The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum May 27, 2023 - May 12, 2024
”News from the front” is the unifying theme in Cheech Collects, the cornerstone exhibition at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum designed to be updated annually. The latest iteration of Cheech Collects offers nearly 90 artworks by almost 40 artists drawn from Cheech Marin’s gift of more than 500 works to the Riverside Art Museum, loans from his personal collection, and a recent acquisition by Riverside Art Museum. The exhibition is on view at The Cheech through Sunday, May 12, 2024.
Building upon the foundation of its inaugural edition, the latest iteration of the exhibition features bold and vibrant works, reflecting a wide range of Chicana/o/x experiences. Depicting physical neighborhoods, social gatherings, and critical events, the exhibition reveals a phenomenon that Marin refers to as “news from the front.” In line with the museum’s deep commitment to continue growing the collection, the exhibition features some newly acquired works to The Cheech Center Collection from other donors, while keeping many of the notable, historical works that have drawn people from across the country to The Cheech in its inaugural year.
The exhibition also marks the launch of The Cheech’s first research initiative designed to give more insight into the artists, their work, and their invaluable contributions to American Art History. In addition, it is expected to inform Riverside Art Museum on future acquisitions. Overwhelmingly, visitors and supporters of The Cheech have said that the center “feels like home” – a space that embraces the cultural production and contributions of Chicanas/os/x. The Cheech will continue to honor communities that, though rarely represented as such in mainstream museum spaces, are deeply artistically meaningful.
This year’s featured artists are Cande Aguilar (barrioPOP), Carlos Almaraz, Michael Álvarez, Chaz Bojórquez, David Botello, Eduardo Carrillo, Alfredo de Batuc, Carlos Donjuán, Gaspar Enríquez, Emmanuel Gálvez, Margaret García, Yolanda González, Jacinto Guevara, Roberto Gutiérrez, Wayne Alaniz Healy, Adán Hernández, Benito Huerta, Leo Limón, Gilbert “Magu” Luján, José Montoya, Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, Francisco Palomares, Wenceslao Quiroz, Frank Romero, Sonia Romero, Alex Rubio, Ricardo Ruiz, Shizu Saldamando, Marta Sánchez, Eloy Torrez, John M. Valadez, Paul Valadez, Patssi Valdez, George Yepes, and Jaime “Germs” Zacarías.