Posted on Dec 21, 2022
Cheech Marin, comedian and art collector, on the new museum that bears his name
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Richard "Cheech" Marin, of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, is not only renowned for stoner comedies — he's also an aficionado of Chicano art, which he started collecting around 1985. "It's an addiction," he said. "Hi, my name is Cheech, and I'm an art addict."
Marin said his addiction is "about love of the subject."
"I've been a collector of anything since I was a little kid - marbles, baseball cards, stamps, anything," he told CBS News.
Marin's success as part of the comedy team, and other acting roles, allowed him to invest in his passion. "I was the perfect storm," he said. "I knew what the art was, I had money to collect it, and I had celebrity in order to proselytize for it."
Chicano art, according to Marin, isn't a style of painting; it's more of a flavor of the Mexican American community.
Marin said his addiction is "about love of the subject."
"I've been a collector of anything since I was a little kid - marbles, baseball cards, stamps, anything," he told CBS News.
Marin's success as part of the comedy team, and other acting roles, allowed him to invest in his passion. "I was the perfect storm," he said. "I knew what the art was, I had money to collect it, and I had celebrity in order to proselytize for it."
Chicano art, according to Marin, isn't a style of painting; it's more of a flavor of the Mexican American community.
Cheech Marin, comedian and art collector, on the new museum that bears his name
Posted from cbsnews.com
Art
Riverside
Culture
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel there's worse addictions...
..."Then in 2017, the city of Riverside, with a population more than 50% Latino, wanted to find a new mission for its old library — and came to Marin.
"Yes, that is the part that I never expected. And I didn't understand what they were saying at first. 'You want me to buy a museum? I'm doing pretty good, but I don't know if I'm museum rich!' 'No, no, we wanna give you the museum. You give us the collection and we'll take care of it.' OK. Let's go! Jump off the cliff, and away we went."
After a nearly $13 million renovation, The Cheech was born.
Marin was asked how it felt to be greeted by visitors praising the collection. "It's beyond the dream, you know? I never dreamed this dream. It's too big a dream."
But how does it rank with his movies and comedy?
"I'm equally proud of both," he said. "But the pride that emanates from this one is beyond anything."
Marin is still making movies — three in the last year alone, including the romantic comedy "Shotgun Wedding."
And he's still collecting.
"Yeah, I don't even try not to," he laughed. "I'm not a zillionaire and say, 'Hey, send over two tons of that art,' you know? That's why I work all the time. I'm working, 'Oh, I can get that painting.' Because there's still masterpieces of Chicano art being made by the best artists right now. But there's no greater joy than standing in front of a new painting like, 'Wow, is that cool!' You know, that's the best part of it."
..."Then in 2017, the city of Riverside, with a population more than 50% Latino, wanted to find a new mission for its old library — and came to Marin.
"Yes, that is the part that I never expected. And I didn't understand what they were saying at first. 'You want me to buy a museum? I'm doing pretty good, but I don't know if I'm museum rich!' 'No, no, we wanna give you the museum. You give us the collection and we'll take care of it.' OK. Let's go! Jump off the cliff, and away we went."
After a nearly $13 million renovation, The Cheech was born.
Marin was asked how it felt to be greeted by visitors praising the collection. "It's beyond the dream, you know? I never dreamed this dream. It's too big a dream."
But how does it rank with his movies and comedy?
"I'm equally proud of both," he said. "But the pride that emanates from this one is beyond anything."
Marin is still making movies — three in the last year alone, including the romantic comedy "Shotgun Wedding."
And he's still collecting.
"Yeah, I don't even try not to," he laughed. "I'm not a zillionaire and say, 'Hey, send over two tons of that art,' you know? That's why I work all the time. I'm working, 'Oh, I can get that painting.' Because there's still masterpieces of Chicano art being made by the best artists right now. But there's no greater joy than standing in front of a new painting like, 'Wow, is that cool!' You know, that's the best part of it."
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