CELEBRANDO CHICANO ART GALA

Celebrating the Opening of The Cheech!

Friday, June 17, 2022, 6 p.m. SOLD OUT!

Riverside Convention Center, 3637 5th St., Riverside

After nearly five years of collective community effort, we are opening the doors to the nation’s premier center for Chicano art and culture! A public-private partnership between the Riverside Art Museum, Cheech Marin, and the City of Riverside, The Cheech will welcome 100,000+ visitors annually to explore exhibitions and engage in educational opportunities. 

With an expected attendance of 900, including Cheech Marin and friends, the Celebrando Chicano Art Gala, presented by UNIDOS, will include a VIP cocktail reception for sponsors, dinner, awards, live performances, and both live and silent auctions.

Emceeing the gala is Culture Clash, with entertainment by Trio Sol de Amores, plus other surprises!

The highlight of the program is the awards recognition of our comunidad. The awards recognize individuals and organizations who exemplify the spirit of The Cheech, honoring those who have blazed a trail that continues to endure, inspire, and enrich our community through art and culture.

The 2022 awards and their respective honorees include:

  • Chicano Art Award: Yolanda Lopez (posthumously)
  • Chicano Culture Award: Chicano Student Programs of UC Riverside
  • Chicano Art Advocate: Eduardo Diaz
  • Community Award: Dr. Ernie Garcia
  • Special Acknowledgement: Michelle Ouellette
  • Special Acknowledgement: Ofelia Valdez-Yeager

We invite you to join us for this extraordinary evening as we celebrate the opening of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. Thank you for your support in making this possible.

Tickets to the gala are $250/person. Tickets are now sold out. Tickets are nonrefundable. Cocktail attire; black tie optional. To purchase your ticket in support of The Cheech, click here.

Thank you to our gala sponsors: