March 14, 2023

The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Selected for Inaugural Millennium Park Residency Program

We’ve been selected, along with three other Chicago nonprofit organizations, to receive funding and resources to present free public programming as part of Millennium Park’s robust summer season. 

The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)’s Millennium Park Residency Program (MPRP) provides select cultural organizations each year the resources and platform to showcase their work as part of Millennium Park’s robust summer season of free programming. For the first MPRP cohort, DCASE is excited to announce partnerships with The Chicago Human Rhythm Project, The National Public Housing Museum, Praize Productions, Inc., and the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance. These four nonprofit organizations share DCASE’s commitment to providing high-quality work and will be curating unique and innovative programming throughout Millennium Park in 2023. 

“This residency program will provide our creative community with incredible opportunities to share their talent with the rest of our city," said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "Providing our local creatives with the funding to bring their fresh perspectives and ideas to life on Chicago's largest stage reiterates our commitment to empowering our arts and culture sector and will ultimately make our city that much more vibrant. I am excited to see what each organization in the first MPRP cohort will create alongside the wealth of free performances and concerts in Millennium Park this summer." With the support of the Millennium Park Foundation and Pritzker Foundation, DCASE has provided four grants of up to $150,000 to each participating nonprofit cultural organization. 

As part of the residency, each organization will present public programs on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage: Praize Productions, Inc. (June 4); Chicago Human Rhythm Project (July 23); National Public Housing Museum (August 25), and Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (August 26). Each company will have access to other park cultural amenities to curate, develop, and produce additional free public pop-up programs throughout the summer. 
 
The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance in partnership with Chicago Philharmonic, Cuerdas Clásicas, and AfriCaribe present Somos un Solo Pueblo, Mexico y Puerto Rico, on August 26, 2023 as part of the inaugural Millennium Park Residency Program. 

The one-of-a-kind symphonic concert honors and celebrates Chicago’s vibrant and diverse Puerto Rican and Mexican communities with the full Chicago Philharmonic and guests on the iconic Chicago Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage.  

Emeritus Puerto Rico Symphony Conductor Roselín Pabón from San Juan, Puerto Rico and Symphony Conductor & Composer Sergio Cárdenas from Cd. Victoria, Mexico will present a cross-culture repertoire including popular Puerto Rican songs like Preciosa, plus Bomba and Plena music. Famed Cuatrista Christian Nieves joins the orchestra to perform a new symphonic arrangement of Despacito, which Nieves originally performed with famed Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi.  

Chicago groups Latin Music Project Ensemble, Cuerdas Clásicas and AfriCaribe will join in the celebration onstage with guest artists from Mexico and Puerto Rico. We also invite our audience to stay tuned for other advance “pop-up” music presentations that will soon be scheduled in the Millennium Park grounds. Additional programming details will be released in the coming weeks when the full Millennium Park Summer Season schedule is released. “It is an honor to partner with these four important and beloved Chicago organizations. This new residency program will help to diversify the roster of free programs and events that will enliven our downtown and city this summer,” shared DCASE Commissioner Erin Harkey. “We look forward to sharing their programs with the public, and connecting their missions to the millions of people who visit Millennium Park.”