Cheech Marin Museum, The Cheech, Drives Economic Activity
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture of the Riverside Art Museum has generated $29 million for the city of Riverside in its first two years, city officials said.
The museum, commonly known as “The Cheech,” drew 227,932 visitors from June 2022 to June 2024, with nearly 90% coming from outside the area, according to an independent study conducted by Boules Consulting LLC and commissioned by the city. Officials called it a significant economic driver in the city.
“This spending pattern underscores The Cheech’s significant role as a cultural tourism driver, with non-local visitors consistently accounting for the majority of expenditures across all categories,” according to Boules Consulting LLC.
The study found that the museum generated $2.2 million for local restaurants, $1.5 million for retail stores and $510,000 for hotels.
The Cheech began with a collaboration with the Riverside Art museum that displayed a few of actor and comedian Cheech Marin’s personal art collection. It has evolved into an extensive collection of Chicano art including paintings, sculptures, photography and video art.
“I am so proud of these findings,” Cheech Marin said in a statement released by the city Friday. “But I’m not surprised. For over 20 years, as my collection traveled the country, we saw museums experience record attendance when our exhibitions opened. I have always said that Riverside is the next great art town, and this study proves we are on our way.”
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