“Dalé Shine” by Houston artist Jesse E. Rodriguez is among the 80 artworks recently accepted into The Cheech Center Collection of the Riverside Art Museum. It is the first sculpture by a Texas artist added to the core collection of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.
Donated to the museum by Houston-based Duthu Management Trust, the six-by-four-foot sculptural work was created by Rodriguez for his first solo exhibition in 2017. It was on view for several months in Magnolia Park, inaugurating the neighborhood’s first art gallery called Magnolia Grown. Cheech Marin first eyed the artwork when he visited the gallery when he was in town serving as the Grand Marshal of the Houston Art Car Parade.
Rodriguez created the sculpture, so when his community viewed it, they could feel the impact of what art can do to the soul and mind – to remind them of what was, what is and will be. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, this sculpture embodies the artist’s captivating narrative of a Chicano whose life journey encapsulates themes of determination, dreams, and echoes of a vibrant past.
“Dalé Shine” combines distinct elements into a visually captivating narrative. It offers a silhouette of the Virgen de Guadalupe often found in homes, bakeries, barber shops and other businesses in Magnolia Park, Houston’s oldest Hispanic neighborhood. The wood structure was drawn from the original dance floor of an important Chicano community center in Houston. A central element is a Stacy Adams wingtip dress shoe, the brand often worn by stylish Pachucos and highly desired by many. The adornment of butterfly knives and railroad steel spikes underscore the challenges marking Rodriguez’s upbringing in the barrio and his memories of exploring the tracks that criss-cross the neighborhood.
The artwork stands as a remarkable testament to the power that emerges from struggle, merging of personal history, and cultural significance. “Dalé Shine” is a heartfelt homage by Rodriguez to the enduring strength of the human spirit.
A conversation by the artist with his father unveiled the phrase “Dalé Shine,” a declaration that encompasses the audacity to pursue one’s dreams and the radiance that emanates from wearing Stacy Adams shoes. The phrase became a guiding force for Rodriguez as a constant reminder of his dreams and his path forging forward.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK: “Dalé Shine” by Jesse Rodriguez, 2017, wood salvaged from a dance floor from a Hispanic community hall, photographs, railroad steel spikes, 29 chrome butterfly knives, copper wire, and a stainless steel “Dalé Shine” name plate, 6 feet high x 4 feet wide
ABOUT RIVERSIDE ART MUSEUM + THE CHEECH: Riverside Art Museum is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Arts & Culture in Riverside, California.
Founded in 1967, Riverside Art Museum integrates art into the lives of people in a way that engages, inspires, and builds community by providing regionally focused exhibitions, programming, events, and arts education that instill a lifelong love of the arts.
Open since June 17, 2022, The Cheech is dedicated to showcasing Chicana/o/x art as well as honoring and exploring its continued social, cultural, and political impact. It’s the nation’s first cultural center of its kind. Learn more at riversideartmuseum.org.