EL PASO, Texas – For the first time in Texas, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) presents the Papel Chicano Dos: Works on Paper from the Collection of Cheech Marin exhibit that will be on view from February 16 through June 17. Here is the information provided by the museum:
The exhibition features 65 works from the esteemed private collection of actor, comedian, and philanthropist Cheech Marin. It explores Chicano identity from the Chicano Revolution to the present day. As a collector, Marin is dedicated to bringing Chicano art to the forefront of the American art scene.
Using pastels, watercolors, acrylic and spray paint, each of the artists explore universal themes of identity, political and social revolution and the experience of living between and within many cultures. The exhibition includes large-scale works by seminal Chicano artists like Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, and Benito Huerta and prominently features Chicana artists such as Diane Gamboa, Sonia Romero, and Sonia Fe. Also included in Marin’s collection are works by local artist and teacher Gaspar Enriquez, whose large-scale installation, Color Harmony en la Esquina, has found its home in EPMA’s Grand Lobby since 2013.
“In many ways, Cheech Marin’s collection of Chicano art is at home in El Paso. It features artists who embrace a multicultural heritage and artistically reinvigorate, critique, and transform traditions familiar to us along the US-Mexico border,” said exhibition curator Kevin Burns.
Papel Chicano Dos will be supplemented by various community and educational programs that are free and open to the public.
· Saturday, March 3: Papel Chicano Celebration, Noon to 4 p.m. Art-making activities, food trucks, a display of classic low-rider cars, and live music and vinyl sessions by Mother of Pearl Vinyl.
· Saturday, March 31: Baikas!, 12 – 4 p.m., join local Chicano artist and muralist Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado for a guided bicycle tour of El Segundo Barrio’s murals. The tour begins and ends at EPMA; bring a bicycle and water. RSVP for the mural tour at EPMArsvp@elpasotexas.gov or 915-212-3068.