New Orleans is in the house
I love New Orleans. I love the food, the music, the architecture, but most of all, I love the resilience of the city. From a fire in 1788 that burned down the French Quarter to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, New Orleaneans are survivors. And this spirit of overcoming hardship combined…
The Pfister Five: Meet international model Raengel Solis
Welcome to a new series on the blog called “The Pfister Five.” Occasionally, I’ll post a five-question interview with a guest. To kick this off, here’s a chat with Raengel Solis, an international model who stayed at the Pfister recently.
Raengel was born and raised in the…
The three-hour Milwaukeean
After I overheard – OK, totally nosily dipped into – Mario Guerra’s cell phone conversation when he was sitting next to me at the Lobby Bar, I gleaned he had recently moved to Milwaukee.
“So how long have you lived in Milwaukee?” I asked Guerra, who was wearing a nice suit…
Artists Among Us
The Pfister is well known for its Victorian Art collection and for supporting the arts in Milwaukee, but did you know how many amazing artists they have on staff? One of the best parts about working here has been meeting and hearing the stories about the incredibly and diversely talented…
Stephanie Barenz Named as the Fifth Pfister Artist-in-Residence
The Pfister is thrilled to announce that we’ve named Stephanie Barenz as the fifth Pfister Artist-in-Residence. Stephanie will begin her residency on April 1st after our current and fourth Artist, Timothy Westbrook ends his. Stephanie was chosen by the Pfister’s selection committee made up of community…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – Tonia Klein
Tonia Klein – Milwaukee, WI
Proposal: The facet of the Pfister Artist in Residence program that I have enjoyed int he last four cycles is that each artist in residence has had an entirely different artistic perspective. My work is highly narrative, and typically involves some sort of fairy tale…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – Sue Lawton
Sue Lawton – Milwaukee, WI
Proposal: In my latest body of work, an art book entitled ”The Circus and the Cyclone”, I worked with a wide range of people, from family and friends, to local musicians, to folks from around the country and around the world.
Over the course of…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – Stephanie Barenz
Stephanie Barenz – Milwaukee, WI
Proposal: “THE CARRIERS”
The Pfister carries thousands of stories from over a hundred years. The famous Victorian art collection, the antiques, and rooms have served as silent witnesses to all of it. Every day a new story is written and this is where my proposal…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson – Wauwatosa, WI
Proposal: As the 2013 Pfister Artist in Residence I will engage Pfister visitors in dialog about the correlations and contrasts between Victorian Art and my style of painting, the Abstract Expressionist style.
Victorian Art’s vibrant colors evoked high society during the 19th century. Brighter…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – John Kowalczyk
John Kowalczyk - Milwaukee, WI
Proposal: MKE: A City With 4 Seasons
If given this opportunity, I will create four distinct bodies of work for the gallery nights. Each body of work will include fifteen paintings and the general inspiration will be one of the four seasons. Currently I am…
2013 Artist in Residence Finalist – Eddie Villanueva
Eddie Villanueva – Milwaukee, WI
Proposal: If you grant me the opportunity to become the next Pfister Hotel Artist in Residence, I will accomplish the following objectives. I will develop a new body of acrylic and oil paintings based on my response to the bustling environment of the hotel, it’s…
A Pfister Take on “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas”
Each year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Pfister Hotel holds its annual tree lighting ceremony. Featuring cookies and crafts for the kids, the fabulous carols of the Bel Canto Chorus, and a special appearance by the jolly ol’ man himself, this year’s ceremony was as memorable as those…
Steampunk Society Invades the Pfister
Just in case you had any preconceived notions about the Pfister clientele, allow me to challenge those. First, watch this slideshow:
These are steampunkers. What is a steampunker? Good question – I was also unaware of this counterculture until the Steampunk Society Milwaukee held their first Maker’s Fair last Saturday…
My Other Pen is a Hydro-cyclonic Ink Dispensing Thought Engine
I have never stopped going to the Pfister. I’m still there, lurking among the new artists and writers and last night, I snuck in to lurk among the time-travelers and inventors. My confession is that I love the art/craft/clothing/mission/vision/literature that calls itself Steampunk…
Timothy’s 2nd Gallery Night + “Wedding” After Party
Pfister Artist in Residence, Timothy Westbrook’s second gallery night took place on Friday, July 27th. With the intention of creating a piece that referenced Elizabethan, Timothy decided to tell a story with his second gallery night piece. Using guides from the 1890s, he created a piece that reflects Queen…
Joe, The Rookie
“I’m going to be 22.”
That was Joe’s answer when I asked how old he was. His response was shared with a grin in that adorable way that only people up to a certain age are excited to tell you how old they’re going to be.
Joe…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
What’s in a birthday?
One day I was sitting in the lobby lounge waiting for something to happen. It can be a strange feeling to think qualitatively about conversation, hoping for a moment of random brilliance to spring from a happenstance stranger. This random Tuesday evening my mind started drifting for all the typical…
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…
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…
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…
