The Art Museum of South Texas, located in Corpus Christi, has a special exhibit running now through April 29. The collection features a sample of Chicano Art from the collection of Cheech Marin, founder of the comedy-duo, “Cheech & Chong.” The exhibit features the works of Tejano artists and has proven to be a popular exhibit for the museum.
Lifestyle
Corpus Christi Art Museum Features the Tejano Art Collection of Cheech Marin
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Marin Has a Notable Collection
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Marin, an actor, comedian, writer and art collector, began collecting Chicano art during the height of his comedy career and has amassed a notable collection, numbering over 700 works of Chicano art, making it the largest Chicano art collection in the United States. The works in his collection, created over the past 25 years, include images and subjects rooted in historical references, yet in contemporary terms, are just as powerful and meaningful today. Marin started collecting Chicano art in the 1980s. He feels that it’s important to “use his celebrity status to call attention to what he saw as an under-appreciated and under-represented style of art.”
“A Regional and International” Collection
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Marin told The Bend Magazine recently that this collection includes exclusively Tejano Chicano paintings. According to Marin, “every single one of the artists is from Texas and it is a different kind of thing. It’s a separate category—they cross over, but they are different. It is regional and international at the same time.”
‘Los Tejanos: Chicano Art from the Collection of Cheech Marin’
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“Los Tejanos: Chicano Art from the Collection of Cheech Marin” presents 39 works of art by the 14 Texas artists currently represented in the most renowned collection of its kind including: Jari “Werc” Alvarez, Melesio (Mel) Casas, Carlos Donjuán, Gaspar Enríquez, Jacinto Guevara, Adán Hernández, Benito Huerta, César A. Martínez, Joe Peña, Alex Rubio, Ricardo Ruiz, Marta Sánchez, Vincent Valdez, and Andy A. Villarreal.
The Art Museum of South Texas opened in 1972, underwent a major expansion in 2006, designed by internationally renowned architect Ricardo Legorreta, doubled the gallery and exhibition space of the Art Museum. The expansion was funded by private sector donations and community support. To learn more about The Art Museum of South Texas and the Los Tejanos: Chicano Art from the Collection of Cheech Marin” exhibit, visit the website for the museum.
