Kick off the new year with the Borrego Art Institute and its annual showcase of contemporary Latin American art. Artists of Latino heritage or art that has been influenced by Latino culture, including paintings, photography and mixed media, will be featured in the main gallery. A strong contingent of Latino artists from Baja California will round out the show with exciting new work. In the north gallery, award-winning painter Jose Luis Nunez will present a solo exhibit of 20 original paintings highlighting the southern California desert. Nunez works primarily in oils and acrylics and is fascinated by the effects of light and shade on his subjects. Nunez will also teach a landscape painting course on January 20. Sign up at www.borregoartinstitute.org. Mariachi Mixteco will perform at the opening reception Jan. 6 from 3-5 p.m. The reception is part of the Borrego Springs ArtWalk and goes until 7:00 p.m. The shows run through Jan. 28. Gallery Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Sun