5.14.2025
MCA Chicago Announces the Second Year of Collaboration with Sueños Music Festival, Featuring Chicago’s Local Artist, Runsy
The Announcement:
(Chicago) The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is happy to announce its upcoming MCA Store collaboration with Sueños Music Festival and Latina local artist Esperanza “Runsy” Rosas, taking place during the run of the festival from May 24-25, 2025. For the collaboration, Runsy created a custom t-shirt exclusively for the MCA Store, featuring a design encapsulating the spirit of the Latin Music festival, which is taking place in Grant Park. This is the second collaboration between the festival and the MCA, with the first taking place at MCA’s Family Day in 2024.
“As a Chicagoan and a Latina woman, I think it’s important to be a part of this festival. That it’s called Sueños Fest is really a reflection of my own career: it’s about following my dreams and showing others who look like me that with hard work, a good heart, perseverance and the love of my community, anything is possible,” Runsy said. “Additionally, developing this collaboration with the MCA Chicago and being part of the long list of artists who have collaborated with this iconic Chicago cultural institution is both a personal and professional accomplishment and a true source of pride. The museum’s commitment to elevating diverse artists and voices in the community not only aligns with a professional practice but also makes this collaboration even more meaningful.”
The t-shirt design features Runsy’s titular character on a Ferris wheel, similar to the one on the Sueños festival grounds, dressed in festival wear and with a clown-like expression, which ties into the Chicano culture concept of “Smile Now, Cry Later.” According to Runsy, the design reflects the character Sueños Music Festival, which is a bright and joyful celebration of the beauty of Latin culture and music.
“Sueños is very excited to continue our partnership with The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and share this new collaboration with festival-goers and art lovers across the city,” says Aaron Ampudia, Co-Founder of Sueños Music Festival. “Runsy is an incredible artist and we’re grateful to her for putting together a piece that speaks to our mission of uplifting Latin voices and putting on for the Latino community.”
To celebrate the collaboration, there will be an official product launch event at the MCA Store on May 20 from 6–8 pm. Visitors who attend will be able to watch Sueños and Runsy unveil her collaboration design and buy the exclusive t-shirt. Additionally, Runsy will be participating in the MCA’s May Family Day, titled “Playoffs,” which will focus on the work of artist Paul Pfeiffer in commemoration of his then-open exhibition Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom
ABOUT SUEÑOS:
Sueños Music Festival, founded in 2022, unites the city of Chicago under the banner of incredible Reggaeton and Latin Music. Bringing unprecedented star power to Grant Park and offering spectacular views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, Sueños Festival (translation: dreams), was created to be an inclusive event with a mission to continue to celebrate and uplift Latin culture and the extraordinary music, people, food, and amazing energy that comes along with it.
Sueños takes pride in its meaningful contribution to Chicago’s Latin communities year-round, with a focus on supporting youth initiatives and Latin-owned businesses. This includes a partnership with Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center to develop youth art centers in Chicago’s predominantly Latin neighborhood, Hermosa, along with scholarships and immigration services for Latin communities through its collaboration with Pilsen Neighbors Community Council. Sueños’ ongoing partnership with the National Museum of Mexican Art includes a program to deliver art supplies to aspiring art students, a festival activation that allows young writers from the museum’s youth journalism program to conduct interviews at the festival, and a program that integrates art created by the museum’s youth mural program into the festival. In addition, Sueños has partnered with Puerto Rican Arts Alliance to provide music education programs and studio arts programs for children on the Southwest Side, including Chicago Public Schools’ vital after school and summer programs. Sueños supports Latin-owned businesses in the city through festival partnerships and its 20 Days of Sueños initiative, which shines a spotlight on 20 Latin-owned Chicago restaurants over a 20-day period, further amplifying the talent within Chicago’s Latin communities.
In 2024, Sueños Music Festival contributed $240 million to the Chicago economy and paid $1,992,952 in direct rent payments to the Chicago Park District. Additionally, the festival generated more than $2.01 million in amusement tax revenue for the City of Chicago and Cook County.
Now in its 4th year, Sueños is quickly becoming an institution in the Chicago community and a premier destination for Latin music fans from all around the world. In Fall 2024, Sueños producers C3 Presents and La Familia Presenta, secured a new 5-year deal with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District, which will allow the Sueños team to continue bringing music lovers together in one of the nation’s most vibrant cities.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Esperanza Rosas also known by her creative moniker of Runsy, is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist specializing in drawing and design. Her work encompasses the layered intersectionality of her identity as a Mexican-American woman from the Southside of Chicago.
Through the artistic realms of graphite illustration and clean, minimalistic design, Runsy’s art reimagines the intricate nuances of Mexican iconography and Chicago culture. The treasured cultural symbols that appear in Runsy’s work represent the unabashed pride of Mexicanidad in America, and its influence that will continue to persevere through generations to come.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The MCA interweaves exhibitions, performances, collections, and educational programs while providing a place for audiences to contemplate and discuss contemporary art in pursuit of a creative and diverse future. The MCA believes in the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) as a platform to enact structural change. The museum is generously supported by its Board of Trustees; individual and corporate members; private and corporate foundations, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and government agencies. The MCA acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council. The MCA is a proud member of Museums in the Park and receives major support from the Chicago Park District.
The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Avenue and is open 10 am to 5 pm Wednesday to Sunday and Tuesdays from 10 am to 9 pm. Tuesday evenings (5-9 pm) are free for Illinois residents. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is free for all youth 18 and under, members of the military and veterans, and MCA members. Free admission for anyone 18 and under is generously provided by Liz and Eric Lefkofsky, and Northern Trust. Find more information about MCA’s exhibitions, programs, and special events at mcachicago.org
Contacts:
Media Contacts:
suenos@audibletreats.com
Links:
Sueños: official website | instagram | facebook | twitter
MCA Chicago: website | facebook | instagram | twitter