It is a serious art collection built on comedy.
Actor Cheech Marin is often quoted as saying, "Our first gig was a battle of the bands. We did 45 minutes of comedy and never played a note - and we won!"
Some generations know him for his hilarious "Cheech and Chong" movies and recordings. Others recognize him for his years along side Don Johnson on "Nash Bridges." Kids know his voice from the animated films, like "The Lion King" and "Cars." His nearly four decades in moving images are now punctuated with a renowned collection of images that move others.
Cheech Marin has amassed one of the most exciting and expressive collections of Chicano Art in the country. And you can see some of his favorite pieces over the next few months in Mesa.
The Mesa Arts Center Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting the actor and his art to kick off their tenth season in their permanent home in downtown Mesa. Cheech was one of the first big names to grace the stage at MAC when they opened in 2005. To celebrate their first decade, he is kicking off this year's season with a talk about Hollywood and his collection on September 10. That event is sold out. But the following night, Mesa Arts Center will host their Latin Street Festival unveiling the art show to the public that will include a concert with Los Lonely Boys, Ballet Hispanico and a car show featuring low riders and live pinstriping.
The Latin Street Festival is free to the public. You can see all that MAC has planned here: mesaartscenter.com/index.php/museum/upcoming-art-exhibits/FallOpening.
Cheech's collection covers three galleries and will be on display until January 24, 2016. In the collection you can see the evolution of Chicano art as well as profound messages of the importance of family, cultural pride, immigration and assimilation. The Mesa Arts Center is located in downtown Mesa at the corner of Main and Center. It now has it's own light rail stop.
