A reception for Mexican urban artist Miguel Mejía, members of the Consulado de Mexico and staff from Instituto Cervantes will be held Thursday, April 19 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Latin American & Iberian Institute's lobby. It will serve both as an opening for an exhibition of drawings by Mejía as well as a kick-off ceremony for the weeklong "Festival Cervantes, Writing Art." Organized by Instituto Cervantes, "Festival Cervantes" is a community-wide celebration of diversity through literature, music and art.  For an outline of the week's activities, go to Festival Cervantes

Mexican urban artist Miguel Mejía, also known by his artist alias Neuzz, is an illustrator and painter from Mexico whose work has been published in numerous publications in Mexico, Europe and the United States. Neuzz is part of a new generation of street artists who reference Mexico's rich visual culture. His deconstructive images are a fusion of retro aesthetics and pre-Columbian graphics, mixed with influences from contemporary pop culture.

Mejía will be visiting Albuquerque as part of "Festival Cervantes, Writing Art," to exhibit his work at the LAII as well as to create an urban art project based on what Spanish speakers call "popular storytelling culture," which will entail painting a graffiti based on stories and legends his grandfather used to tell him when he was a child.  This graffiti art will constitute part of the Abuelo Goyito series, which has been already displayed in several venues.  The beats of avant-garde DJs from Albuquerque and San Francisco will create an environment of creativity.  This urban art project is set for Saturday, April 21 from 4 - 8 p.m. at Marble Brewery.