The Cheech: a vibrant celebration of Chicano art in SoCal’s Riverside

Story & Photos by Barbara Kerr

Most people probably know Cheech Marin from his work in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong and as Don Johnson’s partner on the tv series “Nash Bridges.” But Richard Anthony “Cheech” Marin is an American comedian, actor, musician, activist – and one of the world’s foremost collectors of Chicano art.

Welcome to The Cheech

In June 2022, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum opened its doors: a public-private partnership between Marin, the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) and the City of Riverside, California.

Evolving Exhibits

Exhibits will evolve over time. On the first floor of the museum, “Cheech Collects” was the inaugural exhibition, featuring almost 120 works from Marin’s gift of over 500 works to the Riverside Art Museum as well as pieces from his personal collection. 

The second floor also features rotating exhibitions. They have included “MexiCali Biennial: Art, Action, Exchanges” and “Land of Milk & Honey,” a traveling multidisciplinary arts and culture program featuring works by over 40 artists focusing on concepts of agriculture in the regions of California and Mexico. 

(Honey, Honey, Honey) Chanting the Failure of the Promised Land by Juan Bastardo

Sangre, Sudor, y Amore- Hunger for the American Dream by Janet Diaz

Plan your visit

Leaders at The Cheech predicted that 100,000 people would visit during the museum’s inaugural year. By January 2023, more than 88,000 people had already explored the museum. Tickets to view the art may be purchased online here.

It’s a Brown World After All by Elroy Torrez—portrait of museum founder and Chicano Art Collector Cheech Marin

As Cheech Marin has said: “Together, we hope to bring every aspect of Chicano art to this region as well as the rest of the world. We have something wonderful to give.”

Barbara Kerr is a freelance communication specialist with a passion for writing about people, the arts and special events. Inducted into the Dayton (Ohio) Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame, she is a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows.