January 17, 2024—The Miller Art Museum is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist Residency, a unique opportunity for Midwest visual artists to immerse themselves in the creative landscape of Door County, Wisconsin. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 7, 2025.
Launched in 2021 in partnership with the Quinlan/Wagner family, the Dome House Residency Program has emerged as a vibrant and vital creative space, offering resources and opportunities for visual artists to develop their practice while promoting dialogue and interaction with the community. The Miller Art Museum remains committed to fostering the growth of the Peninsula’s creative community and the program fits seamlessly within the museum’s mission to connect artists and community with opportunities to explore, celebrate, and advance the visual arts.
"We celebrate our fifth anniversary of the residency and the 50th anniversary of the organization in 2025," said Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, Executive Director of the Miller Art Museum. "This is a great milestone and the perfect moment to reflect on the development of the program over the past five years. Looking back, we are reminded of how deeply our founder, Gerhard Miller, was committed to making the visual arts accessible to all, serving as a mentor to artists of all levels and abilities, and fostering a broader community of art appreciators. His life’s work continues to inspire us as we shape a future where art is not just something to be admired from a distance, but a powerful tool for education, dialogue, and change,” Gigstead said. “The program gives contemporary context to the legacies of Al and Gerhard, embodying the spirits and aspirations of the two visionaries.”
The program offers an 8-week residency in the twin-lobed, domed concrete structure known as the ‘Dome House,’ an iconic earth home nestled in the dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan. Designed by artist and printmaker Albert F. ‘Al’ Quinlan, the space features a dedicated residence and expansive studio for the intensive.
Jessica Harvey of Milwaukee, the 2024 resident artist, said of the program: “The residency at the Dome House propelled my work beyond my wildest dreams. The supportive community, room for experimentation, and time to focus on work while being surrounded by nature was such an incredible opportunity. The Dome House is truly one of a kind.”
The artist will dedicate at least five hours per week to public outreach activities, which can be on or off-site. From workshops to artist talks and exciting programming, these events offer invaluable opportunities to foster meaningful dialogue between the artist, residents, and visitors alike. Midwest artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are encouraged to apply. The 2025 program will run from August 4 through September 28, 2025, culminating in a final exhibition and community celebration on Saturday, September 27. The application can be found by visiting here or https://www.domehouseart.org/apply.
“The program exemplifies just how residencies can transform artistic practices, create connections, and inspire communities,” Gigstead said. “As we celebrate these special milestone anniversaries this year, we honor the past while embracing the future, ensuring that our residency program and the museum as a whole continue to be a vital, dynamic force in the cultural landscape of Door County."
For guidelines or more information about the residency or the Dome House, visit https://millerartmuseum.org/quinlan-residency. Applications for the 2025 residency will be accepted through Monday, April 7, 2024.
ABOUT THE DOME HOUSE
Artist and printmaker Al Quinlan designed and built the Dome House in 1978—now an iconic Door County structure—with a vision for a live/work space existing in equilibrium with the surrounding natural landscape. His daughter MaryGrace Quinlan and her husband Kurt Wagner purchased and renovated the home in 2018, and, together with their family, operate it as a community space and working studio. The Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist Residency—a single-artist, application-based program focused in the areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography—was launched in 2021 as a partnership between the Miller Art Museum and Quinlan family, and invites emerging and mid-career artists located from the Midwest to the Peninsula to reside for 8 weeks each year. The iconic structure includes an open-concept residence and a sizable working studio for a unique live/work experience. This collaborative partnership serves the broader mission of the Dome House, which is to provide artists working in all mediums with space for creativity, contemplation, and inspiration. Learn more at domehouseart.org and follow @thedomehouse on Instagram.