“Asphalt Jungle Assemblages,” a painting and mixed media exhibit, is being presented in the University Union Gallery now through Oct. 5.

The artist, Blanca Aurora Amezcua, uses a variety of contemporary objects and forms in her artwork in order to express the Hispanic culture.

“A lot of the material I use for my artwork I either borrowed or found on the streets of Mexico and Cuernavaca,” Amezcua said.

“Right now I have been assembling an exhibit using trash and wood boxes, and it includes the hands and arms of dolls. I think that it?s going to be a very sad show with everything going on in the United States. right now,” Amezcua said.

Amezcua?s artwork includes an array of multi-colored murals, sculptures and paintings. Much of her art is multi-dimensional and includes old boxes, bottle caps, light bulbs and candy wrappers.

“One of my home murals was made from orange peels from Mexico,” Amezcua said. The mural, entitled Orange Ritual, is an interesting arrangement of colorfully decorated orange peels on strips of painted wood.

“I collect in order to find new phrases, new meanings, a vernacular of time and space, a history, a life surrounding the objects I find,” Amezcua said in a written statement.

An artists? reception for Amezcua and her brother, Hector, a photographer for The Sacramento Bee whose exhibit is featured in the library, will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Serna Plaza.

The reception will feature music by Gardenia Azul, a guitar, voice and a percussion trio that performs a wide range of Spanish songs.

This and other exhibits, lectures, concerts and panel discussions will be held through Oct. 15 in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Asphalt Jungle Assemblages” runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.