Shelby Keefe named Pfister's third resident artist

The Pfister Hotel recently named Milwaukee painter Shelby Keefe as their third and latest artist in residence. Keefe, who was one of six finalists, won the position after she received the most votes via Facebook, Twitter, a web site and in-person voting and was approved by a committee of artists.

The current artist in residence is Katie Musolff and the first artist to hold the position was Reginald Baylor. The residency is a one-year, paid position that provides hotel-based studio space for the artist. The studio is open to visitors and hotel guests and the artist also provides tours of the hotel’s impressive art collection.

Originally from Whitewater, Keefe graduated with an art degree from Cardinal Stritch College in 1981. She is known for her paintings of cities -- many of which Milwaukee locations are the subject -- and her plein air (outdoor) pieces. Keefe currently resides in Bay View.

OnMilwaukee.com recently caught up with Keefe to hear more about her new role.

OnMilwaukee.com: Is this the first time you applied for the residency?

Shelby Keefe: Yes, this is the first time I applied. I heard about it last year when Katie Musolff got the gig, I thought that it would be cool to apply for it some day when i didn't have the need for my large studio space at the Hide House. But then she told me you don't have to get rid of your existing studio, you just have more than one studio.

OMC: Have you ever had a residency anywhere else?

SK: In 2002, I had a week-long residency at Prairie School in Racine where I presented my painting technique to all levels of students throughout the week during their regularly scheduled Art Class. Can you believe they actually had Art EVERY DAY? At the end of the week I did a painting performance on stage for the whole school in an auditorium setting.

OMC: Is this a paid position?

SK: Yes, the Pfister pays me a monthly stipend. For that stipend, I will be taking people on tours of their large Victorian art collection two times a week, giving talks and doing demos to groups of visitors, hosting Gallery Nights at the Pfister, but mostly, maintaining an artistic presence as people come and go.

OMC: Other than money and studio space -- which is a lot -- what does the residency provide for you?

SK: Well, for me, it's going to be an expanding experience. I will be exposing my work to a larger, nationwide audience through doing paintings of our beautiful city. I can sell my work directly to clients and spread the work to an even bigger group of people.

OMC: How long is the residency?

SK: It's a year-long residency that starts April 1st and ends March 31, 2012.

OMC: What are your personal goals?

SK: This opportunity is going to allow me to become a better painter, because it's like anything else: the more you do something, the better you get at it. I will have regular hours, and will be cranking out the work. Usually it takes a timeline or a show or a plein air painting competition to get me to paint for hours and days in a row.

I also plan on focussing mostly on Milwaukee-themed work. I won't be distracted by painting other cities for the art fair circuit since I'll only be doing Milwaukee shows such as Lakefront Festival of Arts and Milwaukee Domes Art Festival this summer. A good distraction will be painting in Door County, for their Plein Air Painting Festival and competition in late July as well as painting Door County themes for my show at Edgewood Orchard Galleries from July 16 through the middle of August.

OMC: Any other specific plans at this point?

SK: One of the most exciting things I plan on doing during my residency is my version of "performance art." That means creating a 30 x 30 inch painting in 20 minutes to my original musical compositions. I will be doing these between 9 and 11:30 p.m. at the Pfister in the Rouge ballroom. I've been doing these pieces since 2002 when I did my residency at Prairie School, and the resulting paintings are dynamic, expressionistic, juicy oil paintings that will also be for sale in my new studio/gallery at the Pfister.

OMC: Do you support yourself solely on your art?

SK: Yes. I also teach small workshops in my studio as well as traveling to Door County to teach at the Peninsula School of Art and other small, independent institutions.

OMC: When did you start making art?

SK: I come from a family of artists, creative thinkers and educators. As a young child, the thing that gave me the most joy was making art; making things. I was encouraged to draw, paint, sculpt, craft. Anything that would be considered creative, including music, like singing, playing the piano, playing the oboe. So, thankfully, I was encouraged to attend art school, despite the fact that my dad wasn't sure I could make a living at being an artist.

OMC: Where did you study art?

SK: I graduated from Cardinal Stritch University and studied under Sr. Thomasita Fessler in the late 70s and early 80s. I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator until 2005 when I retired from that title to work solely as a fine artist and teacher.

OMC: Where exactly is the studio inside the Pfister? Where can we find you?

SK: People can find me in my new digs on the first floor just north of the main lobby opposite of, but between the two banks of elevators. You won't be able to miss me. It's a windowed, well-lit room that looks more like a gallery than a studio. When I have a chance to get in the groove of this residency, I will post my hours, but pretty much, if i am not plein air painting (painting outside), I will be painting at the Pfister.