ART 64® Painting Tournament
ART 64® Painting Tournament
Returns to The Village of Wauwatosa June 5 & 6
$20,000 prize to be awarded in nation’s largest live, bracket-style painting competition
Discover Wauwatosa will host ART 64® presented by North Shore Bank in The Village of Wauwatosa on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6. This is the fifth year of the one-of-a-kind, bracket-style live painting tournament with a $20,000 grand prize. It’s the largest juried live painting tournament of its kind, featuring 64 artists that were selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants coming from across the country.
Members of the public are invited to watch the paintings come to life during the competition and can vote for their favorite paintings online. The artist in each pairing with the most votes advances to the next round. The third (and final) round features 16 artists competing for the grand prize. Paintings created at the event will be available for purchase at the event.
ART 64 also hosts an artist market during the event on Saturday, June 6, with additional works by the participating artists available for purchase.
Over 13,000 people visited The Village of Wauwatosa during the event in 2025, more than quadruple the amount of the 3,000 visitors that attended the original 2022 event.
“ART 64 is a one-of-a-kind experience, offering visitors not only the opportunity to watch art being created but also the chance to interact with the artists, while the competition component takes this public art experience to a whole new level,” says Beth Gleesing, Tourism Specialist at Discover Wauwatosa. “The Village of Wauwatosa offers the perfect backdrop for the event where guests can explore great local dining, shopping and entertainment.”
The free, family-friendly event will take place in The Village of Wauwatosa on Friday, June 5 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturday, June 6 between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (with the Tosa Farmers Market happening a short walk away Saturday morning). Food and musical entertainment will be available on the streets holding the tournament, as well as a dedicated North Shore Bank-sponsored kids’ area. Local businesses will add to the festive ambiance with unique experiences. Limited edition ART 64 merchandise will be available for purchase during the event. To accommodate the event, Harwood Avenue, State Street, and Underwood Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic.
Guests are encouraged to support local businesses in the event area before, during, and after the tournament, including at ART 64 major sponsors Frank & Larry’s Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club and Hollander Grand Café.
“ART 64 brings a special kind of magic to the heart of The Village of Wauwatosa each summer, and we’re excited to be back sponsoring another great year,” says Eric Wagner, founder and CEO of Lowlands Group. “As one of the premier events in the Milwaukee area, it’s a celebration of art, music, and local hospitality that Café Hollander and Buckatabon are proud to support.”
ART 64 continues to elevate Wauwatosa as a destination for live art, creativity, and community connection.
Last year, the winner of the $20,000 grand prize was Kansas City-based artist Jianqiao Luan.
“Winning the grand prize has made me more confident, and it has encouraged me to create more artworks,” said Jianqiao Luan. “The prize money helped me with my art career in so many different ways. ART 64 has changed how I think and my process when I paint. It was a great opportunity to try new things and challenge myself.”
For more information about ART 64 and to RSVP for event updates, please visit: discoverart64.com.
The City of Wauwatosa is an urban enclave with a charming small-town feel located 15 minutes west of downtown Milwaukee. Home to hundreds of locally-owned shops and restaurants, picturesque outdoor activities, a downtown district known as The Village, a burgeoning arts scene that features Mama Rosa the troll, and affordable accommodations, Wauwatosa provides the amenities of a major city while maintaining a close-knit and welcoming community atmosphere. Learn more at DiscoverWauwatosa.com.
