Eye Level Art was featured in today’s Charleston, South Carolina City Guide on the national blog, Design Sponge. The entire article is wonderful, especially the bit about us, read it here!

Holy City Artists & Fleas
June 12 – 13, 2010
Noon – 8pm

EYE LEVEL ART 103 Gallery
103 Spring St
Charleston, SC 29403

::ABOUT::
Inspired by a recent visit to Brooklyn, Eye Level Art is excited to premier a new concept to Charleston’s creative community. Perfect for the trend-hunter, purveyors of cool and those wishing to indulge in Charleston’s true creative spirit, Holy City Artists & Fleas is an open market for our city’s creative community.

Open to artists, vintage clothing brokers, fashion & jewelry designers, screen printers, record labels, crafts people, chefs and more Holy City Artists & Fleas will allow locals to buy directly from new and emerging vendors and talents.

::VENDOR COST::
Vendors receive 100% of their sales.

Space Size : 10’ x 10’
Cost : $80.00/day
$150/Saturday and Sunday Combo

Space Size : 8’ Table
Cost : $25.00/day
$45/Saturday and Sunday Combo

Vendors may rent tables for $10.00 per day, or may bring their own.

::QUESTIONS & ANSWERS::

What kind of schedule can vendors expect?
Vendor load in and set up will begin promptly at 10:30am with doors opening for business at noon. If a vendor is late, participation in the market that day is at the discretion of Eye Level Art. The market will close at 8pm. Vendors must be out of the gallery no later than 9pm.

Are vendors responsible for staffing tables/booths?
Vendors are completely responsible for their space at Holy City Artists & Fleas including set up, staffing, sales, breakdown, and clean up of their space.

Will Eye Level Art take any commission from vendor sales?
No. Vendors receive 100% of their sales.

How do I become a vendor?
Email caroline@eyelevelart for a vendor application. You will be contacted within 24-48 hours.

When are registration/payment due?
Registration and payment (by check or cash only) are due by May 28. Applicants will be considered, space permitting, after May 28 and are subject to a $20.00 Late Registration Fee. Vendors will be placed in the order of their registration, register early and get your pick of the best spot for your wares. There are vendor spaces available inside and outside the gallery.

This sounds like a cool concept. But I can’t participate that weekend.
Eye Level Art plans to make this a monthly event. We hope you can join us for the second market!

I still have more questions…
That’s okay. You can email Caroline at caroline@eyelevelart.com She will be able to answer any additional questions.

Music

Unofficial Creekside Band (April 16) : Influenced by rock n’ roll great, the show will feature both original tunes and beloved covers. Maybe even a magic trick or two! Free admission and 3 complimentary drinks for Special Single, Couples, Artist, Patron and Special Patron Members. 2 Complimentary Drinks for Single Members and 1 Complimentary drink for Student Members. Doors are at 7pm. Tickets are $10.

The Shaniqua Brown (April 17) : Charleston songstress Rachel Kate Gillon lights up the stage with The Shaniqua Brown. Free admission and 3 complimentary drinks for Special Single, Couples, Artist, Patron and Special Patron Members. Pre-sale Ticket Price at the Door ($8) and 2 Complimentary Drinks for Single Members and Student Pre-sale Ticket Price at the Door ($5) and 1 Complimentary drink for Student Members. Doors are at 8pm. Tickets are $8 in Advance, $10 at the door and $5 pre-sale for students with valid ID.

A Go Go (April 22) : Local guitarist Tyler Ross is uniting with bandmates Gerald Gregory on keyboards, Ben Wells on bass, and Stuart White on drums to perform the modern classic “A Go Go.” Free admission and 3 complimentary drinks for Special Single, Couples, Artist, Patron and Special Patron Members. Pre-sale Ticket Price at the Door ($8) and 2 Complimentary Drinks for Single Members and Student Pre-sale Ticket Price at the Door ($5) and 1 Complimentary drink for Student Members. Doors are at 9pm. Tickets are $8 in Advance, $10 at the door and $5 pre-sale for students with valid ID.

Toro Y Moi (April 24) : A South Carolina native who’s picking up mentions across the world. Fall in love with his intoxicating musical blend of low-fi electronica and americana influences. This show will sell out. There will be 10 free tickets released to members of Eye Level Art. Email caroline@eyelevelart.com to reserve your ticket. 3 complimentary drinks for Special Single, Couples, Artist, Patron and Special Patron Members. 2 Complimentary Drinks for Single Members and 1 Complimentary drink for Student Members.

The Holy Ghost Tent Revival with Megan Jean and the KFB (April 25) : Explosively intoxicating Greensboro-based sextet Holy Ghost Tent Revival will be playing their first all-ages show downtown in support of their latest EP “Family.” There will be 10 free tickets released to members of Eye Level Art. Email caroline@eyelevelart.com to reserve your ticket. 3 complimentary drinks for Special Single, Couples, Artist, Patron and Special Patron Members. 2 Complimentary Drinks for Single Members and 1 Complimentary drink for Student Members.

Classes

Work From Life with Christopher Dotson (Mondays 6:30-8:30pm) : Perfect for the established and learning artist alike, learn with as much or as little instruction as you’d like. Bring your own supplies and Eye Level Art supplies a nude model and easels. Members price $12.00, regular price $15.00.

Yoga with Harry Dinwiddie (Tuesdays 6:30-7:45pm) : Learn from Charleston yogi Harry Dinwiddie as he guides students through a vigorous, but beginner friendly work out. Never tried yoga before? Not a problem! Come with an open mind and enjoy the work out. $10 for Members, $13 for Non-Members

Visual Art + Special Events

Movies on the 103 Green (April 14) : Your favorite out door movie series is back! Join Eye Level Art for a screening of Chocolat at the 103 Gallery. Bring your own bottle of wine or case of beer for a $5 corking fee and enjoy sweet treats from Wild Flour Pastry. Free admission and waived corking fees for Members. Tickets are $5 Doors at 8pm

“If graffiti is an explosive artform where its practitioners spray-paint their creations on the sides of buildings and trains in the dark hours of the night, how can a gallery rightfully exhibit a collection of graffiti art?”…read more in the full article here.

Eye Level is excited to partner with Susan G. Komen for the Cure-Lowcountry for the 2nd annual Tie One On: An Evening of Impact! event. It will be a ticketed dinner party held at the Daniel Island Club on April 22nd including a special presentation and art from Eye Level’s 103 Gallery.

It is a great honor for Eye Level Art to be hand-selected by the event organizers, as it is a world renowned foundation, and invited to share some of our most promising artists. Chris Dotson, Stacey Bradley, Brian Bustos, Evan Armstrong, and Julio Cotto are all donating work within a variety of mediums

worth thousands of dollars for the cause. Donated pieces will be set up for viewing and then entered in a silent auction held the night of the event.

Susan G. Komen lost her battle with breast cancer almost 20 years ago, but her memory lives on through the foundation her sister started as a way to honor her memory and prevent other women from having to go through this debilitating disease. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world, investing more than 1.3 billion dollars thus far for their cause.

Pictured are the two works generously donated by artist Julio Cotto for the event. The Night we Lost Our Home and Our Place and The Day we Found Home is Not a Place both retail for $800, and as a pair for $1500.

Work by El Kamino

Fork + Brush : Fused
Fine Dining inspired by the works of Chip7, El Kamino and Scott Parsons
Friday, March 26

Thinking the World Was Mine to be Lost In $1000

About the Artist:
Brian Bustos was born in Willingboro, NJ in 1981, but in reality he is from “nowhere in particular,” after many moves as a child (New Jersey, Georgia, Korea, Kansas, Washington St. before age 13). While in high school, in Mt. Pleasant, SC the desire to explore on his own was strong. So, after graduation in 1999 he wandered around the United States, Europe, and Central America alone. Mostly surfing, drawing, and writing poems in little notebooks in dark bars. After a while he became weary of travel and in 2005 he entered Trident Technical College for a degree in Film Production. He thought that films would be a good way to get all of his visions and ideas out of his head, but films proved a slow process. So, he picked up a paint brush and began painting, drawing, and making collages daily to try and keep up with the flow of ideas filling the inside of his brain . He learned to paint by looking at books about art in the library, graffiti on the street, going to museums, and trial and error. There is a strong need to sit, listen to music and make things with his hands, a sort of road map of the things he’s seen, done, and felt. He feels that life is awesomely weird and hopes to accomplish many valiant feats.

See more of Brian’s works here.

New work by Chip7

Eye Level Art presents the talents of artists El Kamino, Chip 7 and Scott Parsons on March 27, 2010 at the 103 Gallery with Fused: A Showcase of Graffiti in Fine Art. This group exhibition investigates the works of three artists and their artistic roots in graffiti and street level art.

About the Artists:

El Kamino is an American painter who currently lives and works in the state of Virginia.  Becoming involved with graffiti in the early nineties, he has developed a signature style that has taken on many forms over the years.  Moving away from traditional methods of spray paint, he is one of the few graffiti artists who has shifted to using a brush for his wall pieces.  While managing to maintain a presence on trains and walls, he has spent a great deal of time in the studio as well. Focusing on the animals of his surrounding environment; he depicts the interaction of birds and snakes, game fish and lures.  Using his bold brushwork and vivid palette, his paintings are a combination of illustration, graffiti, and religious iconography.

Chip7 is an American painter living and working in Virginia. His images have been inspired by a longstanding, keen interest in sci-fi themed comic books and cartoons, along with toy designs of yesteryear. A constant doodler as a child, in 1994 he became active in a newer youth activity sweeping his Jersey apartment complex, the subculture movement known as graffiti. He fell in love with the freedom of communicating ideas with the public under the cover of darkness. Working without the influence of a mentor, he developed an original technique of painting. Having ventured to Bangkok, Thailand a place where he first painted ”rookie like”  graffiti pieces in 1995, he took a job in a motor bike/sign painting shop in his father’s old neighborhood.This 6 month stay left a long lasting impression on his life as he explored the city, and spent time with his family. Returning to the U.S. he worked for a rock band touring the globe for some time, and eventually took a job as a full time studio assistant for renowned artist James Marshall (DALEK). Referred to as a rising star in the urban contemporary scene he often uses chroma-depth 3D glasses technology to increase the interactive experience of  onlooker. Shifted his time to a stronger focus on studio work his ”Brightly colored confessions of cyberpunk psychedelic fantasy” have been exhibited and collected across American cities such as LA, NY, and Seattle as well as abroad in Hong Kong, China and Antwerp, Belgium.

Scott Parsons, originally from DC, arrived in Charleston in 2000. As a child, his drawings were deeply inspired by comic books and this inspiration has served him well throughout his career. At the age of 12, he started toying with the idea of spray paint and hasn’t stopped since.  Recently, Parsons was brought in to mural the entire south wall of the patio at the Mellow Mushroom on King Street in downtown Charleston. He exhibited his vibrant and dynamic style with a balloon and firework graffiti motif.