Drawn from actor and art advocate Cheech Marin's collection, the exhibition features the work of Carlos Almaraz, George Yepes, Patssi Valdez, Leo Limón, Margaret García and other top Chicano artists.

The exhibition is part of a project spearheaded by Marin designed to advance Chicano art as a recognized school of American art and to increase public accessibility to this work in cities across the country. As part of the project, high-quality digital reproductions (giclées) were made of original paintings. The giclées were donated to 50 major U.S. art museums and universities, including Northridge. CSUN is the first of the recipients to display them.  

"Chicano art is American art. My goal is to bring the term 'Chicano' to the forefront of the art world," said Marin. "Using the most advanced technology available today, we are creating these important artistic expressions of the American experience as 'time capsules' to embed into top U.S. art collections and to expose them to the widest audience possible."  

The exhibition will be on view at CSUN Art Galleries from June 17 through July 29, Monday through Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. A reception celebrating the exhibition's opening will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 17.

"We are honored to receive such a generous gift of such important Chicano art from an alumnus of the university," said William Toutant, dean of CSUN's College of Arts, Media, and Communication.

  A Northridge alum, Marin is a third-generation Mexican American from East Los Angeles and the 1999 recipient of the National Council of La Raza's Kraft Foods Alma Community Service Award. His TV credits include a recurring role on "Judging Amy" and the CBS drama, "Nash Bridges." Recent films include "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" with Johnny Depp and "Christmas with the Kranks" with Tim Allen. Since the 1960s, he has been renowned as a comedian, film actor, director, writer, musician, and art collector. His 1997 release, "My Name is Cheech, the School Bus Driver," was the number one selling children's album in the country. A passionate supporter of his community, Marin continues to bring together painters, sculptors, writers, actors, and musicians.

  Presenting sponsors of the exhibition tour are Bank of America and Farmers Insurance with support in Northridge from Starbucks Coffee Company, Univision 34, and CBS2 / KCAL 9.

  In 2004, Bank of America and Farmers Insurance teamed with Marin to produce The Chicano Collection / La Colección Chicana. Their generous support has funded all aspects of the multi-year project, from print production to portfolio donations and now the exhibition tour.

"We're proud of Bank of America's role in bringing this dynamic project to fruition and in showcasing the prints at cultural venues that have long supported Chicano art," said Leticia Aguilar, president, Bank of America-Los Angeles.

"Our investment in this educational project reflects Farmers' continued commitment to recognizing the rich contributions of Latinos to American culture," said Paul N. Hopkins, CEO of Farmers Group, Inc.  

For more information about the exhibition at CSUN Art Galleries, call Michelle Giacopuzzi at (818) 677-2156.  To learn more about The Chicano Collection exhibition tour, the print project, and the featured artists, visit www.thechicanocollection.net or contact Melissa Richardson Banks of CauseConnect at (213) 972-0884 or melissa@causeconnect.net.