June 17, 2026 - Wednesday - Today we were in Riverside, CA to visit the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. One of their current exhibits is called "Our Empire – James McClung & Marcus Mercado." James is an old acquaintance of ours. The program states "This exhibition is a visual exploration of the Inland Empire, told through the combined perspectives of two artists raised in Redlands, California: James McClung and Marcus Mercado. While their individual styles differ, they are united by a shared commitment to storytelling and to re-examining the environments that have shaped them."
Rather than label each picture for the artist, it's easier if you note the precise brushstrokes of James McClung and the loose brushstrokes of Marcus Mercado.
It's a great exhibit showing the Inland Empire's impressions on these two artists. This last one by James really impressed both of us.
Before the museum, we had lunch at our Riverside favorite, Tio's Tacos.
Judy had her usual, cheese enchilada with mole sauce and rice and beans.
And I had my usual, shrimp with garlic sauce and rice and beans.
