Cheech Marin is best known as one half of the hilariously irreverent duo of Cheech and Chong. While primarily known as an actor, director, and performer, he has developed what is arguably the finest private collection of Chicano art in the world. Since he started collecting in the late 1980s, to date, he has accumulated over 700 works of art; the majority of which are paintings followed by prints, mixed-media works, and sculptures. Marin declares, “Chicano art is American art. My goal is to bring the term ‘Chicano’ to the forefront of the art world.” This objective led to his producing and touring of exhibitions featuring works from his collection, starting in 2001 with Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge, which drew record attendance at the 15 venues during its six-year national tour.
