A new show by Michael Garcia is always a major event on the Fresno arts scene. That's the case with this month's ArtHop, the open house of studios and galleries in the downtown and Tower District areas. Garcia's "Enso: Archetype of Wholeness" opens at 1821 Gallery & Studios with a reception running from 5-8 p.m.

Garcia, who lived in Japan for 10 years, was deeply influenced by his time there, and this new show is no exception. But, as the gallery notes, the artist's work "also mirrors the strength and character of the Valley, echoing the worn and rust-soaked boards of Garcia's grandmother's home in Madera, a place that now only exists in memory."

The artist's process involves building up richly layered paint on panels, then tearing them down by scraping, sanding and burning. In "Enso," Garcia delves deeply into one of his favorite shapes, the circle, exploring the philosophical and psychological connections.

His recent 2011 show at Arte Américas was a major exhibition, and the size, aesthetics and gravity of his works celebrated diverse cultural traditions in distinctive and contemporary ways. Based on Garcia's body of work and ability to put together strong exhibitions, I'm convinced his new show will be an ArtHop must-see.

The gallery is located at 1821 Calaveras St. Details: 1821gallery.com, (559) 233-9992.

For a list of participating ArtHop venues, go to fresnoarthop.org.

More ArtHop picks

-- Hearts are on tap in a big way this month at Gallery 25. The highlight is "26 Years of Valentines" featuring work by Merced artists Karen LeCocq and David Medley. The couple has been exchanging hand-crafted hearts every Valentine's Day for more than a quarter-century.

There are two other components to the gallery's "Hearts" theme. Gallery 25 members offer their take on hearts in such various media as paintings, drawings, mixed media, digital imagery and photography.

And in a special ArtHop event, Gallery 25 members and the public will be invited to make Valentine's Day cards for veterans at the Fresno VA Medical Center.

The gallery is located at 660 Van Ness Ave. Details: gallery25.org, (559) 264-4092.

-- The K-Jewel Art Gallery turns its attention to younger artists this month with its "Best of the Best" exhibition featuring student artwork from 10 local high schools. Thirty pieces will be presented.

Musical guest will be the Three Two Latin Jazz Combo.

The gallery is located at 1415 Fulton St. Details: (559) 497-5118.

-- Mae Espejo and Joy Alvarado are the featured artists at the Downtown Community Arts Collective.

Espejo has worked as a graphic designer for 17 years and has recently started exploring and incorporating digital technology with conventional painting techniques.

Alvarado reconciles fine art with salvaged building materials, using sheets of wood as her canvases.

The gallery is located at 764 P St. Details: facebook.com/dcac1.

-- Zak Welch, a Fresno State graduate, takes over Corridor 2122 with his new exhibition titled, "Recent Work." Welch's process involves working on sheets of aluminum with multiple paint media. He then uses sanding, pressure washing and other means to remove layers of paint.

The gallery is located at 2122 Mono St. Details: corridor2122.com, (559) 441-0012.

-- Ramona Frances displays her photocrylic works, which she describes as "a marriage of photography and painting," at the Central Valley Talk gallery. Her show is titled "Defining Moments." As a former reporter and photojournalist, she used to cover agriculture. Now, she says, she can unabashedly communicate the fascination she feels about where food comes from and the extraordinary beauty around us so often dismissed.

The gallery is located in the Central Valley Talk studios at 1212 N. Van Ness Ave. in the Tower District. Details: (559) 232-5186.

-- The Caris School of Dance celebrates its new home with a new, free monthly event titled "The Art of Dance." The program includes choreographed performances at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Thursday to coincide with ArtHop.

Featured artist is painter Valerie Quinones.

And if you don't want to call the evening quits when other ArtHop venues shut down, you can enjoy music from Flamenco band Cerro Negro (which joins the 8 p.m. dance performance), the Balkan party band Safiya at 9 and Tumbao at 10.

The school is located at 1416 Broadway inside Broadway Studios. Details: (559) 473-8184, carisdance.tumblr.com.