Cheech Marin shares his artistic passion with Las Cruces

From the Las Cruces Sun-News - by By S. Derrickson Moore - LAS CRUCES >> Cheech Marin had a busy day in Las Cruces. The actor and comedian, best known for his improvisational comedy, television and movie roles (most famously his "Cheech & Chong" routines with Tommy Chong), numerous cartoon voices and his stint as a police detective in "Nash Bridges," was celebrated for his role as an art collector who has nurtured and promoted emerging artists for decades.
     On Friday, Cheech Marin lunched with artists, museum leaders, arts advocates and educators at the north Las Cruces home of Dr. Kent Jacob and Sallie Ritter, met with Alma d'arte Charter High School students and welcomed the public at the opening of "Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection" featuring 70 paintings by 29 noted Chicano artists, at the Las Cruces Museum of Art.
      Along the way, he revealed that a new, long-awaited Cheech & Chong movie soon could become a reality. "Chong and I are talking about it, but then we've been talking about it for a long time. Probably within the next year. We've been touring together and trying to stay alive. I'm a Chicano. We have to have at least three jobs," Marin quipped.
     He said he will soon travel to Bordeaux, France, to open an exhibit featuring another group of artwork in his extensive collection, and will continue to visit sites on the "Chicanitas" tour. His book about the collection, also titled "Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection" was published in September and is available on Amazon.com. More

Cheech Marin shares his artistic passion with Las Cruces