I had a wonderful time with a couple of well-known established artists that paint outside the norm of Charleston artwork the other night.  We discussed issues concerning various art forms and art movements and one brought up a much neglected point of Charleston.  We don't have an art critic here in Charleston that really knows art and art history.  I realized that we are really a city full of great talent but no one to really appreciate what is going on here.  Sure, we have the usual patrons of "Charleston" art that consists of paintings of Rainbow Row, Palmetto Trees and Marshes along with the historic building paintings, but nothing of real substance is purchased, supported or collected amongst the Charlestonian "elite".  They only know what art is because most are told what to buy and what to hang on the wall.  The new movement is either no art on the walls or photographs.   We have a long way to go and to grow as a cultural city.  We have great artists that are being ignored by the dozens!  This past month has seen the death of two exciting galleries, Scoop studios and Eye-Level Art; why, because they didn't have the patronage that keeps the doors open.  Sorry to say out loud, but true.