July 31, 2025 - The Miller Art Museum in downtown Sturgeon Bay is pleased to announce the launch of its 2025 Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist Residency Program with artist Douglas Pendleton, a painter known for blending classical influences with contemporary commentary. The program will launch with an Opening Celebration and Meet the Artist event on Friday, August 8 at 6:00pm.This event will take place at the Dome House and is free and open to the public.
Pendleton brings to the Miller Art Museum’s residency a deep interest in historical painting traditions, coupled with a distinct voice rooted in cultural critique and visual storytelling. During his residency, he will explore plein air painting, drawing inspiration from the local landscape to influence and evolve his large-scale, figurative studio work.
“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. Ultimately, I hope to develop large-scale work that weaves together figurative elements with visual language drawn from place.”
Pendleton holds an MFA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Iowa. His work draws from Renaissance and Baroque traditions, blending historical imagery with contemporary cultural references. Using allegory, theatrical staging, and humor, Pendleton interrogates systems of power, spectacle, and taste—often placing sacred or royal figures alongside consumer goods, inflatable toys, and synthetic textures.
This year marks an exciting new chapter for the Dome House Residency, which was launched in 2021 to support contemporary artists through an immersive residency that prioritizes time, space, and focused exploration. Rooted in the creative legacy of Al Quinlan, the program invites artists to reflect, experiment, and grow within a quiet, inspiring setting. With opportunities for community engagement through public programs, open studios, and conversations, the residency fosters a meaningful exchange between artists and the broader Door County community.
“This residency program continues to grow in impact and visibility,” shared Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, executive director of the Miller Art Museum. “Douglas’ thoughtful approach to painting and storytelling will add an exciting new chapter to the residency’s evolving legacy.”
In addition to the August 8 opening celebration, Pendleton will lead a series of free public programs throughout August as part of the residency:
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Mastering the Masters: A Hands-On Study with Douglas Pendleton
Friday, August 15 | 4:00 pm
Join 2025 Dome House Artist in Residence Douglas Pendleton in an exploratory workshop on copying historical artworks using oil paint or preferred drawing materials. This session provides a hands-on opportunity to study masterful compositions and techniques while receiving individual guidance from the artist.
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Objects in Focus: Still Life Painting from Observation
Wednesday, August 20 | 3:00 pmExperience the meditative practice of painting from observation. Pendleton will offer a demonstration followed by instruction and one-on-one mentorship as participants explore still life composition and color in the relaxed, unique setting of the Dome House.
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Building the Scene: Advanced Still Life with the Artist in Residence
Wednesday, August 27 | 3:00 pm
A continuation of the previous program, this open session builds on the fundamentals of still life painting with further instruction and personalized feedback from Pendleton. Beginners and experienced painters alike are welcome.
All programs will take place at the Dome House, located at 5015 South Cave Point Drive Sturgeon Bay, WI. Participants are asked to park on the west side of the road and to not block driveways.ABOUT DOUGLAS PENDLETON Douglas Pendleton is a Detroit-based painter whose work explores the relationship between historical imagery and contemporary mass culture. Rooted in Renaissance and Baroque traditions, his paintings use allegory, theatrical staging, and precise draftsmanship to examine how visual systems of power—religious, imperial, or commercial—shape meaning through spectacle. Figures in his compositions may appear sacred or ceremonial, yet their gravitas is deliberately disrupted by inflatable toys, consumer ephemera, or synthetic textures that destabilize conventional hierarchies of taste and value.
Pendleton earned his MFA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and his BFA in Painting from the University of Iowa. He also studied at the Florence Classical Arts Academy and Studio Arts College International in Italy, where he developed a foundation in classical painting techniques and composition. His solo and group exhibitions include Louis Buhl & Co. Gallery in Detroit, Forum Gallery, and the Cranbrook Museum of Art, among others. In 2022, he was awarded a residency with Rotation Works in Brooklyn, NY, and has previously participated in international arts programs in Italy and the U.S.
His practice bridges technical precision with conceptual inquiry, often merging the reverence of classical portraiture with the aesthetics of contemporary excess. He views painting as both a site of reflection and performance—a stage where history is reassembled and interrogated through layered, often humorous, visual language. Pendleton currently lives and works in Hamtramck, Michigan.
ABOUT THE DOME HOUSE Artist and printmaker Albert F. “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.