Artist in Residence at the Pfister Hotel

Artist in Residence Shelby Keefe - MM Sikes Photo

What fun to be the artist-in-residence! Especially at the historic Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shelby Keefe was named the hotel's third artist-in-residence last February. A contemporary impressionistic painter and performance artist, Shelby follows a portrait painter in the residency program.

During her year at the Pfister, Shelby is occupying a large studio and gallery space right off the lobby. She keeps regular hours in the hotel, painting on her easel and chatting with visitors about her art. She also maintains a studio in the city at Hide House where quite a few artists create their work.

Besides maintaining her studios, Shelby also paints to music, performing in front of an audience where she creates 20-minute paintings. Since 2002, she has worked on 30 by 30 inch canvasses in front of viewers, often painting to music that she herself has created.

"The work is much quicker and intuitive," she says because she's performing under the pressure of time, audience, and loud music.

Because of its extensive Victorian art collection that is the "largest of its kind in any hotel in the world," the Pfister Hotel has a special relationship to the arts. As a painter, I am thrilled to walk into the Pfister and view all the special and wonderful art on view there.