Eye Level Art in Charleston, SC, will present the exhibit, (Outsider) Art: Show, in conjunction with the Artistic Spirit Gallery of North Charleston, SC. The exhibit features the works of Casey McGlynn, Mark Miller, Tom Sassano, Jan Boyer, and Alfred Eaker and will be on view from Apr. 29 through May 22, 2011. A reception will be held on Apr. 29, from 6-10pm.

Mike Elder, owner of EyeLevel Art, and Julie and Marty Klaper from Artistic Spirit Gallery are collaborating on this Visionary art show to explain the importance in collecting Outsider Art. Prices will range from $100-5000. The exhibit gives viewers a chance to collect Outsider Art from nationally known artists.

The artists being presented are driven by an almost compulsive need to express themselves and deal with issues in their lives through their imagery. Often they have not had professional art training, hence another name for this type of work is “Outsider Art.” The term references the artists being on the outside of society and not influenced by art trends, listening just to the voices in their heads. The paintings are emotional, painful and humorous but never boring.

Casey McGlynn is from Toronto, Canada and has sold his work on the streets of New York, at the Slotin Folk Art Show in Atlanta, GA, and in several galleries throughout North America. His paintings often include animals, inspired by his youth in rural Ottawa. He frequently includes himself, sometimes difficult to find among the layers of paint and imagery.

Mark Miller is from Indianapolis, IN, and his highly detailed pieces are multi-media, including his own drawing, collage elements and print like transfers. He works intuitively with no master plan as to layout or content.

Tom Sassano is a housepainter from Santa Fe, NM. His unstretched canvases, filled with bright Southwest colors, are displayed in frames that he created to match each painting.

Jan Boyer has been painting since he was a young boy. He created his own religion, Allism, which dictated his content for many years. He is also greatly influenced by the environment of both rural and urban areas. Lately, he has taken to abstracting these images. His work has evolved for over three decades. However, Boyer maintains the same palette and certain fragments of imagery move from one painting to the next, allowing the viewer to track his evolution as an artist.

Alfred Eaker is a multi-talented person. He is a painter and his work is influenced by his diverse religious background. He started drawing as a child at the Midwest evangelical church where his family belonged, sketching the congregants. Eaker is a great lover of music, another driving force. He is also a film producer, writing his own scripts and often playing the lead character.

During the opening on Apr. 29, showings of two featured films by Alfred Eaker will be at viewing stations in the gallery that will allow for in and out participation, depending on interest. This event is free. Wine and beer will be for sale.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call 843/278-2374, visit (www.eyelevelart.com) or (www.artisticpspiritgallery.com).