On June 18, The Field Museum and the Chicago Park District, along with their community partners and a volunteer curatorial committee, will unveil a set of five new Gathering Spaces in the Burnham Wildlife Corridor on Chicago’s South Side. These art installations will highlight the cultural narrative of the communities that they inhabit—Pilsen, Chinatown, and Bronzeville. Each installation has its own unique style, from La Ronda Parakata, a circular structure inspired by butterflies significant in Purépecha culture, and Set in Stone, a sculpture modeled after traditional Chinese scholar rocks, to Sankofa for the Earth, a sculpture of an African bird that symbolizes the importance of remembering the past when looking to the future. Each of the artworks will serve as a public space for the community to gather and stand as a testament to the vivid diversity of culture along Chicago’s south lakefront.

The Gathering Spaces will open to the public on Saturday, June 18 with a kickoff celebration beginning at 10am. The event will feature live performances, food from local vendors for purchase, special presentations, and activities. Gathering Spaces is part of the Roots & Routes initiative, a collaborative project aimed at creating and sustaining the Burnham Wildlife Corridor. Organizations supporting these community installations include contratiempo, Casa Michoacán, Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, Bronzeville Community Development Partnership, South Side Community Art Center, Centers for New Horizons, and Sacred Keepers Sustainability Lab. To learn more about Gathering Spaces and see the full list of art installations, visit fieldmuseum.org/gatheringspaces.