Festival of Creativity

Published on: 6/18/2012

Everything seemed so new and different. I don't recall ever visiting the Lakefront Festival of Arts before. I was blown away by the creativity.

I did not know how very few Wisconsin artists show at the fest. I did see Waukesha GuitarTown artists Katie Musolff and Andy Fletcher, creators of "Red Fox" kept at Rochester Deli, showing but most of the 176 artists and craftsmen call other states their home.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous Father's Day, and at the art fest there was even a cool breeze off the lake. Wisconsin Public Radio shared the ticket with me for helping with Waukesha's own art fest and I was eager to use it.

Trading my ticket for a wristband, to answer my question was told the band wouldn't get me into the Art Museum, but that wasn't exactly the case. A few artists were showing in the beautiful Windhover Hall, so after viewing the art under the tents and in the garden. . . Stepping inside I found the most amazing artist, James Borden, whose large, counter-balanced clocks are painstakingly crafted completely out of wood.

After a while I began to notice many people going inside the Art Museum's Posters of Paris exhibition with nothing more than the same wristband I had. Was informed that not only could I see the special exhibit, but the entire Art Museum was open to me. Had I known earlier I would've planned my day a little different and reserved more time for the museum.

It's been a couple or three years since I'd been inside my most favorite building, so the many changes and additions since then made it seem all new again. Knowing I must be low on time I practically ran through three floors of the museum stopping to rest at my favorite Wisconsin artist: Georgia O'Keeffe.

As a father on Father's Day I didn't spend a lot of time with the boys. We more or less did that with a delicious Friday fish fry at The Spot on Sunset and a cookout Saturday while their grandpa was in town. I had a wonderful time at the Lakefront Festival of Arts, was completely blown away. It far exceded my expectations.