ART Milwaukee will transform the Shops of Grand Avenue into an art gallery, theater, concert hall and vendor market in one this Saturday with its May ART Jamboree “ART & Buy Local Fair.”
The fair aims to promote the talents of local artists, open up a space for Milwaukeeans to purchase goods made locally and shine a light on Milwaukee’s “creative community” as a whole.
“The goal of this event is to bring together as many diverse artists and vendors to really showcase the creative community in Milwaukee,” said ART Milwaukee founder Jeremy Fojut. “We hope that this will continue to grow the base of art enthusiasts in the Grand Ave. and city wide.”
ART Milwaukee, an organization that advocates art as a vehicle of social and economic prosperity, is partnering with a number of “buy local” minded organizations to pull together the ART Jamboree, which will present about 100 artists and 50 vendors.
Event partners include Local First, United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), Okanjo, Westown and MKE Up Market.
Live theater, music and dance performers will include Danceworks, Skylight Music Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the Florentine Opera, the Milwaukee Rep, Renaissance Theaterworks, and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Bronzeville Jazz Quartet.
A Spoken Word open mic by New Word Document and a hip hop freestyle show will also be a part of Saturday’s fair.
Patrons who make a minimum $5 purchase at the vendor market will be given raffle tickets that enter them into a drawing for a chance to win restaurant gift cards, hotels stays and more.
And participating vendors will be able to learn more about the benefits of selling their goods through Okanjo, an online marketplace with a special Milwaukee focus.
The ART Jamboree will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
The Shops of Grand Avenue are located at 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee.
