Wildflowers on the Water

September 9^th was a beautiful day. Many adults and children came to the park to celebrate nature, music and art, and enjoy a variety of free, family-fun activities. Wildflowers on the Water would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors – The Friends of Lakeshore State Park and Sarah Fierek thank you!

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Vision

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, Friends of Lakeshore State Park partnered with Sincerely in Song and local singer, songwriter and friend of the parks, Sarah Fierek, to curate an experience that honors the land and helps raise awareness for the work of Friends of Lakeshore State Park.

The 1st Annual Wildflowers on the Water – A Friends of Lakeshore State Park Gathering included local musicians, artists and creators as well as food trucks, a community drumming circle and activities for the youth and general public. A DNR naturalist hosted guided hikes and other wildflower inspired activities.

The event was designed to encourage the public to support the fundraising efforts for projects at the park such as wildflowers being planted in the park, bringing educational programming to the park, etc. Sarah Fierek released her next original song, “Wildflowers”, in early September and dedicated a percentage of the song’s earnings back to Friends of Lakeshore State Park. Sincerely in Song’s mission is to “Uplift, inspire and amplify non-profit causes and movements that better our world with our songs, voices and likeness of our brand.”

2023 Event Programming

3-4PM – Community Drumming with Angie Mack & Live Harp with Sofia Mattson

4-4:30PM Steel Pan Drums by Charlie Short’s Bocas Breeze Island Sounds, Solo

4:30PM Welcome and Remarks

4:35PM Anne Koller “Calling in Creativity”

4:45PM Ceiba Chavez – Sound Bowl Healing Journey

5PM – 5:20PM Sofia Mattson – Harp and Vocal set

5:20 – 5:40PM Kavon Cortez Jones & Next Paperback Hero (Spoken Word and Guitar)

5:40 – 6:15PM Angie Mack + Sarah Fierek (Debuting Wildflower(s) songs and music set

6:15 – 7PM Father Sky – original music set

DNR-led Hikes:
3:15PM-4:15PM Medicinal Plants
4:30PM-5:30PM Seed Collecting

BONUS: Feel free to stick around in the park for fireworks courtesy of Festa Italiana! (Must be seated in a designated area determined by the DNR.)

Artist Bios

Sarah Fierek

Formerly known as a “recovering musician’, now recording and lifting others up along the way. Sarah’s mission as founder of Illustrious Creative Works & Sincerely in Song is to: “Uplift, inspire and amplify non-profit causes and movements that better our world with our songs, voices and likeness of our brand.” Sarah is a visionary who is always learning and believes in the power of music and authenticity. She is a connector who enjoys encouraging those around her to live their purpose and reach their highest potential. “The journey is always the prize.” S. Fierek @sarahfierek · https://sarahfierek.com/

Father Sky

“Father Sky is heart-song medicine-music for the masses” @fatherskymusik · https://fatherskymusic.bandcamp.com/album/father-sky

Kavon Cortez Jones & The Next Paperback Hero

Kavon Cortez Jones is a renowned poet. avid biker, and spoken word artists in Milwaukee. The Next Paperback Hero and Kavon Cortez Jones performed in the Milwaukee Bucks Halftime Show to kick off Black History Month, February 2022. They both will have something special in-store for you. @kavoncortezjones_official · @nextpaperbackhero · http://nextpaperbackhero.com/

Sofia Mattson

Sofia Mattson has performed on the harp since age six. After playing in orchestras and rehearsing classical solos up through finishing her Bachelors of Science in Psychology at UWM, she felt inspired to begin creating her own music. Expect the ethereal harp accompaniment to elevate naturalist folk lyrics.

Angie Mack

Angie Mack is a musical director, performing artist, blues educator and writer who has a wealth of experience and connections in the arts and entertainment industry. She has an intuitive creative aesthetic and process that allows for diverse creative communication. Angie has over 20 years in arts project management and has successfully led international teams with great attention to detail.

Ceiba Chavez

Ceiba (Say-ba) aka 1stLady . Mom, World Thought Leader, Board Advisor, Consultant,Sr. Celebrity Publicist , Brand strategist, Managment & Booking, Music Supervisor , Arts & Tech Entertainment Vet . Full Service Agency . Business Owner of Pr and Arts Agency. Honored to create and maintain the legacy’s of some of your favorite celebrities , brands and Businesses . The Wailers/Wutang /WuWear/ UNTV/Roc Nation /G.o.o.d Music / Malik Yusef / Angie Stone / Gilbert Brown /Kapri Bibbs NFL) etc . Art & Lifestyle Curator, Event coordinator Art to the Art Business Teach & Media Investor Tv&Radio Host & Director,Model, Keynote Speaker. Spiritualist, Reiki practitioner, lightworker, sound bath artist, visionary, alchemist, and guru networker.

Anne Koller

Anne Koller is a Milwaukee native and published author, artist and facilitator who believes that diving into the spectrum of human emotions is the only way to live free. Anne’s sudden loss of her father in 2011 spurred her to explore the intersection of emotion and the creative arts, resulting in art projects such as The Ashes Project, TAPIN, Follow the Water, SleepMeditation.Us, and her book of raw and unedited poetry and prose, Free to Feel. Her work is built on the belief that art is a bridge between emotion and expression. She draws on over a decade of experience at global organizations such as Google and the World Economic Forum combined with expanded disciplines in Kundalini Yoga, sleep meditation, spoken word, wellness facilitation, community building, and interactive art to craft experiences designed to unleash the power of emotions and facilitate workshops that encourage self acceptance, balance and deeper connection to others.

Charlie Short

Charlie Short has played steelpans for 30+ years and performed with Despers USA Steel Orchestra in the Brooklyn West Indian Day Panorama competition, Y2K. A native of Kenosha, Charlie is an independently contracted performer and educator in the greater Milwaukee area as a percussion specialist for 10 years at Alverno College and currently with Milwaukee Public Schools, as well as maintaining a private lesson studio, The Percussion Studi, MKE. Listeners of local radio may be familiar with his work as composer, arranger, studio musician, and producer under the band name Charlie Vibes along with rising star Amanda Huff creating original Milwaukee Music .

Yasmine Traore

Yasmine Traore is the founder of CanIJustColorPls. CanIJustColorPls is a collection of adult coloring books of various themes combining travel and art therapy to help find a sense of calm amongst the chaos. She is originally from New York but raised in Wisconsin. After the passing of her Mother, she dedicated herself to different forms of art therapy. With a combination of 14 years of Stage Production experience and finishing her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Communication Arts and Theater with a focus on Stage Management and Acting, she pursued a career in Stage Production and Graphic Design; thus CanIJust Productions was created. Yasmine’s mission is to document the beauty within the mundane.

Holly Harnischfeger

Holly received her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Colorado in 1977. For years she worked in wheel throwing, clay slabs, and tiles. In 2000, she transitioned to Painting. From wheel throwing to mixed media painting, using charcoal, acrylic, photo transfers and encaustic wax, Holly has courageously embraced continued expression and exploration in her artistry. She feels that by combining different media she can capture the essence of her vision. During her 2021 show at the Grove Gallery in Milwaukee, “About a Vase” Jan Serr and John Shannon bought two of Holly’s paintings for their private warehouse collection which were exhibited as part of their Secret Garden show. Holly resides in Milwaukee, WI and continues to make, teach art and create instructional content as an Art Retreat producer in Wisconsin and Carmel, CA.