Cheech Marin

On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson discusses art, culture, and California with entertainer Cheech Marin. The Up in Smoke star and longtime Nash Bridges cast member recounts how he first developed a love for art when he was just 11 years old. Later, as his career blossomed, Marin started buying Chicano art and now his collection is considered one of the biggest and best in the world. 

More than 500 works from that collection are permanently housed at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside—a museum affectionately known as “The Cheech.” Johnson and Marin discuss how the recently opened museum came to be, Marin’s favorite paintings on display, the charms of Riverside, and future plans for “The Cheech.” 

The Los Angeles native also took the California Questionnaire, answering a series of questions about his love for the Golden State—including his favorite California song and how his dream day would unfold. 

GUESTS

Cheech Marin, actor, comedian, and collector behind The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside.

RESOURCES

Cheech Marin is best known as one-half of the comedy duo Cheech & Chong, movies like Up in Smoke, and his role on the CBS drama Nash Bridges. 

The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum

Riverside Art Museum

Riverside

Cheech & Chong 

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

Los Angeles 

Joshua Tree 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Soterios Johnson, formerly the local host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on radio station WNYC, moved from New York City to Davis in 2016. By combining his journalistic instincts with his personal curiosity, Johnson uses the California Now Podcast platform to develop a deeper understanding of his adopted home.