Milwaukee’s Saint Kate takes the concept of an art hotel to a new level.
Throw a stone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and it will likely land on something the Marcus family owns. From the performing arts center to movie theaters, restaurants, and hotels, their presence (and their moniker) is ever-present. In a town known for its sports teams and legacy brewing companies, Milwaukee’s divergent arts scene has largely flown under the radar. So, when the contract was up with InterContinental Hotels Group, Greg and Linda Marcus, who owned the hotel, saw an opportunity to create a public arts space within a private hotel that celebrated art in all forms. To execute their vision, they turned to New York firm Stonehill Taylor, which rejuvenated Saint Kate into a buzzy gallery-hospitality space.
From the Source
Tapping her personal collection of fine and contemporary art, Linda was integral to positioning each of the 150-plus pieces within the 219-room hotel, alongside art curator Maureen Ragalie. “The goal was to showcase a broad range of contemporary art that is accessible to a bunch of viewers,” says Ragalie, who cut her teeth as a New York gallerist before moving back to her hometown of Milwaukee. “I saw this as an opportunity to show that Midwestern artists are an important part of the current art landscape. They may not get a lot of attention, but this hotel is a great way to do that.”
In the lounge, a man appears to hold up Untitled, a work by Mari Eastman, while in the gallery beyond are several works from Lisa Beck’s colorful and geometric Send and Receive exhibition.
Spacing Out
Stonehill Taylor’s renovation meant repositioning existing public areas to accommodate intermittent performances, as well as creating three separate galleries, which are free and open to the public. The original bar held court on the south side of the building facing floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto one of Milwaukee’s most congested thoroughfares. “We wanted the bar to anchor the space, so we ended up moving [it] to the lobby,” says Tory Knoph, senior interior designer at Stonehill Taylor. “We created a lounge in the old space where live performances take place and people can look in the windows off the street and see what’s going on.”
To further create a sense of community within the hotel, four exhibition spaces will hold a rotating collection of art—one of which is dubbed the Closet because of its smaller size. “Visitors can shut the door and immerse themselves in an experiential art exhibit,” says Ragalie.
The cast bronze-clad Big Piney horse sculpture stands guard in the lobby, and the Nicole lithograph by Alex Katz sits behind the reception desk.
For Art’s Sake
If there was a theme to the design of the Saint Kate, it would be to expect the unexpected. Case in point, the lobby features The Dinner Table by local artist Charity White. “The Marcuses like to push the envelope a bit,” says Knoph, noting that the two lifelike sculptures depict a woman and her adult son who are sitting at a table in the lobby. “I walk by them, knowing they are art, but then get freaked out thinking they are real people,” she says. The element of surprise doesn’t stop short at installations, but also in pop-up performances. “You’ll be sitting at the bar and all of a sudden someone will walk out and start juggling,” Knoph adds. “It’s all about seeing people’s reactions and starting a conversation at the same time.”
Ceramic sculpture The Dinner Table features lifelike figures of a mother and her adult son.
The Downtown Ladies installation by Lon Michels (left) and Jason Yi’s Plume 02 sculpture (right).
Ronit Baranga’s clay sculptures of flatware and body parts welcome guests to Aria restaurant.
This article originally appeared in HD’s February 2020 issue.
