Brasília, February 9, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The program this Sunday (8) for the gang in Brasília was to visit Maurício de Souza's "Comic Strips and Big Canvasses" exhibit. According to information provided by the security staff of the Planalto Palace, over one thousand visitors came to meet the creator of Monica and her companions. The public began arriving at the locale at 9:30 A.M., when the doors to the lobby of the Planalto Palace were opened.

At the exhibit, children, youngsters, and adults could enjoy paintings by classical and modern artists through versions in which de Souza has introduced his own characters into the famous works. "I adored it, because I wasn't familiar with Leonardo da Vinci, and now, seeing Monica dressed up as Mona Lisa, I was able to get to know him," commented Luzia Tereza Lima, an avid reader of de Souza's comic books. She, along with hundreds of other children, could appreciate works like Claude Monet's "Boat in Giverny" and Victor Meirelles de Lima's "First Mass in Brazil."

For Maurício de Souza, who gave out autographs at the exhibit, the big crowd represents the fulfillment of an old whimsy, to instill in children a love of art. "Through the force of the characters, we draw attention to the work, and the work provides the educational aspect," the artist commented. (DAS)