Our “En Diálogo Series” has been an overwhelming success since our first Zoom plática on October 29, 2020. The event featured Cheech Marin as well as Einar and Jamex De La Torre, and was moderated by Eduardo Diaz, director of the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Understanding the history and trends of Chicano Art from Einar and Jamex was enlightening. Likewise, listening about Cheech’s love for the arts and his knowledge of the arts industry in the United States, reinforced the need for a home for his extensive collection to share with the world and the local community. The virtual fundraiser event, supported by 85 registered participants, was in support of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry of the Riverside Art Museum.
The second “En Diálogo Series,” occurred on November 19, 2020. Because of the success of our initial plática, our Zoom attendance nearly doubled. The event was moderated by Gustavo Arellano, L.A. Times columnist and author of “Ask a Mexican” and featured Lalo Alcaráz, award-winning visual/media artist and television/film writer.
The participants were witness to a lively and immensely entertaining evening. The event felt more like a group of friends sitting around a fire, sharing a drink or two, and talking about a variety of topics, including art, política, and plenty of jokes. The importance of Lalo’s body of work with satirical cartoons and its meaning to social justice was one of many enlightening points. Everyone was engaged with the conversation. In fact, the evening also provided two surprise guests: Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist and Labor Leader, and Cheech Marin joined the plática.
The chatbox was active all night and Gustavo amazed us all with his ability to keep the conversation moving forward with the timely interjection of questions from the audience. If you missed this Diálogo, you don’t want to miss the next one. You never know who might drop in to share their thoughts!
On December 17, 2020, legendary musician and humanitarian Carlos Santana will be headlining our next Diálogo along with Cheech Marin, actor, director, writer, musician, and Chicano art collector. Save the date and register today before all the remaining seats are reserved!