Cheech Marin turned 80 on Monday, marking the milestone after an early celebration Sunday at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture at the Riverside Art Museum.
Cheech, whose full name is Richard Anthony Marin, first became famous in the 1970s as half of the stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong. He later built a long acting career and became an avid collector of Chicano art, much of which is now on display at the museum.
The museum, known as “The Cheech,” is housed in a former public library in Riverside. A bronze statue of Marin welcomes visitors inside the Center for Chicano Art and Culture…