NE Wisconsin News

The Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay has announced Douglas Pendleton as the 2025 Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist in Residence. Pendleton, a painter based in Detroit, will reside on the Door Peninsula from August 3 to September 28, 2025.

The Dome House Artist Residency Program is now in its fifth year and honors the legacy of artist Al Quinlan. The program provides early- to mid-career visual artists from the Midwest with time, space, and resources to create new work in an inspiring environment.

Pendleton was chosen from a pool of 40 applicants by the museum's Artist Selection Committee. He will receive a $500 stipend and access to the 5,073-square-foot live/work Dome House. His residency will conclude with a public program and presentation of his new work in late September.

"The opportunity to work in Door County represents a meaningful chance to shift the rhythm of my practice and deepen my relationship with painting from observation," said Pendleton. "I plan to immerse myself in the landscape—spending extended periods working en plein air—and reflect on how that direct engagement can inform my studio work."

Pendleton holds an MFA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Iowa. His art draws from Renaissance and Baroque traditions, using allegory and theatrical staging to explore systems of power.

"His work offers a rich interplay of tradition and disruption, beauty and critique," said Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, Executive Director of the Miller Art Museum. "Douglas brings a deep conceptual rigor to his practice."

Leah Karrels, newly appointed as Dome House Artist Residency Program Coordinator at the museum, expressed excitement about Pendleton's residency: "Douglas brings something really fresh to the residency. His work is striking, and surprisingly playful—it invites you in."

Pendleton plans community engagement activities during his residency, including open studio hours and an artist talk. "These modes of public exchange feel like a natural extension of the work itself," he stated.

The Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist Residency Program began in 2021. It has supported five artists so far: Nicole Shaver and Amy Usdin (2021), Ariana Vaeth (2022), Christopher T Wood (2023), and Jessica Harvey (2024).

"The program continues to grow in impact and visibility," added Meissner-Gigstead. "Douglas’ thoughtful approach to painting and storytelling will add an exciting new chapter."

Dates for Pendleton’s public programs will be announced soon by the museum.

About Douglas Pendleton

Douglas Pendleton is known for exploring historical imagery alongside contemporary mass culture through his paintings rooted in Renaissance and Baroque traditions. He earned his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and studied classical painting techniques in Italy.

His solo exhibitions include venues such as Louis Buhl & Co. Gallery in Detroit. In 2022, he participated in a residency with Rotation Works in Brooklyn, NY.

Pendleton currently resides in Hamtramck, Michigan.