It was obvious something spurred in the community. It spoke to a need

June 19, 2022 1:06 PM

Always a collector, Cheech Marin brings his art to Riverside The museum is a first, not just for Marin but for the nation. It’s considered the only permanent art space to exclusively showcase Chicano and Mexican American art in the country.

THE CHEECH
A Worldwide
Home for Chicano Art.

How Cheech Marin’s Forthcoming Art Center Is Changing the Game for Chicanx Art
What does Rembrandt’s Night Watch have to do with Chicanx art? For actor and comedian Cheech Marin, it was the inspiration for building a collection that could one day be the basis for a museum.

Papel Chicano Dos: Works on Paper from the Collection of Cheech Marin presents 65 artworks by 25 established and emerging artists. Their work demonstrates a myriad of techniques from watercolor and aquatint to pastel and mixed media, dates from the late 1980s to present day, and offers iconic imagery with influences ranging from pre-Hispanic symbols and post-revolutionary nationalistic Mexican motifs to Chicano movement of the 1960s and contemporary urban culture.

posted by ActingTheGoat (9 comments total)

In his memoir, Cheech talked about his passion for collecting Chicano art (sidenote: it was a great book, and worth tracking down the audio version). It's so cool to see this happen.
posted by RakDaddy at 2:20 PM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Back in the early 2000s in LA there was this semi-upscale Mexican restaurant where my coworkers and I used to like to go for lunch. It had the most extraordinary art on the walls, and at one point the waitress explained it was all from Cheech's collection. The restaurant closed and I thought about that art a lot -- can't wait to go see it in this new museum.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:30 PM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

I just saw a short piece on this on the local CBS affiliate. Cheech said he was unsure whether he really wanted to open a museum but when he heard that the proposed site was 61,420 square feet he decided that the "420" in that figure was a sign from above. Definitely on my bucket list!
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 6:47 PM on June 19, 2022 [2 favorites]

I feel like I heard about this being planned, like, 5 years ago on The Frame, back when that was a part of my podcast schedule. I'm super glad to see it coming to completion, and I hope it is super popular and becomes a source for culture and continuing inspiration and education.
posted by hippybear at 7:21 PM on June 19, 2022

Can't remember where I heard the interview, maybe Latino USA on NPR? Anyway, it was at least 15 years ago. Cheech was talking about his art collection, his passion for the history and the comminity it creates, and said that friends had started calling him de Medicheech. I loved that, and it's always stuck with me.
posted by rp at 9:08 PM on June 19, 2022 [6 favorites]

Nice work, Cheech.

It is a great, a priceless collection and he had folks like René Yañez advising him along the way.
posted by vacapinta at 5:48 AM on June 20, 2022

I am really looking forward to being able to visit this.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:48 AM on June 20, 2022

This news makes my soul sing!
posted by calgirl at 9:10 AM on June 21, 2022

Ooh, it's a half mile walk from the train station!
Oh, Metrolink doesn't run the Riverside Line on weekends. Damn.
Re: Cheech's book. I know some of y'all aren't fond of Audible, but you can find it there.
posted by luckynerd at 8:44 AM on June 22, 2022