job of bringing our Victorian Art walking tour to life.
Victorian Artwork in the Pfister Hotel from PfisterHotel on Vimeo…
Shelby Keefe: 30 paintings in 30 days [VIDEO]
With any form of artistic expression, the importance of daily practice promotes the mastering of techniques. The practice of creating a Painting a Day, which was introduced by artist Duane Keiser in 2004, for the purpose of selling his work through an Internet blog, has led to a movement of artists who thrive in this discipline.
The Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin approached Shelby Keefe and asked her if she would be willing to participate in this 30 paintings, 30 days challenge, and Shelby jumped at the opportunity.
Shelby is fast at work on her first of…
Still Accepting Submissions for 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Shelby is fast at work on her first of the “30 Paintings in 30 Days.”Shelby is still looking to her fans for visual inspiration. Her approach is to paint the figure in an urban landscape but she needs some extra photos to choose from.
Send your photos to PfisterPhotos@ThePfisterHotel.com, but first, Shelby has some criteria she would like you to follow.
The theme here is “People in Urban Landscapes.” So please try and follow the following criteria.
1. People focused yet in an urban setting – Being figurative, the people are the subject but they will not be…
30 Paintings in 30 Days begins....now
MILWAUKEE – Sept. 19, 2011 – Beginning today, The Pfister Hotel’s Artist in Residence, Shelby Keefe, will be creating a painting a day for 30 straight days. The works will be featured at The Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin at a show this fall. The public is invited to visit Keefe in her studio at the hotel to witness her 30-day challenge firsthand.
“Any time one practices their art on a daily basis, whether it be music, writing or painting, as is my case, they are bound to improve their craft,” said Keefe. “With this challenge…
Time Lapse Painting with Shelby Keefe
We’re honored to have such talent within our midst. Shelby is not only a very talented painter but she’s also pretty quick at it, too.
Enjoy the artistic process the went into “Waning on the Day” by Shelby Keefe.
Visit thepfisterhotel.com/artistinresidence to learn more about Shelby Keefe…
Call for Photos: Shelby Keefe's 30 paintings in 30 Days
With any form of artistic expression, the importance of daily practice promotes the mastering of techniques. The practice of creating a Painting a Day, which was introduced by artist Duane Keiser in 2004, for the purpose of selling his work through an Internet blog, has led to a movement of artists who thrive in this discipline.
The Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin approached Shelby Keefe and asked her if she would be willing to participate in this 30 paintings, 30 days challenge, and Shelby jumped at the opportunity.
Looking at the pieces of art in these collections…
Summer Gallery Night with Shelby Keefe
Shelby Keefe put on quite the show on Gallery Night on Friday, July 29 at the Pfister Hotel.
With a great display of a few of her current pieces and a live performance of a completed piece in 20 minutes to the tunes of a local jam band, Shelby put on quite a show.
From the Pfister Narrator: “I meet Deena who says, with the feathers in her hair catching the colors from the stage lights: “She has a way of looking at reality that is so colorful, with such an elegant spin.” And, in one sentence, she captures the…
9 o'clock on a Saturday
While the evening was waning for most of Gallery Night attendees in the Third Ward — and elsewhere around the city — in the main ballroom off the Pfister lobby, Rouge, the party was just beginning. In the center of the room, quite literally taking main stage, was a set-up ready for a rockstar. Elevated dais, multi-colored lights on metal scaffolding, a screen to the left featured a close-up of the canvas and easel standing center and a screen to the right featured a close-up of a paint palette. The canvas center stage was awash in colors – shaded…
