Cheech Marin on Chicano Art, Activism, and Surviving the Palisades Fire
Cheech Marin, comedian and founder of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, California, discusses the museum's mission and its current exhibition 'We the People: Chicano Art in the USA' (until 23 May 2027). The show, curated by Benito Huerta, features works addressing immigration and cultural pride, such as Lalo Alcaraz's 'Summer of ICE' (2025) and Vincent Valdez's 'Hello America' (2025). Marin asserts that Chicano art is integral to American art. The museum opened four years ago from Marin's personal collection, which toured over 50 museums. Marin also recounts surviving the Palisades Fire, which destroyed his block but spared his home. He draws parallels between art and activism, citing Picasso's 'Guernica' and his own involvement in the 1967 Vietnam Resistance Day protest in Los Angeles. The Cheech aims to become an international destination.
Key facts
- Cheech Marin turned 80 on 13 July.
- The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture opened four years ago at the Riverside Art Museum in California.
- The exhibition 'We the People: Chicano Art in the USA' runs until 23 May 2027.
- Benito Huerta curated the exhibition.
- Lalo Alcaraz's painting 'Summer of ICE' (2025) is based on a GoFundMe photo of a detained paleta seller.
- Marin's collection toured to more than 50 museums before the center opened.
- The Palisades Fire destroyed Marin's entire block except his house and one neighbor's.
- Marin participated in the 1967 Vietnam Resistance Day protest in Los Angeles.
- The museum's inaugural show 'Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective' toured with the National Museum of the American Latino.
- Republican members of Congress attempted to defund the National Museum of the American Latino.
Entities
Artists
- Cheech Marin
- Benito Huerta
- Lalo Alcaraz
- Benjamin Muñoz
- Vincent Valdez
- Jorge R. Gutierrez
- De la Torre brothers
- Pablo Picasso
- Alejandro Macias
- Sonia Romero
- José Lozano
- Chaz Bojórquez
- Alejandro Macías
- George Yepes
- Carlos Almaraz
- Frank Romero
- Yolanda Fauvet
- Paulina H. Marroquín
Institutions
- Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture
- Riverside Art Museum
- National Museum of the American Latino
- Smithsonian
- The Art Newspaper
- The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture
- Glasstire
Locations
- Riverside
- California
- United States
- Los Angeles
- Mexico
- Beverly Hills
- Century Plaza Hotel
- Rancho Park
- Dresden
- San Diego