The Artist in Residence program at Barrett Park offers local artists an opportunity to transform our space into their personal studio while engaging with local community members through free workshops and hands-on art activities. 

Our current Artist in Residence is Marimacha Monarca Press (MMP). MMP activates public spaces across Chicago to provide workshops in printmaking, seed paper making, piñata making, book-binding and zine-making as a means of self publication, communication, and reflection. Working alongside themes of queerness, race, language, migration, accessibility, and visual storytelling, MMP’s hope is to illustrate and illuminate the power of collective histories. 

In exchange for use of the studio, MMP will host a series of free public activities at Barrett Park. These sessions give young people and community members direct access to working artists and new creative techniques—often for the first time. By sharing their skills, processes, and stories, artists help spark imagination, build confidence, and nurture a love for artmaking in the next generation. This exchange creates a vibrant, collaborative learning environment rooted in creativity, mentorship, and community connection.