“Life-Sized Bronze Statue Honors Chicano Art Advocate Cheech Marin”
**”Meet Me at The Cheech”: Celebrating Cheech Marin and Chicano Art Through Bronze**
On November 19, 2023, a life-sized bronze statue celebrating actor, comedian, and Chicano art collector Cheech Marin was unveiled outside the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture in Riverside, California. Titled *”Meet Me at The Cheech,”* the statue depicts Marin with open arms, symbolizing a warm welcome to visitors of the center and emphasizing the spirit of inclusivity central to Chicano culture and the arts. This unveiling not only honors Marin’s legacy but also underscores the growing recognition of Chicano art as a vital part of the American cultural fabric.
### **A Monument to an Advocate of Chicano Art**
The Cheech Marin Center, often affectionately referred to simply as *”The Cheech,”* opened in June 2022 and is a significant cultural institution dedicated to Chicano culture. The center showcases Marin’s personal art collection, which is considered the largest known private collection of Chicano art in the world. Featuring paintings, drawings, sculptures, and more, the collection highlights the diverse stories, struggles, and perspectives of Chicano artists.
The new statue stands as a gateway to the center, welcoming visitors to explore the vibrant and dynamic artwork housed within. With Marin as a devoted advocate for artists from underserved and underrecognized communities, the center—and now its statue—serves as a hub for education, appreciation, and the ongoing preservation of Chicano heritage.
In a private dedication ceremony, the statue was unveiled before an audience of supporters and contributors, including people from the Riverside community and the art world. Esteemed mariachi bands performed, adding to the celebratory atmosphere of the event.
### **The Creator: Ignacio Gómez’s Commitment to Cultural Representation**
*Meet Me at The Cheech* was created by acclaimed East Los Angeles artist Ignacio Gómez, whose work has long centered on elevating Chicano and Latine culture. A celebrated artist and activist, Gómez is known for his murals, monuments, and posters that honor key figures and movements within the community. His poster for Luis Valdez’s famed play *Zoot Suit* is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, and his larger-than-life sculptures—like the tribute to labor leader Cesar Chavez—are iconic emblems of Chicano history.
For this work, Gómez meticulously crafted the sculpture based on sketches and photographs of Cheech Marin, ensuring that every detail authentically represented the larger-than-life personality and cultural contributions of the subject.
“I’ve been a fan of Cheech for the longest time, and a few of my works are in the museum,” Gómez remarked. The opportunity to create a statue for a cultural institution like the Cheech Marin Center was deeply personal and meaningful to Gómez, who grew up immersed in the culture and history he now honors through his art.
### **A Lasting Vision of Legacy**
The project was spearheaded and supported by Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, a former president of the Riverside Art Museum’s board, who conceptualized the artwork to embody the spirit of community and creativity that Marin represents. Tragically, Valdez-Yeager passed away earlier this year, and her involvement in the statue has become her “final and lasting contribution to the community she loved,” according to a statement from the museum. Her vision of celebrating Chicano art and culture through public art has now been immortalized in bronze.
### **Embracing Chicano Art and Its Story**
The bronze sculpture resounds as a broader message of the resilience, creativity, and enduring relevance of Chicano art. As an actor and comedian, Cheech Marin gained international fame through his comedy duo *Cheech & Chong,* but his lifelong passion for art has etched another legacy—one as a champion for artists often sidelined by mainstream institutions. With *The Cheech* serving as a permanent home for his collection, Marin continues to shine a spotlight on the vitality of Chicano art.
This unveiling is not just a celebration of one man but of a cultural movement that has fought for recognition through the years. Chicano art is steeped in themes like social justice, identity, and immigrant experiences, all of which resonate across communities in the United States and beyond.
### **Conclusion: Bronze as a Beacon of Inclusion**
*”Meet Me at The Cheech”* stands as an enduring symbol of the power of art to unite, educate, and inspire. Together with the Cheech Marin Center’s growing programs and exhibitions, the statue invites visitors of all backgrounds to engage with the stories and experiences that have shaped Chicano culture. It celebrates not only Marin’s contributions but also the talented hands and voices behind an art form that has historically been marginalized.
Cheech Marin once said, “Art is the soul of every community.” Through this statue, his soul—and the soul of Chicano art—is outstretched to welcome the world.