It might still be chilly January, but ahead of the bevy of art fairs coming to LA, January wound down with the visceral heat of passionate exhibition openings.

Mika Cho with Kristine Schomaker.

At California State University’s Ronald H. Silverman Gallery, 60 artists presented astonishing depictions of artist and curator Kristine Schomaker in the group exhibition Perceive Me. The dazzling exposition “bared it all,” with nude or otherwise intimate portraits of Schomaker presented as paintings, drawings, sculptures, video, and 3D printed images. A buzzing, packed-house crowd took in each unique work, with Schomaker and gallerist Mika Cho circulating throughout the gallery space. From the large-scale, whimsical sculpture of Debbie Korbel to Susan Amorde’s smaller, but so triumphant sculptural work, the standouts are many. L. Aviva Diamond’s evocative black and white photography; Catherine Ruane’s awe-inspiring graphite fusion of tree limbs with Schomaker’s; the vivid etching of Debby and Larry Kline – the examples go on and on. There was the fabric cloak and headdress of Kate Savage; the elegant crown on Kate Kelton’s painting of Schomaker; Dani Dodge’s desert light photography curated perfectly next to Daena Title’s underwater image. Excited guests noshed on cake and brownies, and purchased and then received artist’s signatures on the exhibition’s voluminous catalog. They rubbed shoulders with virtually all the exhibiting artists, losing their voices in the din of conversation and comradery. Firmly rooted in the ideas of identity and perception, this is a seminal exhibition that made opening night guests respond with passionate interest.

Graphite Work by Catherine Ruane.

Susan Amorde by her sculpture.

Downtown at Quotidian, This Place showcased a smaller but powerful group show of seven artists, curated by gallerist jill moniz. This exhibition too, focuses on perception, here on that of geographical and cultural perceptions of place. From the miniature but mighty content of Dwora Fried’s depictions of post-WWII Austria to the never-exhibited 60s-era ceramics of Dale B. Davis, and the rich, large scale work of June Edmonds – whose usually bright color palette is muted here, these too are passionate works. Attendees munched chips and quaffed mineral water as they rotated through the space; chatting with moniz about the work on exhibit.

Dwora Fried by her shadow boxes.

June Edmonds by her work.

On Sunday evening, artist and curator Gary Brewer curated Woven Threads: The Migration of Myth and Metaphor at Brandstater Gallery at La Sierra University, in Riverside. Guests who powered through the drive from LA were rewarded with vastly immersive work and a panel discussion about the exhibition. After taking in the talk, attendees explored thoughtfully curated galleries featuring artists including Alison Saar, Mei Xian Qiu, Iva Gueorguieva, and Fatemeh Burnes. Working in a wide range of mediums from Saar’s sculptural works to Qiu’s glowing photographic images, the artists and Brewer created yet another passion project, this one centered on themes of migration and the way stories and cultures create new language and metaphor.

Gary Brewer with gallerist Tim Musso.

Panel discussion, Brewer at left.

In short, passion was everywhere this weekend – exhibitions that will be hard to top in February!