Chicano art museum is a hit

“The Cheech” had a very good first year.

The Riverside Museum devoted exclusively to Chicano art and culture attracted 100,000 visitors during its first 12 months in operation, about 30 percent more than its goal, according to a statement.

Opened June 18, 2022, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture features more than 500 pieces from the actor-comedian’s private collection. It’s a partnership between Riverside, the art museum and Marin.

“The overwhelmingly positive response has exceeded our expectations,” said Drew Oberjuerge, executive director of the Riverside Art Museum, in the statement. “It is inspiring how transformation can occur when a group of people come together to uplift and celebrate the human experience through art.”

A ceremony was held June 18 to mark the museum’s first anniversary.

“Everywhere I go, everyone tells me how the museum is impacting them — they’re taking their mother, their grandmother, their entire family — and how they want to come back two or three more times,” Marin said in the statement.

Riverside is working on a study to show how The Cheech Marin Center has affected the city’s economy, according to the statement.