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Because of the coronavirus, Rosy Petri was unable to complete her year as the Artist in Residence at the Pfister Hotel. In mid-March, she made the difficult decision to close her studio and to cancel the traditional closing party and legacy piece unveiling – two highly-anticipated events every other Artist in Residence at the hotel has experienced since the program started in 2009. 

"The hotel was full of visitors from everywhere and all walks of life, and the residency studio was right in the middle of all the traffic. I wasn’t sure my immune system was strong enough to handle it," says Petri. 

Only a mere month ago, Petri's calendar was full of shows, workshops and art fairs, but today it's empty because of pandemic-related cancellations and postponements including the Lakefront Festival of the Arts.

"I’m bummed about losing the momentum I generated this year, as well as the opportunity to be a full-time working artist," says Petri.

In an attempt to stay afloat during the health crisis, Petri is offering drawings of primarily African American musicians, books, T-shirts and postcards on her website. She will soon offer homemade body products, jams and sauces, too.

Currently, Petri is also working on a podcast called "Art is Culture" featuring interviews that correlate with images she created during the residency. 

"I’m hoping to learn more creative ways of dealing with the situation so I can pay the bills, keep doing what I love and hopefully inspiring others," says Petri.

Check out Rosy Petri's work via her website, Facebook page, Instagram and Patreon (in progress).

Want to be considered for Artist of the Day? Contact molly@onmilwauke.com