The Pfister® Hotel Announces Search for Next Resident Artist

Milwaukee, Wis., Nov. 5, 2014 – 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 resident artist.

Entering its seventh 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.

“We’ve enjoyed a great diversity in styles among our resident artists over the years,” said Tim Smith, general manager of The Pfister Hotel. “We look forward to meeting the hotel’s next great artist and witness the talents he or she showcases to our guests.”

Each year, The Pfister’s resident artist 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, succeeding multi-media sculptor Niki Johnson, will move into the studio space April 1, 2015, and will continue working at the hotel for a one-year period.

“Being the Pfister’s resident artist has been an incredible experience,” said Johnson. “It has taught me a great deal about the art of transitioning between actively making work and verbalizing my visual concepts. The hotel has gone above and beyond all expectations I had in facilitating a work environment for me to produce process-based sculpture, and has shown an exceptional level of flexibility in accommodating my staff. I arrived in the Artist’s Studio with a vision, and will be leaving with a new paradigm.”

Over the years, the Pfister’s Artist-in-Residence program has garnered national and international attention. In 2013, the voting process for the program was recognized with a Social Hotel Award 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. 5, 2014. Interested artists can download the application form atwww.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 seventh 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 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 Niki Johnson (2014-2015), www.nikijohnson.com. Past artists include Stephanie Barenz (2013-2014), stephaniebarenz.com; 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 120^th 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 50^th 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 historic 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 on the latest news and updates, please visit: http://media.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.