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| Photo courtesy of Friends of Front Room Photography. |
Once summer finally arrives, it’s all about the lakefront here in Milwaukee. There are countless events and throngs of people; the city comes alive again after the long winter hibernation. You may have already noticed the expanse of white tents going up in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) in preparation for the annual Lakefront Festival of the Arts (LFOA). There will be 180 jury-selected artists at this year’s nationally-recognized event, which has been a staple on the art-fest scene for 49 years.
This year, in honor of the much-anticipated Summer of China exhibit at MAM, LFOA is participating in the Global Artist Exchange and will have five artists from China selling their art. Whatever your style, you will find it at LFOA: jewelry, paintings, ceramics, metalwork and more. Get the idea of an arts and crafts show out of your head, this is professional, high-quality work.
The Friends of the Art, a fundraising group for MAM, organizes the event every year. “Lakefront Festival of Arts has really evolved to have something for everyone. For the kids we have the PNC Bank Children’s Experience with fun art projects and Sunset Players will be performing Aesop’s Fables and we’ll have face painting, mimes & jugglers all around,” says Michelle Dwyer, festival co-chair.
Community collaboration is also key to the event. “MPS is back again this year with their ‘If Wishes Were Fishes,’” explains Dwyer. “Their figures were a great hit last year and were found all over the city once our event was done. Students painted the fish that you’ll see hanging on the fence around the grounds. It’s an exciting way to teach kids the importance of art in their lives and, in particular, public art.”
Art not your bag? There is also a great line-up of music including Paul Cebar, Evan Christian, De La Buena, Frogwater and more along with the Milwaukee Magazine Wine Garden (find me there!) on the terrace with beer and food.
Do you fancy fashion? See Milwaukee Magazine contributor Colleen Heather Rogan hosts a fashion spectacular on the Main Stage Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. featuring wearable fiber art fashions and one-of-a-kind garments, coats and scarves created by LFOA artists. All items in the Fiber Art Fashion Show will be available for sale following the event.
Festival hours are Fri., June 17, 12-9 p.m. Sat., June 18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sun., June 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission ranges from $8 (for MAM members) to $20 for a three-day pass. To purchase advance tickets online click here or for more information, including locations for advanced tickets sales, call 414-224-3253. The fest goes on rain or shine. Preview some of the featured artists here.
Best of all, your LFOA ticket not only allows you to look at all the great artwork for sale at the festival, but it’s also your admission into the museum so you can check out the Summer of China exhibit.
One more not to miss: Allis After Hours – Live jazz one Thursday a month from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Charles Allis Art Museum (1801 N. Prospect Ave.) Thursday, June 16 Choir Flight will perform. Admission is just $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors, or free for museum members. Your ticket allows for admission to the museum and hors d’oeuvres. Drinks are available for purchase. Call (414) 278-8295 for more information.
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