This Thursday: Joy Engine’s First ArtBlaze
This Free Beachside Series of Art, Music, and Wonder Brings All-Ages Fun as the Waves Roll in and the Sun Goes Down
MILWAUKEE – The beloved ArtBlaze series that made a real splash last summer is finally returning this Thursday, August 7th, at the newly revamped McKinley Beach. Thanks to the vision of Milwaukee’s public art nonprofit Joy Engine, this all-ages event will provide a curated set of music, dancers, vendors, art activities, performances, as well as delicious waterside s’mores. Bonus: thousands of selfies will be snapped in the presence of the “Threshold,” a new art experience by FuzzPop Workshop and UW-Milwaukee Architecture students. Watch 2024 ArtBlaze recap by Samer Ghani:
The Full Line-Up:
4 pm: Allison Mahal
5 pm: MkeMe Crew
6 pm: *aya
7 pm: Danyc MKE
8:15 pm: Pulpa De Guayaba
Full line-up and schedule for all ArtBlaze events here.
Milwaukee’s first chance to see FuzzPop Workshop’s latest art experience: Threshold
Inspired by the flow and movement of water, Threshold explores the boundary between human and environment, interior and exterior, reality and dream. Its scale and form remind us of our relationship to the vast, complex, and often invisible forces surrounding us. As architecture, Threshold creates a liminal space to explore, gather, and play.
During Spring 2025, FuzzPop Workshop joined Prof. Whitney Moon to lead a course on Pneumatic Architecture at the UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning. FuzzPop led students through workshops on design and fabrication. Students developed concepts for pneumatic environments and immersive sculptures, and one design was selected as inspiration for what became Threshold.
Given the incredible lineup, parking may be difficult. Please plan ahead or consider an alternative means of transportation:
PARKING
Nearby Public Parking Lots
McKinley Marina
Nearby Street Parking
Street parking along Lincoln Memorial Drive.
BUS ROUTES
Route #21
Stop ID 3644 – Prospect & North
Stop ID 3672 – Water Tower & North
Route #30
Stop ID 4368 – Prospect & North
RIDE SHARE
Uber, Lyft, taxi, carpooling, and other ride-sharing services are great options for delivering you curbside to the event.
OTHER
• Rent a Bublr Bike or hop on a dockless scooter for an easy, eco-friendly trip to Bradford Beach.
Bublr Bike nearby rental stations:
Burns Commons – 1301 N. Prospect Ave
Brady & Prospect – 1706 N. Prospect Ave
Lafayette & Prospect – 1898 E. Lafayette Place
Kenilworth Square – 2165 N. Prospect Ave
North & Prospect – 2305 N. Prospect Ave
North & Lake – 2380 E. North Ave
Bradford Beach – 2021 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive
• Dockless Scooters – Download the app and start riding:
Lime
Spin
Skip the roads and arrive entirely by boat
Photo: Nate Vomhof
ArtBlaze’s achievements last year included:
• 5,000+ estimated total attendance
• 65+ entertainers, performers, and musicians booked across a wide variety of genres
• 600+ s’mores made and consumed by attendees
• 110 people practiced yoga together at the beach
• 1 monstrous 5’ x 12’ sand dragon sculpted by a master sand artist in collaboration with volunteers.
• 3 larger-than-life inflatable “Cosmopods” created by FuzzPop Workshop
ArtBlaze is made possible thanks to the support of Visit Milwaukee, Miller Coors, Gruber Law, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Bader Philanthropies, Astor Street Foundation, The Kubala Washatko Architects, Robertson Ryan Insurance, Fund for Lake Michigan, Bosley-Green Foundation, Milwaukee Arts Board, WE Energies Foundation, Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee County Parks Foundation, Beach Ambassador, Milwaukee with Kids, Travel Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, Radio Milwaukee, Titos and the Roundhouse Beer Garden.
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About Joy Engine
Joy Engine is a nonprofit public art organization curating intentional, immersive art experiences to connect, uplift, and inspire the Milwaukee community. Reimagining urban spaces through wondrous, larger-than-life installations expands perceptions. When citizens engage with art, community viability advances. Because inclusion through creative expression is the goal, all Joy Engine events are free, family-friendly, and accessible.
For more information on Joy Engine please visit: joyengine.org
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