NEW! “Papel Chicano Dos: Works on Paper” Book + Exhibit

The union of visual art to music — the heart of the Chicano lifestyle — is the concept behind “Blazing Chicano Guitars,” a new original art series featuring one-of-a-kind guitars embellished with artwork by artists in Cheech Marin’s renowned Chicano art collection.

Eleven guitars and two ukuleles from the inaugural edition are available for sale through Easy Partners LLC, a NYC-based licensing, merchandise and rights management company. All instruments are adorned with original artwork by an artist selected by Cheech and whose works are represented in his world-famous Chicano art collection.

Each guitar is customized playable fine art, comes with a case, and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Cheech Marin and the artist.

Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection {size doesn’t matter} showcases 70 paintings by 29 painters from this noted art collection.

Marin, the entertainer who is well known for his work in movies, television, and improvisational comedy, has been acquiring art for more than 20 years, and he has amassed one of the renowned collections of Chicano art in private hands. His most recent passion is collecting small paintings averaging 16 inches square and smaller in size. In contrast to other works in his collection representing and promoting the Chicano art movement of the mid-60’s and 70’s, the content of many of these small paintings leans more towards the artist’s internal or personal statement rather than as a response to political, social or cultural situations.

The paintings, which range from photo-realism to abstractions to portraits to landscapes, offer a window into the lives of the artists. Whether showing us a glimpse of their neighborhood as Margaret García does in her expressive paintings of a car wash, hair salon, grocery store and taco shop; or personal interests such as graffiti art, street fashion and underground music that influence the works of Carlos Donjuán; or peppered with mystery and a bit of humor as in Ricardo Ruiz’s four Masotas portraits based on family members; or making a statement about the double standards imposed on Mexican women as Ana Teresa Fernández does in “To Press I” and “To Press II;” or John Valadez’s underwater figure studies painted on ceramic tiles, each artist draws on his or her own upbringing, cultural heritage, education and life experiences for inspiration.

“Menudo: Chicano Art from the Cheech Marin Collection”
Corpus Christi, Texas – South Texas Museum of Art • September 17, 2009 to January 3, 2010

According to Cheech, the term menudo means “a little of this, a little of that.” Through a variety of media and styles, works in “Menudo: Chicano Art from the Cheech Marin Collection” capture the social, political and religious life of Mexican-Americans. The collection consists of pastels, drawings, oils and acrylics. Included are paintings by master artists such as Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero and Patssi Valdez, and well-known Texas artists Benito Huerta, Vincent Valdez, Alex Rubio and Cesar A. Martinez.

Produced to accompany “Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge,” “Chicano Now! American Expressions” is a 5,000-sq.-ft. multimedia exhibition that weaves tradition, history, and humor into interactive expressions of what it means to be Chicano in terms of work, family, style, and identity. The nation’s premiere Chicano performing and independent film artists are featured, including Culture Clash, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Lourdes Portillo, and Gustavo Vazquez. Visitors can select a song on the jukebox, try salsa dancing, get behind the wheel of a lowrider, and learn more about the many contributions Chicanos have made to U.S. culture.

The Chicano Collection: Fine Art Prints by Modern Multiples features archival-quality digital prints (gicleés) of paintings by 26 prominent Chicano artists, including Frank Romero, John Valadez, Patssi Valdez, and Margaret Garcia. Depicting urban life and the Chicano experience between 1969 and 2001, the exhibition is the culmination of a one-year project designed to advance Chicano art as a recognized school of American art and to increase public accessibility to it. In addition to the fine art gicleés, it includes linocut portraits of the artists by artist Artemio Rodriguez and an original 53-minute documentary about Chicano art directed by Tamara Hernandez who also produced it with Melissa Richardson Banks and Heather Flores. Funding was provided for the entire project by Bank of America and Farmers Insurance.

Cheech Marin's Three Jobs | Duke To

Cheech Marin brings his magnetic Chicano art to Museum of Monterey.

I spent a drug-less afternoon with Cheech Marin (of comedy duo Cheech and Chong) in Bordeaux to talk about his Chicano art collection, which was shown at the Musée d’AquitaNYT: BDX-LAX – Cheech’s Chicano Art Collection | jake cigainero

http://cheechmarin.com/chicano-art/

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