PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS station, announced today the return of the original Emmy® award-winning arts and culture series ARTBOUND. The 15th season of the one-hour documentary series kicks off with a look at the creation of a world-class art museum and education center dedicated to Mexican-American artists—The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum (aka “The Cheech”) featuring interviews with actor and art collector Cheech Marin. The additional four documentaries in the new season lineup include a look at the life of dancer, musician and activist Nobuko Miyamoto, the impact of Leimert Park’s Brockman Gallery on Black artists, the rise of West Coast Modernism by looking at popular “Case Study Homes” as well as the fusion of art and science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Here’s the full lineup:
“The Cheech” – Fri., Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Cheech Marin is bringing Chicano art to the mainstream art world. After amassing over 700 pieces since the mid-1980s, his efforts have led to the creation of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum, a regionally based, nationally-focused art institution dedicated to Mexican-American artists. Told through perspectives of established artists and those who know him best, the film tells his journey from comedy icon to Chicano art advocate.
“Blended Worlds: The Fusion of Art & Science at JPL” – Fri., Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) transforms science into awe-inspiring creative projects showing how a passion to explore space informs art and vice versa. Scientific advancements happening at JPL are taking the form of large-scale installations and unforgettable immersive experiences that help imagine better futures. The film includes a look at “Blended Worlds,” a featured exhibition part of Getty’s Pacific Standard Time (PST ART) initiative for 2025.
“Arts & Architecture: The Case Study House Program” – Fri., Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
West Coast Modernism took hold in Southern California when Arts & Architecture Magazine sponsored the “Case Study House” program. As one of the most significant architectural studies supporting experiments in Post WWII American residential architecture, it involved the commission of major architects that included Pierre Koenig, Richard Neutra and Charles Eames.
“Black Art: A Brockman Gallery Legacy” – Fri., Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The Brockman Gallery in Leimert Park was the center of a community of Black artists from 1967-1990. Founded during the heyday of the Black Arts movement and two years after the Watts uprising, it would go on to feature artists that included Betye Saar, Noah Purifoy and John Outterbridge. The Brockman Gallery ushered in a new era of Black artists, helping them penetrate the mainstream art world.
“Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement” – Fri., Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A new sweeping documentary follows the life of visionary musician, dancer and activist Nobuko Miyamoto. Featuring rare archival footage, the film tells the story of a changing community through one of its most beloved storytellers as she reflects on decades of groundbreaking cultural work and a life that has bridged coasts, industries, families and history.
ARTBOUND will be available to stream on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
