Timothy Westbrook

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 current Pfister artist Shelby Keefe. Westbrook will remain at the hotel for one year.

“Drawn to The Pfister by the artistic and historical reputation of Milwaukee, I am honored by the invitation to spend a year developing my artistic voice in this unique setting,” says Westbrook. “While at The Pfister, I plan to weave cloth out of various organic and repurposed manmade materials, including items like cassette tapes, sculpting them into costumes and fashion while pulling from the inspiration of the hotel and the Victorian Decorative Arts period. I am excited to watch my weaving and costumes evolve under the inspiration of the artistic energy in Milwaukee and in the hotel.”

A recent graduate from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY, Westbrook is a fiber artist who focuses on costume, performance and installation art. He uses fairytale themes as an environmentalist analogy. He implements his sustainable studio practices by using re-purposed materials for his work along with low-impact equipment; his favorite is a non-electric treadle sewing machine.

“We’re thrilled to welcome our first out-of-state artist to the program,” says Joe Kurth, general manager of The Pfister Hotel. “The program has been gaining national attention in the last couple of years and we’re proud it has attracted talent like Timothy’s. Selected through the juried panel process based on his impressive skill, engaging personality and unique point of view, we’re eager to introduce him and his work to our guests.”

Westbrook was one of six finalists included in the public voting period, which ended last week. In addition to the public vote via Facebook, Twitter, and in-person ballots, a selection committee, consisting of leaders in the local art community, made the final decision in choosing the next artist in residence.

For video slideshow of some of Timothy’s portfolio please visit: http://vimeo.com/37191257

About The Pfister’s Artist-In-Residence Program

Entering its fourth 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. In 2011, The Pfister’s residency program was highlighted at the organization’s annual international conference.

The program’s current artist is Shelby Keefe (2011-2012), www.studioshelby.com. Past artists include Katie Musolff (2010-2011), www.katiemusolff.com; and Reginald Baylor (2009-2010), www.reginaldbaylor.com.

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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.”

The person chosen next for the position will be the hotel’s fourth narrator, and will replace current narrator, Ed Makowski. He has been blogging from the hotel since November 2011; his stories can be found at blog.thepfisterhotel.com.

“During my time at the Pfister, this unique narrator position has given me a space to expand and develop my writing and story gathering skills,” says Makowski. “All at once the hotel has been a comfortable living room and big artistic playground. I’ve been a traveler among travelers. It will be exciting to meet the next writer to take on this fantastic position.”

The new Pfister Narrator will work a minimum of 10 hours per week over the course of a six-month period and will publish a minimum of two blog posts per week. In return he or she will receive his or her choice of a $1,000 monthly stipend, scholarship for continuing education or donation to a charity of his or her choice in his or her honor, in addition to complimentary parking and meals within the hotel’s cafeteria. The Narrator’s blog posts will later be published in a narrator book series. The first narrator Julie Ferris’ book is currently available in the hotel’s gift shop.

To be considered, applicants will need to submit an application form, current resume, 2-3 writing samples of recent work, a cover letter and two professional letters of recommendation to pfisternarratorapps@thepfisterhotel.com. Six finalists will be asked to write two sample blog entries and participate in a video interview. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2012. The Pfister Narrator will take his or her post the week of May 1, 2012, and will remain the hotel’s storyteller through October 2012. A review panel will evaluate the applications and ultimately choose the Pfister Narrator. More information and the application form can be found at ThePfisterHotel.com/Pfister-Narrator.

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.

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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 in at some corner bar and grill and were offered to try a steamed burger. Steamed burgers? Oh yes, and it was ridiculously good. Incredibly juicy, but at all not greasy.

The steamed burger was great but more than anything I remember something my coworker told me. I was just out of high school and he was probably in his forties. The meal had extra excitement for me because I wasn’t yet accustomed to sitting at a bar. I mentioned something about a date planned for Saturday night with a girl I’d recently met. He grinned, finished the bite he was working on and replied, “Never marry someone based on Saturday nights alone. Because, if you do, you’re always hoping for Saturday night, and there are 6 other days in the week where you’ll have to live with that person.”

Like I said, I was 19 at the time. Marriage? What’s this crazy old guy talking about!?

But every time I began dating someone new, after a few dates, it would cross my mind. We’d be dancing at someone else’s wedding, or I’d be walking away to get her another drink, or during the concert I’d think, “Is this just a Saturday night thing? Will I even want to know this person during daylight in the middle of the week?”

My coworker was, of course, talking about all the things that fill a person’s week. The schedule and habits which become your life. Realistically you’ll spend more time doing laundry, or cooking, or driving in the car, grocery shopping, or reading books or magazines next to one another than sipping champagne while the music plays. Then, if some day you have children, you’ll wistfully remember those times when you were able to spend time doing the laundry together, or grocery shopping, or reading books…

We recently spent a night at the Pfister, and we’re composing a photoblog I’ll be posting soon. While visiting I recalled a poem during a brief moment in our room. We were getting ready to go out for dinner and in the mirror’s reflection I happened to notice where the bars of soap sat along the marble walls of the shower. I grinned at the poem while brushing my teeth. A type of love poem regarding the seemingly inconsequential things we do for or with one another so that our lives make smooth sense. Dinner already prepared. Snow already shoveled. Clothes ironed, kids dressed. The other 6 days of the week which make us want to spend Saturday night with that same person. Happy Valentine’s Day folks.

The rubber band of love

more than flowers

every day

I place

the soap

on the

plastic wire dish

hanging

from the shower head

instead of

the edge

of the tub

because I know

that is where

you would want it

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Weddings are a big part of our history. From the grandest to the most intimate, each wedding has a special place here at The Pfister. That’s why we’re proud to announce our I Do: Part Deux, Wedding Photo contest.

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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 of a packed house the participants discussed issues and positives within our city. Many issues which are not unique to Milwaukee. Ways to maintain our unique existing architecture while making it fit inside the box of modern use. How to attract and retain both businesses and skilled labor to the city. How do we make productive space out of industrial buildings which may no longer house the industry they were built by (This always makes me think of our enormous Cold Storagewarehouses sprinkled along the riverbanks). The urban education elephant in the room. How to rebuild any city’s areas of urban blight. The discussion was a unique gathering point for intellectuals who wanted to do more than demonize cities with a fast attack of scary soundbites. I gathered that they viewed cities were a gathering point of culture, art, work, and living and there was no need to work in an environment miles away from where one lives. That this city is a great trove of activity and history, which is and will be as fantastic as we decide to make it. Our quilt, per se. Within the hour of conversation nobody arrived at rushed conclusions, and I don’t think it was the goal.

The Pabst Theater was an entertainingly appropriate location to discuss Milwaukee’s health and future. Before existing as The Pabst the venue had been called The New German City Theater, and had been built by Frederick Pabst. However this structure burnt down in 1895. When word reached Captain Pabst he wrote back from a European vacation, “Rebuild at once!” and within a year the Pabst Theater stood.

It seemed serendipitous that exactly one week later I met a couple named The Williams’ from Philadelphia. We were sitting in the Pfister lobby lounge and a conversation struck up about beer. Talk regarding microbrews between a bartender and two fans of what made Milwaukee famous pours easy and quickly spills over into other topics.

They were well-versed in restaurants around the Downtown area, microbreweries, the East Side, Bay Vew. This lovely retired couple was already familiar with nearly all over my favorite corner establishments. I finally asked how they’d become so acquainted. “Oh we own a condo over near Brady Street. We come here several times throughout the year for a week or two at a time. Milwaukee’s our retirement city.”

I asked what drew them to Milwaukee as a retirement town. They don’t have any family ties and neither of them had spent much time working in Wisconsin. It was more simple than I might have guessed. They’re big baseball fans so they come in to watch games and like to ride their bikes to the stadium. From Brady Street they can take the Lakefront trail through Lakeshore State Park (the park between Discovery World and Summerfest grounds) and bounce around to connect with the Hank Aaron Trail just across from the Harley Davidson Museum, which heads straight by Miller Park.

Ms. Williams explained that they’d shopped around in Florida and Arizona but they found that although those states offered Baseball’s Spring Training the climate was too harsh for any daytime activity other than sitting and watching baseball. Plus, when they do have to get in the car Milwaukee is an easy and quick place to navigate.

In addition we have restaurants and night spots offering a level of quality to which they’ve grown accustomed on the East Coast. Galleries, museums, other sporting events, music festivals. Culture, I suppose, if you want to boil it down to one word.

After shaking hands and saying good night talking with the Williams’ made me chuckle. It seemed they epitomized many of the points this discussion panel had been trying to touch on the week previous.

In the early 1960′s the Pfister Hotel reached a crossroads. After years of neglect and mismanagement the landmark was scheduled for demolition. To the chuckling whispers of many Ben Marcus purchased the Pfister. He saw the value in this building and decided to not only save the structure, but invested in the future of the location. To him the Pfister Hotel was more than a stack of bricks and a number on paper. It represented a potential. Now here I am sitting in the lobby lounge. Talking with a couple of transplants who enjoy remarkable Milwaukee as their retirement playground.

All these years later it appears that if you build it they will come.

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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 great to see all of the community involvement in this annual campaign.”

The final votes from the online campaign were as follows…

Pamela Anderson – 1,359

Brandon Minga – 764

Timothy Westbrook – 588

Hal Koenig – 398

Matt Duckett – 321

Albin Erhart – 100

Again, we wish the best of luck to all candidates. The committee will announce the next Artist in Residence, on or after February 14^th, 2012.

Please feel free to cheer on your favorite Artist in Residence candidate by visiting the Pfister facebook at www.facebook.com/PfisterHotel

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Gallery M in the Intercontinental. Patrons get to know the finalists and their work.

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 I was able to briefly glean about the artists and their work, feel free to click their names and see more. For larger views of any photo, click on the picture and then click the image again after the photo opens by itself. Vote early, vote often!

Hal Koenig

Hal Koenig's wall display at Gallery M.

Hal is an architect who studied at North Dakota State University and with further study at UW-Madison. He grew up on a North Dakota farm and now lives in Bay View. Hal enjoys highlighting the juxtaposition of nature in urban environments, of which Milwaukee has an unending supply.

Hal Koenig's painting Dusk.

Pamela Anderson

Works on display by Pamela Anderson.

In Pamela’s paintings she utilizes acrylic, oil, and watercolor to represent emotion. Her work can be classified as abstract expressionism. Ms. Anderson has studied at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts and MIAD. She previously curated the Underwood Gallery in Wauwatosa. Pamela has since taken the plunge and is working as a full-time artist.

Two works by Pamela Anderson.

Matt Duckett

Examples of Matt Duckett's work.

Matt’s trip from LaCrosse took 6 hours in the snow but he did make it to Milwaukee. Unfortunately I’d already taken off for the night so the following information comes from his webpage.  Matt studied both Art and English at UW LaCrosse and UW Stout. His work has been shown and commissioned all over Wisconsin and Minnesota. Matt is the founder and director of Vitamin Studio, a standout in LaCrosse’s developing arts district.

My favorite of Matt Duckett's portraits, The Turn.

Albin Erhart

Albin Erhart's display chronicles his experience applying for the Artist in Residence position.

Albin is an exuberant ball of energy. His works on display chronicle his attempt at becoming the Pfister’s next resident artist. Each work represents his experience and emotion throughout the process of applying all the way up to being selected as a finalist. His toolbox is not limited to paint and brushes, for example he explores with markers and sometimes even re-purposing thrift store canvasses. Albin is originally from Southern Germany but now lives in Hartland.

Detail of one of Albin Erhart's marker-based works

Brandon Minga

Brandon Minga's work relaxing with champagne.

Brandon is a designer by trade. Web design, clothing design, footwear, tattoos, album covers. The guy keeps busy. Brandon is a graduate of MIAD. His work on display in Gallery M features paint, digital prints, found objects, drawing, and most works are encompassed within unique custom frames. He works in a collage style, which is sometimes three dimensional.

Detail of one of Brandon's 3-D collage pieces.

Timothy Westbrook

Two of Timothy Wesbrook's creations.

Timothy is the first artist to apply from outside of the immediate Milwaukee area. Having recently graduated from Syracuse University, Tim is looking to stretch out to new locales to further his form. Tim’s work can be most easily described as costume design. His garments are created from a combination of common fabrics (wool, for example) mingling with uncommon threads such as cassette tape. Tim discussed his work with gallery attendees while dressed in a tuxedo of his own creation.

Two more of Timothy Westbrook's works.

Detail of one of Timothy's garments. This piece was commissioned for a theatrical production.

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Our Milwaukee finally became the winter wonderland we’ve grown to love. Here’s a look at January from our home at 424 East Wisconsin Avenue. Also in honor of our resident artist Shelby Keefe’s Winter Snowball event.

Looking East on Wisconsin Avenue from the Imperial Ballroom.

Jailed, oh no! Nah...just looking west from the 8th floor fire escape.

Whoa...don't look down! Mason meets Jefferson.

A Miro painting hanging out on the wall of the DeLind Gallery across from Mason Street Grill.

The bridge named after Daniel Hoan stretches south over the Port of Milwaukee on the right and the Summerfest grounds to the left. The federal building reclines out in the foreground.

Those air conditioners next door won't get much use for a few months.

Wisconsin Avenue rests between these two very different architectural geometries.

The Mason Street Grill Mascot dusted with January. Created by sculptor Jeremy Wolf.

Snow takes the fire escape route from the roof of a downtown building.

Too early in the day for the Wisconsin Gas building to predict upcoming weather.

Believe it or not there is a river running through all these streets, if you look close you can catch a glimpse. The Milwaukee River gave rise to industries which settled along the river beginning in the mid 1800's.

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This is a poem written after a brief but meaningful conversation in the lobby lounge. I never asked the gentleman’s name, it seemed silly after discussing important life conclusions; regressive somehow. It would have been like asking for steak sauce at Mason Street Grill.

My wife and I were able

to travel the world.

All those years

my colleagues

missed t-ball games,

and watched sunsets

through office window blinds.

We were in our 30′s, then our 40′s

- just starting out

and I urged them not to wait til 65, or 70

while we visited Australia, New Zealand,

South America, Europe several times,

we always loved Europe.

Last year we took a road trip

around the U.S.

That was pretty tough.

Not at all

like our other trips.

My wife, she’s…

My wife is not well now

and when one of you isn’t well

neither of you feels well.

The travel is hard now.

My colleagues, I talk to them,

-good people mind you,

but we’re old.

They’ve planned their retirement

and their grandchildren will inherit

college educations

But the difference

is that some of us

went to see the world

when we could

and some of us didn’t.

All that money doesn’t mean anything, now.

Even to an accountant.

You’re young. You’ll know someday

what I’m talking about.

You never believe

at your age

that you’ll get to be my age.

It starts with your friends.

You suddenly wonder,

“When did they all get so old?”

Oh, I remember that grin. It’s a beautiful thing.

At your age

I was convinced

I’d never have gray hair

or wear a hearing aid.

But the time spends like water my friend

and you’ll never think you’re old

until one day you are.

Well, best of luck to you young man.

I believe I’ll finish this Manhattan

Bartender, may I settle my tab,

and see how this city looks

from the 23^rd floor.

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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 under the pseudonym Gustave Haller. The girls were adopted by their stepfather, Prince George Stirbey and from him inherited the castle and park Becon; they later turned this into the Museum de Roybet Fould.

Achille-Fould is best known for her paintings of fanciful women.  This painting is an imaginative study of Ninon de Lenclos, the famous French beauty and wit of the 17th century. Lenclos was made famous due to her numerous amours at court. There is a brilliance and elegance in this painting, as well as skillful drawing and a sensitive feeling for texture.  Well known throughout France, Anne “Ninon” de l’Enclos (“Ninon de Lenclos”), was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts who lived from 1620-1705.  After her father was exiled and her mother passed away she entered a convent for a year since she was determined to stay single and independent.  She achieved this throughout her life even though she had a string of wealthy and powerful lovers, including two of the King’s cousins.  Upon her death Lenclos left a considerable sum to the son of her accountant, 9 year old Francois Marie Arouet.  In her will the boy was instructed to use the money to “purchase books”.  Later, he would become better known as Voltaire.

Historically, during this time women were expected to live not such an independent lifestyle.  She was not only thought of as beautiful, but as intelligent and was seen as a peer to her male counterparts.  This would have been especially pertinent to a woman living in the Victorian age, since that was a time when women were supposed to be “seen and not heard”.  It would only be a natural choice for Achille-Fould, a woman in a field dominated by males, to use an independent woman such as Ninon as an inspiration for one of her paintings.

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