Exhibit at Art Museum of South Texas until April 29th
Entertainer and artist Cheech Marin recently brought the spotlight to Corpus Christi, showcasing the work and identity of Chicano artists.
Omar Mickelson, a Collegiate High School senior, met and shook hands with Marin at the opening of the Art Museum of South Texas’ exhibition “Los Tejanos: Chicano Art from the Collection of Cheech Marin.”
“I got to hear this amazing man speak, and watched him share some of his favorite pieces of Chicano art with me and about 100 other people,” Michelson said.
The exhibit features 39 works of art by Texas artists including Jari “Werc” Alvarez, Melesio “Mel” Casas, Carlos Donjuán, Gaspar Enríquez, Jacinto Guevara, Adán Hernández, Benito Huerta, César A. Martínez, Joe Peña, Alex Rubio, Ricardo Ruiz, Marta Sánchez, Vincent Valdez and Andy A. Villarreal.
The collection emphasizes the Chicano movement’s contributions to the art world. The exhibit soley highlights Tejano artists, placing Texas in the international art history platform.
Unlike other Chicano artwork, the Los Tejanos collection focuses primarily on contemporary art, showing what people are facing in life today.
Collegiate High School senior Stanley Uzoigwe, who interns at the Art Museum of South Texas, experienced the exhibit himself and believes it’s important for the community to support art.
“It’s through the arts that all communities including Corpus are exposed to new perspectives. This is important because with these new perspectives comes new ideas,” Uzoigwe said.
The collection will show until April 29.
Marin’s art collection includes over 700 works of Chicano art, making it the largest Chicano art collection in the United States.
Art News recognized Marin among the top 200 art collectors globally in 2017.
The Chicano art movement, beginning in the 1960s, was a sociopolitical movement by Mexican-Americans organizing into a unified voice to create change for their people.
Uzoigwe, who plans to pursue a career in graphic design, recognizes the significance of the civil rights movements, including the Chicano Movement in South Texas.
“Cheech Marin’s collection introduces our community to Tejano-inspired pieces that continue to broaden the horizons of those who view them.”
