‘Chicano art is American art’
Richard "Cheech" Marin, an actor and preeminent Chicano art advocate, will discuss his private art collection at “Chicano Art: Perspectives of an Art Advocate,” at The University of Texas at Arlington on April 13.
Marin’s presentation is part of the Center for Mexican American Studies’ (CMAS) Distinguished Speaker series. Marin will share his experiences as a collector of Chicano art at 6:30 p.m. in the Rosebud Theater at the University Center.
Marin began developing his extensive collection of Chicano, or Mexican American, art in the mid-1980s. Exhibitions curated from his collection have toured at more than 50 major art museums across the United States and Europe.
"Chicano art is American art,” Marin said. “My goal is to bring the term 'Chicano' to the forefront of the art world."
Marin also has a partnership with the city of Riverside, California, and the Riverside Art Museum to create the National Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture, and Industry, known as "The Cheech." Slated to open this summer, The Cheech will become the permanent home for his more than 700 works of Chicano art, including paintings, sculptures, and photography. Collectively, it will be considered the most renowned Chicano art collection in the United States.
"This year’s distinguished lecture is a great opportunity to showcase to our Latino students, faculty, staff, alumni and community at large the major contributions of Chicano artists through Cheech Marin, the most distinguished collector of Chicano art in the country," said Christian Zlolniski, CMAS director and professor of anthropology.
The distinguished speaker event is co-sponsored by CMAS, UTA’s Art and Art History Department and the department’s Visiting Artist Committee. Email monica.lopez@uta.edu for an in-person reservation or the livestream link.