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Museum exhibit highlighting Latin creations in fine art

The exhibit was influenced by Cheech Marin.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While actor Cheech Marin is best known for his comedy and being on the big screen he is also an avid art collector.
Marin visited Corpus Christi last year to add pieces to his collection and that story was captured in a documentary that screened at The Art Museum of South Texas.

The museum features an exhibit that highlights work from local Latin artists.

Deborah Fullerton said the exhibit was influenced by Cheech Marin.
Fullerton says Marin’s goal is to bring Latin art into the mainstream.

“He was more familiar maybe with European art and the big art movements that he learned about in his education but what he really responded to was this whole Chicano movement,” Fullerton said.
So when he visited Corpus Christi he sought out Latin artists.
“He went out and he met some of these artists that are in our community at K space and around the community and so they became a part of his story,” she said. “He collected them.”
One of those artists being Amorette Garza.
She's an art professor at Delmar.
Garza said she specializes in sculpting and she creates art influenced by her Mexican American culture, but found herself discounting her work.

“Essentially it was a pinata that I wanted to make and I disregarded it as not being worthy or part of the fine art,” Garza said.

Garza said there are ways to ensure Latin artists and other people value the pieces they create.

“Is to show it and to talk about it and give people the opportunity to realize, yes, things that we do and things that we express are important,” she said.

Fullerton said The Art Museum of South Texas is trying to facilitate that.

That artwork will be displayed in the museum until February 2nd.

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