Timothy Westbrook's First Gallery Night
Timothy Westbrook, Pfister Artist in Residence, celebrated his first gallery night Friday, April 20th 2012. The event was a great success. Here’s a glimpse into Timothy’s rationale behind “The Femme Nouvelle” piece and the evenings events.
The show began around 5:30 pm with Timothy reenacting a turn of the century dressing with his model Rose.
Timothy walked through the process of tightening a traditional corset and discussed his use of recycled fabric. Both the corset and the prototype skirt were fashioned out of recycled Pfister hotel bed sheets that he had dyed a beautiful deep purple.
Over…
We are proud to announce our next Pfister Narrator, Dasha Kelly
We are proud to introduce Dasha Kelly as the fourth ‘Pfister Narrator.’ In the role, she will spend time in the hotel’s lobby, speaking with visitors and guests and sharing their stories right here on the Pfister blog. As narrator, Dasha will be posting blog entries at least twice-per-week over a six-month period.
“It’s an honor to be entrusted with a tradition that captures people’s extraordinary and everyday stories,” said Kelly. “I’m excited to join the history of this landmark as the new Pfister Narrator.”
Kelly is founder and director of Still Waters…
Roc's Road to Milwaukee
There tend to be patterns of why people live where they live. Often times they got a job nearby, or that’s where they went to school, or possibly their spouse’s family is from the area.
Roc is a concierge at the Pfister and his path to Milwaukee definitely did not follow any of these typical routes. Roc and his Quaker lineage hail from Northwest Indiana. In his home state Roc had been a teacher of Latin, German, and English before becoming involved in starting non-profit organization. The organization provided the beginnings of what we now know as…
Patronage and the Everyman
The Medici Family were bankers from Tuscany, Italy. Their initial family monies were made in the textile industry and they were influential in developing the double entry bookkeeping system. During the renaissance they owned Europe’s largest bank.
I’m sure their advances in bookkeeping are fascinating but that is not generally why the Medici name has survived throughout history. The Medicis were great patrons of the arts and sciences. Artists so highly regarded we don’t bother speaking their entire names; Masaccio, Donatello, Brunelleschi, da Vinci, and even Galileo.
The first time I saw a concert in Summerfest…
Service Regardless of the Situation
Picture this:
You work at a hotel. A man checks in to the hotel with arms in plaster casts sticking straight out from his body. Later in the day the man calls down to your desk and explains that he’s not certain how to get himself dressed for the day.
What do you do?
Concierge Roc tells the story of how he teamed up with Annie, the Pfister’s Head of Housekeeping, to satisfy the needs of a guest in a whimsically compromising situation. No matter the job at hand, they’re always glad to serve.
Click Play…
Travel By Association ~ or ~ Travel Lite
Travelers. Travelers everywhere. Transient folks of every stripe walking, running, sitting, working, swimming, eating. Carrying luggage. Grabbing a cup of coffee. Adding sugar to their tea. En route toward somewhere. Arriving from someplace else.
Ah, airports. All of humanity distilled to a small area becoming a sudden, immediate culture. Unique and specific to that individual moment. The energy of not knowing what awaits on the other side of the tarmac touchdown chirp. I haven’t seen an airport in awhile but all the travelers inside this hotel make me feel as though I’m spending my time in a…
Our New AIR Timothy Westbrook's First Gallery Night: tons of surprises in store!
Timothy Westbrook’s first gallery night will be exciting and very interesting. He has both stagnant and performance components to the event.
Here’s a sneak peek of what he’s working on for the show.
Timothy Westbrook’s first gallery night will be in conjunction with the Milwaukee wide “Gallery Day and Night” event.
Updated information: Timothy’s performance piece to open at 5 pm
At 5:00 pm Timothy’s model, Rose, will be assisted into her corset fashioned after clothing from 1902. Promptly after, her hair will be styled. This will take place in the studio gallery…
Generations Dance
The Pfister specializes in weddings. They seem to happen here every weekend, sometimes a few concurrently. Here’s a poem about something we’ve all seen at weddings: The Generations Dance. You know, the one where all the married couples get up and gradually leave as the number of years they’ve been married are ticked away by the announcer.
* If you’d like to hear a spoken recording of this poem, please scroll to the bottom to listen or download *
Without further ado…
After the bride and groom
danced
their first as
man and wife…
Part 2: The Talking Piano of Dr. Jeffrey Hollander
As mentioned in an earlier post I’ve put considerable thought toward how to chronicle Jeff, his playing, and more specifically his playing at the Pfister Hotel. There are several occasions when I’ve left the hotel and driven home in silence because after hearing him at the piano anything on the radio sounded like a frivolous muck.
Different ways to “capture” Jeff battled with one another in my head. Photographs, photographs of his hands, photographs of his facial expressions while playing. Brief videos of the way his hands dance across the keys. Recording the audio of him playing…
A Wild Conversation On Wisconsin Avenue
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post I was able to see Wild Institute founder Chris Heeter speak during UW-Milwaukee’s Women Leaders Conference. Chris’ speech struck a chord with me on many levels and I knew I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to document a few of her philosophies for the blog.
Assuming her canine companion would like some grass respite I suggested we walk four blocks to the Lake Michigan lakefront. While walking I did the best I could to record our conversation, not trip on Tuu Weh’s leash (Chris explains her name…
New Artist in Residence Timothy Westbrook Moves into Studio Space
MILWAUKEE – April 6, 2012 – Emerging fiber artist Timothy Westbrook, along with his floor loom and antique sewing machine, has moved into The Pfister Hotel’s studio space, where he will create art and entertain guests for one year. The historic hotel, which is owned and managed by Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, has hosted a popular Artist-in-Residence program for the past three years. Westbrook moved from upstate New York to Milwaukee for the opportunity.
“Drawn to The Pfister by the artistic and historical reputation of Milwaukee, I’m eager to develop my artistic voice in this unique setting,” said…
Listening to Dr. Jeffrey Hollander- Part 1
This is the one I’ve avoided writing. The elephant in my room. The profile I’ve put off for five months while I watched and listened quietly in the background, leaning against a column with my arms crossed wondering how it happens and how to write about it.
Every time I’ve listened to Dr. Jeffrey Hollander play the piano I’ve had a clear desire to write about him, to chronicle the man and his work. I’m a music fan but I’ve never been a musician. I can converse in a limited manner regarding jazz…
Milwaukee: The Best Deal In Chicago
Ah, big brother Chicago. Just two hundred years ago we were part of the same Illinois territory.
People come to Milwaukee for many reasons. Business. Dinner. Conventions. Celebrations. Sporting events. Art openings. Museums.
Visitors ask certain key questions which lead me to conclude they’re not from Milwaukee. This line of conversation usually takes place after someone says, “So how do I get a cab around here?” or “This place is great, where else should I visit?” Or they call the water drinking oasis a fountain instead of a bubbler.
I’ve noticed a trend of Chicagoans visiting us just…
Experiencing UW-Milwaukee's 2012 Women Leaders Conference
To my dismay I realized that the UW-Milwaukee Women Leaders Conference scheduled to take place at the Pfister Friday, March 30th was sold out. I’d hoped there was a possibility to watch from the perimeter and take in a little of the conference.
Thursday evening I was in the lobby lounge speaking with pianist Dr. Jeffrey Hollander regarding a Pfister blog I’ve been working on about the man. There was a woman seated at the table closest Jeffrey and the three of us talked for a bit. In conversation I asked if she was local or from…
The Pfister's British Invasion
Do you remember 1964, what happened after blues and rock and roll exported across the Atlantic Ocean and came back from a stop in England? The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, Donovan, The Rolling Stones, and of course The Beatles. When those four lads arrived in the States there was pandemonium along every stop. Each airport was crowded with admirers. Imagine a limousine driver trying to wade through a sea of screaming high school girls. These four gentlemen had not a moment to themselves once they hit stateside. Countless young ladies tried anything just for a handshake, a…
The Work Behind the Wine
What is the meaning of life? I do not know and I’m quite sure many people are closer to having a conclusion than myself. The best I’ve managed to piece together is finding something you love and devising a way to make it pay your bills. Individuals who have successfully accomplished that have always fascinated me.
As an example I offer the sommelier. Their job is to become a walking wine database. How does one do this? Naturally, drinking wine is a large part of the job. But one can’t just become a lush and start wearing…
UPAF Artists Among Us - Day 4 First Stage
We are proud to announce Shelby Keefe is on Day 4 of 16. Today, First Stage is the center of Shelby’s fourth UPAF Artist Among Us piece. First Stage brings young actors the opportunity to express themselves on the stage, and these young actors were expressing so much joy Keefe decided to make them her subjects today.
This is day four of a sixteen-day project to be completed on March 16th. We invite you to observe and follow Shelby’s creative process at her studio or online. Please check back frequently to see Shelby’s progress.
Day 4…
UPAF Artists Among Us - Day 3 Milwaukee Repertory Theater
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater inspires Shelby’s third UPAF Artist Among Us piece. Actors from The Rep’s To Kill a Mockingbird intrigued Keefe and are the subjects of her third installment in the series.
This is day three of a sixteen-day project to be completed on March 16th. We invite you to observe and follow Shelby’s creative process at her studio or online. Please check back frequently to see Shelby’s progress.
Day 3, MILW REP at My house in Bay View by pfisterhotel…
"Not that kind of guy" (A post-Well Spa massage poem; as overheard)
“Not that kind of guy”
I don’t normally do this.
Any other
Thursday afternoon
this time of year
I’m in the office
until the sky is dark
walking to my car.
The glass of champagne
-well it was included.
Part of a gift certificate
my wife bought for me.
Birthday present.
I just came up from downstairs,
they have a massage parlor.
It’s not my kind of thing
but I had to use it
or her feelings would be hurt
and we would have wasted
all that money.
 …
Shelby Keefe reflects on her time as the Pfister Hotel's resident artist
Shelby Keefe has been the Pfister’s resident artist since April 2011. As all great things eventually come to an end, her studio torch will be passed to Timothy Westbrook in April 2012. Shelby and I had been trying to get together and talk for a few weeks and it turned out to be a good thing we couldn’t meet until this past Monday. When I walked in to her studio Shelby was standing in front of a painting. She had her hands on her hips and kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Then she…
The Pfister Hotel Names New York Fiber Artist Next Artist in Residence
MILWAUKEE – Feb. 21, 2012 – Historic tradition meets today’s talent with The Pfister Hotel’s 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, has hosted a popular artist residency program for the past three years. The Pfister’s selection committee has chosen Timothy Westbrook, an emerging fiber artist from New York, as its fourth artist in residence. He will move to Milwaukee for this opportunity and will work in The Pfister’s studio space beginning in April 2012, replacing…
The Pfister Hotel seeks next "Narrator in Residence"
The historic Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, which is owned and managed by Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, is in search of its next writer in residence, known as the Pfister Narrator. The chosen candidate will spend time in the hotel’s lobby, speaking with visitors and guests and sharing their stories through a blog on the hotel’s website.
“The Pfister Narrator program has served as a great way to honor our guests and their experiences at the hotel and beyond,” says Joe Kurth, general manager of The Pfister Hotel. “The exposure and success of the program is continually growing…
For St. Valentine's Day, and every other day of the week
Years ago when I was fumbling through my way through working in computers. Our department traveled to sites across the country to perform computer installation and repair. When traveling most of our coworkers liked to eat at big restaurant chains, I gather the familiarity brought them comfort. Being 19, all this traveling was exciting (even if it was paired with 16 hour work days). But one of my coworkers liked to find out of the way restaurants unique to the location, and this quickly made him my favorite guy to travel alongside. While somewhere out East (Maryland possibly?) we stopped…
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…
