The Cheech Marin Center For Chicano Art & Culture

WORDS BY MANO MIRANDÉ PHOTOS BY ZACH CORDNER

Todd Wingate, Director of Exhibitions and Collections.

Touring The Cheech under construction.

As I entered through the loading dock behind the soon-to-be completed Cheech Center, my eyes quickly darted around the gallery floor, taking in a rare glimpse of the museum’s interior prior to its official June 18th opening. Large wooden crates were stacked throughout the room, filled with works of countless Chicano artists from decades both past and present. Vibrant canvases had been carefully placed along the base of the gallery’s empty walls, where they’d eventually hang upon final approval from the museum’s curators, and Cheech himself. I recognized works from known Chicano artists like Chaz Bojorquez, Carlos Almaraz, and Sandy Rodriguez, along with the famed portrait of Cheech Marin painted by Eloy Torrez in the adjoining room. The enormity and impact this center will inevitably have on the Riverside community and beyond swept over me, and I was filled with anticipation for the purpose of my visit—the unique opportunity of interviewing the very person responsible for this collection, Cheech Marin. While much of the general public may only know Cheech for his role as half of the reefer-smoking comedy duo “Cheech and Chong” from their films of the late 70s and 1980s, what many don’t know is that Cheech has been an avid collector of Chicano art for the past four decades, and has tirelessly advocated for its legitimacy and visibility within the fine art community and a global audience as well. It’s been his undying vision and passion to bring recognition and praise to these Chicano artists whose work has traditionally been overlooked and ignored. The importance of these artists’ work is immeasurable. They not only give a voice to the Chicano experience and the countless struggles their community has long endured through racism, violence, and social injustice, but also bring to life its rich history and celebrate their proud heritage and vibrant culture. Despite overwhelming acceptance and public support for the museum, some of the local community remains largely unaware of Cheech’s significance as a collector and advocate for Chicano Art outside of his role as a comedic actor. Because of these misconceptions and the community’s fondness for the site’s historical significance and unique architectural design, plans for the Public Library’s renovation into “The Cheech” were initially met with some apprehension and opposition to its legitimacy. Riverside’s residents value their city’s identity, and proudly defend against compromising its integrity—and rightfully so. But rest assured, both Cheech and his partners in The Riverside Art Museum are aware of these public concerns. They recognize the importance of informing its residents of the project’s intentions and goals, as well as the positive impact it’ll have on the local community and global recognition it will undoubtedly receive. Cheech has

Cheech on the refurbished staircase.

The Cheech wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of the museum's Artistic Director Maria Esther Fernandez.

firmly stood behind his lifelong mantra: “You can’t love or hate Chicano Art unless you see it,” and that’s exactly what he intends to achieve with the opening of The Cheech Center for Chicano Art here in downtown Riverside. When Cheech arrived, he was greeted by the museum’s Artistic Director María Esther Fernández and then escorted him inside the gallery. He casually strolled into the museum’s main lobby with a charming smile and calm demeanor, pausing to admire the enormous two-story “Coatlicue” installation crafted by the De La Torre brothers, closely examining its brightly lit holographic, “lenticular” composition and ornate framework. After taking a few moments to kindly meet the other guests awaiting his arrival, he slowly made his way over to where I was nervously standing and gently reached out his hand to greet me. I introduced myself as we sat down for the interview—opening with the question I imagined was on most of the local community’s mind, “Why Riverside?” With a slight chuckle and a shrug, he simply replied, “Because they asked me.” He explained that the idea for the center was presented to him by former Riverside City Manager John Russo in 2016. Cheech admitted he was somewhat confused by the proposal and its purpose, “I’ve come to the realization that there’s nothing more expensive than a free gift,” he laughed, explaining his initial apprehension. “Wait, you want me to buy a museum for the city?” he asked, jokingly adding, “I’m doing well, but I don’t think I’m doing ‘museum’ well.” Russo and his team clarified the concept of the center, explaining that the scheduled renovation of the old Riverside Public Library in partnership with The Riverside Art Museum would provide the perfect opportunity to become a permanent home for a large portion of Cheech’s personal collection of Chicano Art—the largest collection in existence in the world. With this clarification, Cheech excitedly accepted the proposal, and with that, plans for the museum were set into motion. When asked if he had any prior experience or history with Riverside and the Inland Empire, Cheech responded, “No not really. I hadn’t really been out this way before the Papel Chicano Show”—an exhibit hosted by The Riverside Art Museum that featured 65 works from 24 Chicano Artists from Cheech’s private collection in February of 2016. The exhibit and his relationship with the RAM, was the catalyst from which the idea for The Cheech would emerge, and the project was proposed to him prior to the show’s closing four months later. “I was able to walk around and check out the area during the show and thought, ‘Hey, this is a really cool place.’ It just had this unique feel to it and a genuine sense of community, and I thought, ‘You couldn’t make up a better arts town than this.’ So, when they asked me to do The Cheech here in Riverside, I was excited. I really believed that this could become the new center for Chicano Art in the world, and an international art and culture destination.” Cheech recalled having an interest in art since he was only a child. “Being raised Catholic, my earliest memories of art was sitting in church and looking up at all the paintings and just admiring them. There were all these guys, you know, in robes and clouds and everything, and there was always some guy in the corner being barbequed,” he laughed. At only eleven years old, he explained how he began selfeducating himself in art. “I had a group of cousins I was close with and we were all good students and academic achievers who had different interests that weren’t taught in school, so we sort of made up our own AP classes where we could learn more and teach each other about different subjects. My cousin Louie said to me, ‘Hey Cheech, you’re gonna learn about art,’ so I’d go to the library and check out books about all the classic painters and go back to share what I learned. That’s when my true understanding of art really began.” This became the foundation for Cheech’s love of art, but it wasn’t until he began achieving success as a young comedic actor that he’d be financially capable of purchasing works of Chicano Art and begun his personal collection—a collection which has impressively amassed over 700 pieces today. “It was pretty much just ‘right guy, right place, right time.’ I had become a fan of Chicano Art, going to galleries in the West Side of Los Angeles in the early 80s. I immediately recognized these artists’ talent, especially having my prior education in art and knowing what good art was. But I thought, ‘Hey these guys are really good. Why aren’t they being shown in bigger galleries and museums? I had the money to buy it at the time, so I really just started collecting to help support these artists.” After developing personal relationships with many of these Chicano artists as his collection grew over the years, Cheech realized the importance of sharing these works with the world. “My friends would tell me, ‘Hey, it’s not doing any good owning all this art if it’s just going to stay tucked away under the bed, or in the closet, or in storage—you gotta show it,” and with this, Cheech’s passion and dedication to sharing his collection with the world began. He

Cheech speaking to the crowd before Los Lobos performs at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium.

has since shown works in over 50 venues across the globe, and over 500 of these works will now have a permanent home here at The Cheech, where he hopes to “bring the world to Riverside, and Riverside to the world.” Five years after the initial proposal, and after numerous delays—construction of the $10.7 million project began in 2021. Largely funded by private donations and grants, the renovation of the nearly 62,000 square foot two-story structure reached completion in May of 2022, just prior to its public opening in June 2022. Along with the previously mentioned public misconceptions about the renovation of the site of the old Public Library into “The Cheech,” concerns regarding the original building’s integrity and architectural value were also brought into question when plans for reconstruction began. Despite a noticeably rapid increase in recent urban development throughout the city, Riverside’s identity and unique charm has managed to remain intact. Historic buildings like The Mission Inn, The Fox Theater, and The Riverside Municipal Auditorium have all been given new life through careful attention to preservation of these structures’ historical and architectural integrity. The Cheech is no exception. With careful consideration for the building’s cultural significance, developers were not only able to preserve the existing structure, rather than demolish and replace it with a new building, but meticulous efforts were also made to maintain much of the original design elements during renovation—both inside and out. While the exterior of the building remains largely untouched, minute details of the interior were also given special attention—from the refurbished wooden staircase and original Mid-Century light fixtures, down to the original vintage door handles. The Cheech will also be much more than a home for his art collection. Visitors will have access to workshops for all ages, curatorial and educational programs, and additional galleries featuring works from Chicano Artists outside of Cheech’s collection. The upstairs gallery will host rotating exhibits showcasing works of specific Chicano artists, beginning with “Collidoscope: De La Torre Brothers RetroPerspecitve,” on display through January 2023. The Altura Community Gallery located at the museum’s entrance will highlight works from emerging local Chicano artists. Curated by Cosme Cordova—known for his extensive contributions to the local art community—the gallery’s purpose is to recognize and empower local artists and provide a platform to gain exposure for their artistic talents. The resources provided by The Cheech will not only add to the museum’s significance to the Riverside community, but further the advancement of the Chicano Art movement on an international level as well. As we wrapped up our interview, Cheech took the time to pose for a photo shoot before heading off to rest for the Benefit Concert for The Cheech at The Riverside Municipal Auditorium later that evening. As I stood among the nearly 1,800 concert goers that night attending the event to show support for the new center and their love for Cheech himself, the crowd roared in applause as he took the stage to introduce East L.A. Chicano Rock legends Los Lobos. “Tell us about your vision,” asked famed host Mr. Blue of KUCR’s Radio Atzlán. “Well, my vision’s getting a little blurry as I get older,” Cheech comedically replied, as the crowd broke out in laughter. “But seriously, I’ve been doing this for a very long time. I’ve shown these works all around the world for over 30 years, and I couldn’t be prouder than to have found a home for them here in Riverside, and I hope to make all of you proud, too.” The amount of joy and laughter Cheech Marin has brought to the world through his comedy, and the love and dedication he has tirelessly given to the Chicano Art movement throughout his lifetime is unmatched. He has reached into the hearts of so many and given hope and opportunity to those he knew deserved it. Riverside is blessed to have The Cheech become a part of our community, and if we can give back even a fraction of the love he has shown by supporting it—then Cheech’s dreams will have become a reality.

The Cheech Center’s grand opening is on June 18th. The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is located at 3425 Mission Inn Avenue riversideartmuseum.org @thecheechcenter