All-City Arts Festival Kicks Off at Henry Maier Festival Park

MILWAUKEE, WI (May 8, 2018) — The artistic talent of Milwaukee’s kids will be on full display, bigger and better than ever on the city’s lakefront during the first All-City Arts Festival, which will be held May 9-11, 2018 on the south end of Henry Maier Festival Park. The event will feature more than 180 performances from 120 Milwaukee Public Schools, alumni and partner groups. Students have been rehearsing vocal and instrumental music, dance, theater and spoken word performances as well as as culinary art all year in anticipation of this event.

View the entire lineup for each day on the All-City Arts Festival website.

The All-City Arts Festival is FREE and open to the public.

• Wednesday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m
• Thursday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Friday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FREE parking is available for attendees in designated Summerfest parking lots. The festival entrance will be at the Summerfest South Gate.

The All-City Arts Festival builds on the success of the MPS Biennial Music Festival, which existed for almost 100 years. The MPS All-City Arts Festival is expanding this year to showcase all art forms offered in Milwaukee Public Schools. This event will involve students at the elementary, middle and high school levels presenting music,  dance, art, and theater performances plus visual art and culinary arts.  Through the partnership with Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and the Summerfest Foundation, students will perform on stages that host world-renowned artists- the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard, the BMO Harris Pavilion and the South Pavilion, a unique opportunity for all the participants.

The All-City Arts Festival will also include an art gallery showcasing student artwork from more than 40 schools. This artwork is supported and enhanced by a number of partnerships among various public and private schools, artists, arts organizations and the community.

The All-City Arts Festival is presented by MPS and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and is sponsored by MPS Foundation and the Summerfest Foundation, Inc.

About Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) is an independent, private 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1965 that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, an 11-day festival that generates approximately $187million in direct and indirect economic impact for the Milwaukee region each year. MWF also manages and maintains Henry Maier Festival Park, located on 75 acres on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. In addition to Summerfest, Henry Maier Festival Park hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals, concerts, walks, runs, and other special events, attracting nearly 1.5 million people annually.

The mission of MWF is to promote an understanding of different ethnic cultures, the histories and traditions of various nationalities, civic pride and provide a showcase for performing arts, activities and recreation for the public and employment opportunities for the youth of the community.
In June 2011, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. formed the Summerfest Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) charitable corporation to support its initiatives, which include charitable and educational purposes, and providing a showcase for the performing arts. Each year, the Summerfest Foundation, Inc. produces various events and programs designed to raise awareness and funding, as well as other benefits for its mission and other charitable partners. A signature event includes Summerfest’s Jazz Education Day, which provides a FREE day long hands-on educational experience and music clinics for area students.

About Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation
The Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation, Inc. was organized in 1998 as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation for educational and charitable purposes. The foundation seeks to raise funds and secure donations from individuals and private-sector organizations to support programs and projects not affordable through public funds to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students in Milwaukee Public Schools.

About Milwaukee Public Schools

Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to accelerating student achievement, building positive relationships between youth and adults and cultivating leadership at all levels. The district’s commitment to improvement continues to show results:

• More MPS students are taking college-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses;
• The MPS Class of 2017 earned $63+ million in scholarships; and
• MPS is home to seven of the state and nation’s top high schools according to U.S. News and World Report and the Washington Post.

Learn more about MPS by visiting our website. More news is available at mpsmke.com/news.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.