Watch out, Milwaukee! Bioluminescent sea creatures are making their way to our shores.
Joy Engine announced this week their new beach party series, ArtBlaze on the Beach, four free events featuring live entertainment and hands-on art activities at Bradford Beach and South Shore Beach.
Joy Engine, producer of larger-than-life public art experiences, invites you to “ArtBlaze on the Beach,” a series of free beach parties that kick off on Wednesday, July 10th, to light up your summer nights.
On four Wednesdays in July and August, our city’s iconic lakefront will host live music and entertainment (full line-up below), food vendors, tie-dying by Spun.Out Dyes, hands-on art experiences with Arts@Large and Artists Working in Education, dance lessons, open yoga sessions, make-your-own s’mores stations, and tentacle viewing.
All of Milwaukee is invited; each ArtBlaze begins with family-friendly activities at 3:30 p.m. and progresses into a dance party as night rolls in.
Measuring over 30 feet, these handmade, fluorescent cephalopod tentacles are original works of art by FuzzPop Workshop, a Milwaukee-based multimedia production studio renowned for its Deep Lake Future attraction in Walker’s Point.
Allegedly, these sentient creatures are the last surviving generation of the Great Cosmopods. As a community with millennia of accumulated knowledge, the creatures wish to spread awareness and (maybe?) encourage dancing by appearing at each beach party.
Despite the thick Cosmopod-English language barrier, Joy Engine has been able to confirm these giant beings are huge fans of Wave Chappelle and Gego y Nony, thus the booking of both acts.
“In the city of festivals, our public beaches have been historically underutilized as a site for celebration,” said Steph Salvia, Joy Engine Executive Director, “Yet when searching for a site that naturally brings people from all walks of life, including residents of the deep lake, our public beaches seem like an obvious choice.”
Conveniently, Bradford Beach is an easy hop from the North Side, and South Shore Beach is similarly so for Southsiders. In 2020, Bradford Beach was named the most accessible beach in the country because it offers a 100-foot ramp that runs from street to beach and beach wheelchairs that are free to use. As far as Cosmopods are concerned, these beach locations have long served as the main sites where they rear their hatchlings.
ArtBlaze continues the momentum of Joy Engine’s other immersive art experiences, including Under One Moon, Out of the Box, and Nitelight.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT LINE-UP:
ArtBlaze begins each day with family-friendly activities at 3:30 p.m. and progresses into a dance party as night rolls in.
Wednesday, July 10th; 3:30-10 p.m. at Bradford Beach
- Trapper Schoepp, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- Roxie Beane, 5-6:15 p.m.
- Hip-hop by Your Move MKE, 6:30-7 p.m.
- Wave Chapelle, 7:15-8 p.m.
- Live DJ sets by DJ D-On, DJ Shortstyle, and DJ E Rich with a complimentary “choose your DJ” silent disco for up to 200 people, 8-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31st; 3:30-10 p.m. at South Shore Beach
- Lil Rev, 3:30-5 p.m.
- An open session with MKE Yoga Social, 4:45-5:45 p.m.
- Tigera Band, 6:15-7:45 p.m.
- Karlies Kelly “How to Salsa,” 7:45-8:15 p.m.
- De La Buena, 8:45-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 7th; 3:30-10 p.m. at South Shore Beach
- The Kid Boogie Down with DJ Lukewarm, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- Hale o Malo, 5-6 p.m.
- Undercover Organism, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
- Urban Empress, 8:15-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21st; 3:30-10 p.m. at Bradford Beach
For the ultimate sandcastle experience, visitors may join internationally acclaimed sand sculptor Ted Siebert in constructing a giant sea creature.
- Girls Rock Showcase, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- An open session with MKE Yoga Social, 4:45-5:45 p.m.
- DJ Kenny Perez, 6-6:30 p.m.
- Gego y Nony, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
- The Sparkle and Burn Fire Show, 7:45-8:15 p.m.
- DJ Shawna 8:30-9:30 p.m.
ArtBlaze is supported by Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee County Parks Foundation, Visit Milwaukee, Molson Coors, Knight Barry Foundation, Gruber Law, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Bader Philanthropies, TKWA, Robertson Ryan, Catalyst Construction, Astor Street Foundation, Berghammer Construction and the Fund for Lake Michigan.
For more info, please visit: joyengine.org
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
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