03.23.23

The Pfister Hotel Names Nicole Acosta as its next Artist in Residence

14th Artist in Residence starts on April 1; Join The Pfister in welcoming Acosta during Spring Gallery Night MKE on April 21

The AAA Four Diamond Pfister Hotel, owned and managed by Marcus^® Hotels & Resorts, today announced Nicole Acosta as its 14th Artist in Residence. Acosta, a proud first-generation Mexican American and Milwaukee-based visual artist, storyteller, and photographer, will begin work in The Pfister Hotel’s lobby-level artist studio on April 1, 2023. She will succeed current Pfister Artist in Residence and pataphysical illustrator, Christopher T Wood.

“Woven throughout the cultural fiber of The Pfister Hotel is a long-standing passion for the arts. In addition to our expansive Victorian art collection – the largest of its kind of any hotel in the world – we are proud to continue our successful and popular Artist in Residence program,” said Brandon Drusch, managing director of The Pfister Hotel. “We are excited to welcome Nicole to The Pfister’s Artist in Residence Studio and look forward to seeing how she will tell our guests’ stories through her photography.”

Milwaukee community members are invited to join The Pfister in welcoming Acosta during Spring Gallery Night MKE on April 21, 2023. Her artwork will be on display in The Pfister Hotel’s Artist in Residence Studio where she will be available to talk about her latest project, her process, and her vision for the Artist in Residence program.

Acosta is currently working on a project, HOOPS, which is gaining national recognition for its representation of Latinx roots, rituals, and spirituality. The project is also currently being made into a stage production with the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Acosta intends to expand the project during her time as The Pfister’s Artist in Residence by creating the first edition of a HOOPS coffee table book. As Artist in Residence, she will collect oral and written stories from Pfister guests and the Milwaukee community through film and photography. She will also host open sessions inviting the Milwaukee community to be photographed for the project. In addition to her photographic work, Acosta is a painter, dancer, and storyteller with a professional background in marketing. She is a member of Latinas Unidas en las Artes (LUNA), an organization dedicated to empowering Latinx artists in Milwaukee.

“I am thrilled to be The Pfister Hotel’s next Artist in Residence. After starting the HOOPS project in 2019 without a name or goal besides sharing personal stories of what hoop earrings mean to so many, I am so proud of what the project has become,” said Acosta. “I’ve long aspired to be in a space with incredible access to the public. My work is all about helping people tell their stories through art and what better place to do that than at The Pfister Hotel. The quantity and diversity of the hotel guests and the community will help me develop as an artist while entertaining so many guests with my art.”

More information about Acosta’s work can be found at www.atsocanicole.com.

For more information on The Pfister Hotel’s Artist in Residence program, please visit: www.thepfisterhotel.com/artist-in-residence.

To learn more about Marcus Hotels & Resorts and its properties, please visit: www.marcushotels.com.

About The Pfister’s Artist in Residence Program

Now entering its 14th year, The Pfister Hotel’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 their art firsthand. Over the years, The Pfister has received national and international attention for its Artist in Residence program. Since 2009, the hotel has been named a member of the Alliance of Artist Communities, 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 Christopher T Wood (2022-2023). Past artists include: Nykoli Koslow (2020-2022); Rosy Petri (2019-2020); Stephanie Schultz (2018-2019); Margaret Muza (2017-2018); Pamela Anderson (2016-2017); Todd Mrozinski (2015-2016; Niki Johnson (2014-2015); Stephanie Barenz (2013-2014); Timothy Westbrook (2012-2013); Shelby Keefe (2011-2012); Katie Musolff (2010-2011); and Reginald Baylor (2009-2010).

About The Pfister Hotel
At more than 125 years old, The Pfister Hotel is one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in the Midwest and downtown Milwaukee. Originally opened in 1893 by businessman Guido Pfister, it was the most lavish hotel of its time. The hotel’s storied elegance had faded following World War II, until 1962, when Ben Marcus, founder of The Marcus Corporation, purchased this grand hotel out of bankruptcy. The Marcus Corporation renovated and restored the hotel to its original glory, adding convention facilities, a parking garage and 23-story guest tower. The Pfister Hotel is home to the largest collection of Victorian art of any hotel in the world, as well as an award-winning Artist in Residence program.

Today, The Pfister Hotel continues its tradition of gracious service and impeccable style and has been recognized by AAA as a Four Diamond property for over 45 consecutive years. The hotel is also consistently recognized by top national industry and travel publications and associations, such as Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards as a Top Hotel in the Midwest. This exceptional property is a member of two distinguished hotel organizations, Historic Hotels of America and Preferred Hotels & Resorts. For more information, please visit www.thepfisterhotel.com and follow the hotel on Facebook and Twitter (@PfisterHotel).

About Marcus Hotels & Resorts
Marcus Hotels & Resorts owns and/or manages 16 hotels, resorts, and other properties in the U.S. The company’s distinctive portfolio includes city-center meeting hotels, upscale resorts, historic properties, and premium branded and independent first-class hotels. Marcus Hotels & Resorts is an approved operator for all major lodging brands. A leader in the hospitality industry since 1962, Marcus Hotels & Resorts creates asset value for hotel owners through its expertise in management, development and product repositioning. This includes hotel food and beverage concepts developed by its Marcus Restaurant Group, featuring premier brands such as Mason Street Grill, Milwaukee ChopHouse, Miller Time^® Pub & Grill and SafeHouse^® Restaurants. For more information, please visit: http://media.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@MarcusHotels).

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