10.02.25

Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel Welcomes Julia Bradfish as New Artist in Residence

MILWAUKEE, WI – Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, the award-winning destination owned and managed by Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, proudly announces the arrival of its fourth Artist in Residence, Julia Bradfish, an abstract oil painter from Wausau, Wisconsin.

Bradfish has officially begun her year-long residency at Saint Kate, joining a prestigious program that provides Midwest-based artists with a dedicated studio space onsite. This unique setting provides artists with the opportunity to create new work while engaging with hotel guests and contributing to Saint Kate’s vibrant, ongoing celebration of the arts.

Bradfish’s studio is open to the public, offering visitors the chance to view her evolving work and discuss her artistic process. In addition to regular studio hours, she will participate in Milwaukee’s Fall Gallery Night on October 17, welcoming guests to explore her practice in a more dynamic setting.

Exploring the Tension Between Intuition and Intention

Bradfish’s creative process begins not on canvas, but with a collage created from found materials like magazine and newspaper clippings. This initial stage is intuitive, allowing disparate elements to converge into cohesive visual explorations of form, color, and texture.

Yet her transition from collage to canvas is far from literal. Rather than reproducing these compositions, Bradfish reinterprets them through oil painting, a medium she favors for its rich texture, slow-drying flexibility, and ability to build complex, layered surfaces. Her paintings explore the dynamic interplay between control and spontaneity, and between the accidental and the deliberate. Each brushstroke becomes both a continuation and a transformation of the raw fragments beneath it.

“At its core, my work is about finding a balance between control and accident,” Bradfish shares. “I look forward to the connections made during my time at Saint Kate, and how each conversation, each fragment of experience will layer into my practice, just as each torn piece in a collage becomes part of a larger visual environment.”

With expanded studio space, Bradfish will also be working at a larger scale than ever before, a shift she eagerly embraces.

“The space here invites me to stretch physically and creatively,” she says. “I’m excited to see how that freedom influences my work.”

Meet the Artist

Guests and visitors are invited to visit Bradfish during her open studio hours:

• Thursdays: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Fridays: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Sundays: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Beginning in October, Bradfish will also host “AIR Time: Art & Studio Tours” on Saturday evenings. These guided experiences will explore Saint Kate’s permanent collection, rotating exhibitions, and the Artist in Residence studio.

Bradfish earned her BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and her work has been exhibited nationally, including at the Trout Museum of Art (Appleton, WI), Greenpoint Open Studios (Brooklyn, NY), and the Door County Contemporary Art Fair (Fish Creek, WI). In addition to her studio practice, she serves as a Fundraising and Creative Programs Associate for a nonprofit focused on uplifting the community through social engagement and the arts.

To learn more or view upcoming events, please visit the Saint Kate events calendar.

About Saint Kate’s Artist in Residence Program

Saint Kate’s Artist in Residence program offers Midwest-based artists working in any art form or medium a year-long residency inside the hotel’s studio to devote time to their practice while gathering inspiration from Saint Kate’s guests. Throughout the residency, guests are invited to visit the Artist in Residence Studio to interact directly with the artists and witness their art evolve over time. The Artists in Residence also host events, talks and tours where guests can learn more about their art form and unique process. During each residency, the Artist in Residence will create a legacy piece that will become part of Saint Kate’s permanent art collection. To learn more about the first-of-its-kind Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel and its extensive art programming, please visit saintkatearts.com.

About Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel

Recognized as one of Milwaukee’s most esteemed hotels with an elite award repertoire, Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel is among the first hotels in the nation to broadly celebrate the arts in their many forms, from painting and sculpture to music, poetry and performing arts. With a prime location in The Milwaukee Theater District and within walking distance of notable arts and entertainment attractions, the Third Ward and Fiserv Forum, Saint Kate serves as a creative hub for the city offering intimate and immersive arts experiences. Its blend of exceptional hospitality and unmatched dedication to the arts serves as a platform for exploration, connection and expression. For more information or to book reservations, please visit: https://www.saintkatearts.com and follow the property on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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 unique food and beverage concepts, developed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts, such as Mason Street Grill, The Studio Kitchen & Cocktails, Milwaukee ChopHouse, Miller Time® Pub & Grill, and SafeHouse^® Restaurant. For more information, please visit: http://media.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.