Public Beaches Became Fully Activated at ArtBlaze

MILWAUKEE – The numbers are in and there’s no denying a new summer gathering has been added to the favorites list in the city of festivals. Unlike other urban coasts, Milwaukee’s can boast ample pedestrian access and many free beaches—but strangely there has been no precedent to host large public events there. Local nonprofit Joy Engine addressed that gap this summer with four lively art experiences at Bradford and South Shore beaches.

Official debut of the ArtBlaze 2024 recap by Samer Ghani: https://youtu.be/PQZVPC54-l4?feature=shared

ArtBlaze’s inaugural achievements include:

• 5,000+ estimated attendance over all four events.
• 65+ entertainers, performers, and musicians booked across a wide variety of genres
• 200+ silent disco dancers
• 600+ s’mores made and consumed by attendees
• 110 people did yoga together at the beach
• 1 monstrous 5’ x 12’ sand dragon sculpted by master sand artists in collaboration with volunteers.
• 237 tie-dyes made with spun.out.dyes
• 3 larger than life inflatable “Cosmopods” created by FuzzPop Workshop
• 225+ gyotaku-inspired fish prints completed with Artists Working in Education (AWE)
• 1 massive beach ball decorated with Arts@Large
• 10+ high school and college student assistants were employed
• 10+ participating nonprofit partners
• 20 local vendors

“By activating these beaches with diverse programming, Milwaukeeans of every walk of life showed up to gather and partake in the fun,” said Steph Salvia, Joy Engine’s Executive Director. “Families and single adults mingled effortlessly in the presence of art and music.” The first ArtBlaze series was a success that will undoubtedly influence other free programs within Milwaukee and ultimately help positively shape the cultural and social future of the city.

ArtBlaze was made possible thanks to the support of Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee County Parks Foundation, Visit Milwaukee, Molson Coors, Knight Barry Foundation, Gruber Law, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Bader Philanthropies, TKWA, Beach Ambassadors, Robertson Ryan, Catalyst Construction, Astor Street Foundation, The Wisconsin Arts Board, Berghammer Construction and the Fund for Lake Michigan.

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.