Que Viva Paco
Carlos Frésquez: Que Viva Paco
Paco Sanchez Park
1290 Knox Court, 3240 W. 14th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204
Permanent installation
Admission: free
Review by Paloma Jimenez
Paco Sanchez Park, named after a vital member of the community who in 1954 brought Denver its first Spanish language radio station, buzzes with inviting energy. The park’s design honors his legacy, featuring a microphone shaped playground tower, music note footholds, a bridge adorned with tinkling chimes, and rolling hills reminiscent of sound waves. Joyous shouts from the playground and soccer field provide a lively soundtrack. In the middle of it all, the steel sculpture Que Viva Paco by Carlos Frésquez spins the story of Francisco “Paco” Sanchez’s legacy.
A view of Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco at Paco Sanchez Park in Denver. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
A detail view of blue record in Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco at Paco Sanchez Park. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Three interlocking records balance atop one another in a vertical dance. On the red, white, and blue surface of the discs, yellow labels detail significant moments from his life in lieu of a track list.
A view of Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco at Paco Sanchez Park showing the side of the work featuring the colors of the Mexican flag. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
A detail view of the red record in Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco featuring a sunflower motif at the center. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
The same information appears in Spanish on the reverse, painted red, white, and green for the Mexican flag of his birthplace. A sunflower faces the sun on the label of the topmost record, symbolic of Sanchez’s aspirational efforts.
A view of the base of Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco with text that is a timeline of Paco Sanchez’s life. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
The grooves of each record depict line engravings of the ever-changing city skyline that he helped shape. At the base of the sculpture, Frésquez provides more insight into Sanchez’s life. A spiraling timeline, beginning with his birth in Guadalajara, reveals that his story could fill the surface of many more records still.
A detail view of the white record in Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco at Paco Sanchez Park. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Sanchez was committed to working with the city to uplift his community, founding the Good Americans Association to provide accessible banking for Latinos and low-income housing. Additionally, he was a commissioner of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, helped found the Latin American Educational Organization, and even served in the Colorado House of Representatives.
A view of Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture Que Viva Paco at Paco Sanchez Park in Denver. Image by Paloma Jimenez.
Celebratory from afar and touchingly informative up close, Carlos Frésquez’s sculpture expresses the core of Sanchez’s life mission: that music and accessible programming can inspire real social change, uplifting communities into more prosperous futures.
Paloma Jimenez (she/her) is an Editorial Coordinator at DARIA and an artist, writer, and teacher. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and has been featured in international publications. She received her BA from Vassar College and her MFA from Parsons School of Design.
