Cheech Marin’s Chicano Art Collection @ Indiana State Museum.

Presented by Target Stores and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard Company, Chicano, an unprecedented art exhibit, will open to the public at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, Ind., on Jan. 31, 2004. Chicano is a five-year, 15-city national tour that is collectively made up of Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge, a traditional art exhibit, and Chicano Now: American Expressions, an interactive multimedia exhibit for families. Chicano first opened in November 2001
at the San Antonio Museum of Art and is currently on view at the El Paso Museum of Art and Insights-El Paso Science Museum in El Paso, Texas. Chicano will remain on exhibit at the Indiana State Museum through May 5, 2004.

“We’re proud to be the first museum in the Midwest to host the Chicano exhibit,” said Susan Williams, Indiana State Museum director. “Thanks to partners like Target, our visitors can experience this magnificent Chicano art, culture and history.”

Chicano presents the diverse heritage of Chicano culture – a political and social statement among many people of Mexican descent. “We’re bringing our interpretation of the Chicano experience to the American public,” says Marin. “I want all Americans to understand that Chicano culture plays a big part in the patchwork quilt that is Americana. The contributions of Chicanos have been so enormous, but they tend to be overlooked.”

Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge showcases a wide variety of Chicano visual art. Curated by Rene Yáñez, the exhibition features approximately 80 works by more than 26 artists, including Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, Gronk, Patssi Valdez, George Yepes, Rupert García, Leo Limón, Margaret García and Eloy Torres. The works, which present images of urban life and the Chicano experience, date between 1969 and 2001. While the majority of the works are drawn from the personal art collection of Cheech Marin, some are on loan from other collectors and institutions. Chicano Visions will be displayed
in the museum’s third floor Wilbur E. and Florence Jeup Ford Gallery and the NiSource Inc. Gallery of Indiana Art.

Chicano Now: American Expressions is an interactive multi-media exhibit that offers expressions of Chicano cultural style through the eyes of the nation’s premiere Chicano and Chicana performing and independent film artists.

Displayed in the museum’s third floor changing exhibits gallery, Chicano Now aims to spotlight Chicano culture through the main themes of work, family, style and identity. Visitors to Chicano Now can select a song on the jukebox, try salsa dancing, get behind the wheel of a lowrider and learn more about the many contributions Chicanos have made to society.

“Target believes that art transcends cultural barriers and speaks a universal language that binds communities together,” said Laysha Ward, vice president of community relations for Target Corporation. “The people of Indiana and the rest of the Midwest will have an opportunity to experience the Chicano culture through its vibrant art and history with this dynamic exhibit.”

“The social, cultural and political impact of Chicano life has been a mainstay in America since the birth of our country, and this wonderful exhibit provides a real up-close look at the lives and contributions of the Chicano people,” said Jeff Blough, consumer marketing communications manager for HP’s Imaging and Printing Group. “HP is delighted to play a role in helping the public celebrate a slice of American life.”

For more information at http://www.chicano-art-life.com