Love Letters in Secret Gardens: Highland Park and East Liberty is a psychogeographic walk led by artist Carolina Loyola-Garcia that explores the emotional and social landscapes of these Pittsburgh neighborhoods through the lens of amorous letters and secluded garden spaces. Participants traverse a carefully designed route, incorporating back alleys and intimate green spaces, to engage with themes of memory, identity, and affection. The walk draws inspiration from Madeleine de Scudery’s 17th-century “Map of Love,” prompting walkers to reflect on their personal histories and relationships as they move through the environment.

During the approximately 1-mile journey, attendees are invited to respond to prompts that encourage introspection on remembrance and emotional mapping, potentially creating drafts of letters and corresponding gestures. The event’s format blends physical movement with participatory exercises that connect individual experiences to broader patterns of social interaction and urban place-making. As a multidisciplinary artist, Loyola-Garcia integrates storytelling and spatial exploration to reveal the layered narratives embedded in East Liberty and Highland Park’s gardens and pathways.