Courtesy This image, ‘El Toro,' acrylic on paper, is from ‘Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask.' ‘My art is about ..... seeing lucha libre in Monterrey,’ Garza says.

WHO: Xavier Garza, 38

MEDIUM: Painting, drawing

BEST KNOWN FOR: Renderings of icons in Mexican folklore and pop culture, which he incorporates into his children's books. “I paint and I write and I draw about things that I have experienced in my own life,” said Garza, who grew up in Rio Grande City near the Mexican border. “My art is about the songs my grandmother would sing when she rocked me to sleep. It's about seeing lucha libre in Monterrey. It's about hearing my grandfather's cucuy stories.” His books include “Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys” (2004) and “Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask, a Bilingual Cuento” (2005); he's working on a new book about Santa Claus' Mexican cousin. “More than anything else, I want to preserve the culture,” he said.

FACTOIDS: Garza earned a bachelor's in fine arts at UT-Pan American and a master's in art history at UTSA; he now teaches art at Jordan Middle School in the Northside School District. He lives with his wife, Irma Rodriguez, and his son, Vincent Ventura, 2.

CHECK HIM OUT: In “The Return Of Quetzalcoatl” Garza and Luis Valderas came up with reinterpretations of pre-Columbian legends. Having fun with the theory that extraterrestrials helped ancient Egyptians build the pyramids, Garza recast Aztec deities such as Coatlicue, Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc as space travelers (sometimes with lucha libre masks as well). The result is a celebration of Mexican heritage that resembles a science-fiction comic book. His more political pieces in the exhibit depict Aztecs crossing the U.S./Mexico border only to encounter anti-immigration protestors — an indictment of Gov. Rick Perry's border watch. The exhibit is up at Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Road, through July 14. The artists will discuss their work from 2-4 p.m. June 23. Call (210) 732-3502.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor