After three years away, the Lakefront Festival of Art is pulling its eisels and booths back out, returning to the Milwaukee Art Museum grounds on June 16-18 this summer. 

Originally founded back in 1963, the Lakefront Festival of Art brings the work of dozens upon dozens of artists across the entire spectrum of art media – from paintings to ceramics to metalwork, jewelry, sculpture and more – to the Milwaukee Art Museum and its prime lakefront locale, spotlighting great art and artists while helping raise money for MAM and future exhibitions. Due to the COVID pandemic and its surrounding impact, however, the festival was canceled in 2020 and hadn't returned – until now. 

Resurrecting after three years away, the festival will return this June with 120 jury-selected artists showcasing their works – complete with drop-in docent tours to help guide the experience – along with food, beverages and hands-on art activities for families throughout the museum campus. 

"After a three-year pause due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to bring Lakefront Festival of Art back to the Milwaukee Art Museum," said Will Belke, President of Friends of Art, in a release. "The jury has worked tirelessly to discover the most talented and exciting artists working in every region of the country and are bringing them to Milwaukee to restart this great summer tradition. We look forward to seeing festivalgoers once again browsing artist booths, gaining an appreciation of the visual arts, all while enjoying the views of Milwaukee’s iconic lakefront.”

"A celebration of artistic creativity and the breathtaking natural beauty of our region, Lakefront Festival of Art has been missed by our visitors, and we are delighted to bring it back for everyone to enjoy," said Courtney Kihslinger, Director of Stewardship & Events at the Milwaukee Art Museum, in the release. "We are tremendously grateful to Friends of Art for making this invigorating event possible once again."

The Lakefront Festival of Art will be open Friday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets – which include admission to the Milwaukee Art Museum – are currently available online for $17 while three-day passes cost $25. Admission will also be available at the gate: $22 for general admission, $30 for a three-day pass, $17 for students and seniors and $10 for MAM members. For tickets and more information, visit the Milwaukee Art Museum's website.

And for more summer festival announcements and updates, stay tuned to OnMilwaukee.