A slow walk down a colorful makeshift hall held up by the backs of brilliant works of art. Their simple frames delicately hung to display the masterfully crafted oil paintings with brush strokes bringing the painting to life, the showstopping works of realism that stop you in your tracks while noticing the small details in the eyes of the painted figure that look like they follow you wherever you walk. These are just some of the feelings you get when walking through the galleries of the LA Art Show in Downtown Los Angeles.

The LA Art Show has secured its 31st year as the longest-running independent art show in Los Angeles, and announced a stellar lineup of galleries to be exhibited from Jan. 7-11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show, which has occurred every year since 1994, displays showcases from across the globe, and many have already announced their arrival for the January displays.

Over 10 South Korean galleries will be in rotation, as well as an invitation-only Latin American Pavilion and the first gallery from Ireland to be exhibited at the show. Anyone lucky enough to experience these works are sure to be inspired by their craftsmanship.

One artist in the lineup has already made quite the name for himself outside the world of a woven fabric canvas.

The actor best known for his role as the title character in the 1976 film classic “Rocky,” Sylvester Stallone is set to exhibit his abstract paintings at the January show. Starting his painting career at just 13 years old, he uses art as a release for his emotions, calling himself a “contemporary expressionist”. Some of his paintings have been sold for up to $40,000.

“I try to paint feelings and colors and emotions because we actually feel in colors, colors have a definite reaction.” Stallone said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. “If I never act again, I could find a great deal of solace in , which is important validation.”

Another artist on display this year has also had a previous career in a different field of the entertainment industry.

Chris Rivers is a UK-based artist who began his painting career while on tour with his hit rock band Heaven’s Basement. Rivers, who has a stellar performance experience playing the drums with world-renowned artists such as Aerosmith, Green Day and Metallica, fell into his love of painting by accident, painting his broken cymbals after shows and selling them. It soon gave him an escape from his drum set, and he became quickly obsessed with the newfound art form.

“I love trying to fuse old techniques and styles with a more current story,” the self-taught artist said in an interview with Priceless Magazine, “my work comes from nature, space, industry and history. Decay, struggle and survival inspire a lot of my narrative ideas.”

The LA Art Show stands for artistic expression, but also stands for the health and life quality of all of its visitors.

Every year, the LA Art Show has a charity beneficiary to send a portion of the money raised to. This year, they are partnering with the American Heart Association, giving 15% of the purchase price of tickets to the organization. With thousands of visitors attending the show every year, many attendees are in some way affected by heart conditions, so the LA Art Show chooses to continuously support the association’s Life Is Why Campaign. The money donated will help fund research that improves the health of those living with heart disease and stroke patients, and additionally help fund 2.5 million high school students’ CPR training annually.

Tickets can be purchased at www.laartshow.com, with the show taking place from Jan. 7-11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown L.A. A follow-up show with Art Palm Beach will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Palm Beach, Florida from Jan. 28 – Feb. 1, so art enthusiasts from coast to coast can experience the innovations displayed at the convention centers.