Exhibiting artists: Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands, Marylu E. Herrera, Marimacha Monarca Press, Deon Reed and Titus Wonsey

diversión is a curatorial intervention inviting Marquette parkgoers to reclaim public spaces as sites of diversion. The title plays on a cognate—a word that shares spelling but holds different nuances in English and Spanish. In English, “diversion” implies a redirection, a turning away from the ordinary. In Spanish, “diversión” signifies fun, a joyful escape. These layered meanings emphasize the power of public art to create spaces of play and communion, and to facilitate collective enjoyment and rest. diversión shifts focus from everyday capitalist stressors toward collective relief – opportunities to play, eat, and come together, reclaiming time and the public domain. Curated to explore how participatory projects can alleviate chronic fatigue from surveillance, historical disinvestment, and environmental racism, the exhibition aims to forge a closer relationship between public art, Marquette Park, and the area’s diverse residents.

As Curator-In-Residence, Carlos Flores has spent over a year and a half building relationships within the park’s diverse community, working towards an accessible and resonant culminating exhibition. Complementing the exhibition are weekly family-friendly programs that delve deeper into its themes. These programs include yoga, guided bird watching, community open mics, and educational sessions with partner organizations. Through these activities on the south lawn of Marquette Park’s Cultural Center, art and life intersect, navigating the boundary between friction and freedom.

Follow @chicagocreativesnetwork on Instagram to stay up to date with programs and documentation!

diversión | Program Schedule
Saturday 7, 1:30-3pm MAPPED-a-thon: Picnic at Anchor Pavilion with Design Trust Chicago & Human Scale
September 20, 4-9 PM diversión Exhibition Opening & Celebration*
September 27, 6-8 PM Creatures Caring for the Land with Bee Rodriguez
September 28, 2-4 PM Sun Printing Workshop with f/28.8
October 5, 2-4 PM Ethical Storytelling + Radical Listening with Yaritza Guillen
October 12, 2-4 PM Macroinvertebrates in Your Local Lagoon with Evelyn Alvarez
October 25, 2-4 PM Fall Migration BIPOC Birding at Marquette Park with Chicago BIPOC Birders
October 26, 2-4 PM Vision Board for 2025 Workshop with Chicago Muslims Green Team
October 26, 2-4 PM Portals of Abundance Workshop with Silvia Gonzalez
November 1 3-7 PM Exhibition Closing + Dia de los Muertos Celebration!*
*Opening and Closing events include a grocery giveaway with Dion’s Chicago Dream
Visit linktr.ee/anchorcuratorialresidency for program details and to register. All programs are FREE!

About the Anchor Curatorial Residency
The Anchor Curatorial Residency is an 18-month project that culminates in a collaborative exhibition on park district land. Anchor engages artists and community members through a unique creative process aimed at deepening connections and building new relationships. Moving away from traditional art spaces, the residency is “anchored” by a commissioned outdoor exhibition and performance venue, designed in consultation with park staff and community. A selected Curator-in-Residence is given space, time, and resources to deepen their curatorial practices by producing a collaborative and responsive community-based exhibition, grounded in experimentation, local knowledge, and everyday experiences.

Anchor is generously supported by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Walder Foundation, Builders Initiative, and the Chicago Park District.

About Carlos Flores
Carlos Flores is an installation artist, radical community arts organizer, curator, and flower farmer based in southwest Chicago. He works with sculpture, painting and community based projects, centering creation of immersive installations that bring viewers face-to-face with issues of environmental justice, displacement, while at the same time seeding connection and care. These projects are often composed of sculptural elements that subvert historical tools of colonization and predatory capitalism away from extraction and toward placemaking. Carlos was recently named a 2023 Leader for a New Chicago by the Field and MacArthur Foundations for his work in advancing the racial and social justice movement in the city. He is also a 2023 fellow of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Leaderships Institute in San Antonio and the recipient of the inaugural Ignite Award from 3Arts in 2022. He has presented work at the Hyde Park Art Center, Heaven Gallery, Mana Contemporary, Comfort Station and the National Museum of Mexican Art.

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Tags: Anchor Curatorial Residency, Carlos Flores, Chicago, Chicago Lawn, Chicago Park District, Deon Reed, diversión, Marimacha Monarca Press, Marylu E. Herrera, Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands, Titus Wonsey, West Lawn