The City of Angels is set to honor one of their own this week.
June 20 is set to be officially declared as Cheech Marin Day by the Los Angeles City Council, to pay homage to the comedian, actor and champion of Chicano art.
The proclamation was presented by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez (CD13). It’s in recognition of Marin’s five-decades-long career in the “arts, entertainment, and cultural life of Los Angeles and beyond,” Soto-Martínez’s office explained in a press release.
“Cheech Marin is a cultural icon whose work has inspired generations—on screen, in music, and through his unwavering commitment to the arts,” said Soto-Martínez. “Cheech embodies the creativity, resilience, and diversity that make this city great.”
Cheech, whose real name is Richard Anthony Marin, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He rose to fame in the ’70s alongside Tommy Chong as the comedy duo Cheech & Chong. When the group disbanded in the mid-’80s, Marin starred in and directed “Born in East L.A.” He later starred in films like “Tin Cup,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” the “Spy Kids” trilogy and more.
Cheech & Chong eventually reunited and have been performing intermittently for years. They recently released a new film, “Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie.”
Marin has also been a longtime collector and advocate of Chicano art. Over the past four decades, he has amassed one of the most significant private collections of Chicano art, which has launched touring exhibitions such as the landmark Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge.
That advocacy led to the 2022 partnership with the City of Riverside and Riverside Art Museum to establish The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, the first-of-its-kind institution named in his honor. His personal collection is on display at the museum.
Cheech Marin Day will officially be declared inside the council chambers of Los Angeles City Hall at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. It coincides with the third anniversary of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum.
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