The Artist-in-Residence program was launched by Marcus Hotels & Resorts (Hotel Phillips’ parent company) in 2009 at The Pfister® Hotel in Milwaukee, Wis. It was expanded in 2012 to include the Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, Mo. and the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City, Okla. 

The program was created to support the work of talented artists and to generate awareness about the arts community in Milwaukee. The Pfister Hotel, acclaimed for housing the largest Victorian art collection of its kind in any U.S. hotel, developed the program to establish itself as a destination hotel for art patrons and to offer guests the opportunity to view artwork created by the resident artist. The programs at each property offer one artist studio, which—at the resident’s discretion—is periodically opened to hotel guests. Each residency lasts 12 months. 

The Hotel Phillips evolving program—just beginning its fourth year—offers an experimental and collaborative opportunity for the selected resident artist, the hotel, guests from all over the world, and the local community. 

The Arts have a major influence on the livelihood of any community, but downtown Kansas City has an especially vibrant arts community. Being located in the epicenter of local creativity, we embrace and support those people and organizations who are building our city’s reputation as one of the most brilliant stars on the Arts horizon. The Hotel Phillips was proud to accept the prestigious ArtsKC Impact Award in 2014.