Summer 2024

160 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 Taking a lease inside a courtyard in an upstairs location in 1974, “couldn’t have been a worse location,” Bill says. “It was amazing we were able to do well enough to keep it going.” Representing master painter DeWitt Whistler Jayne, a distant cousin to famous artist James McNeill Whistler, was a coup for the young couple, who were in their 20s and learn- ing how to run a business and work with artists. Jayne, also a master professor of art, would come to Carmel monthly and teach Bill about technique. After five years, the Hills found a more prominent location for the gallery on 6th Avenue, and then in 1985, 11 years after first opening and with Jennifer expecting their sec- ond child, New Masters Gallery moved to its third and current location on Dolores Street. “We gutted what was then The Wooden Nickel and rebuilt the interior,” Bill says.“Right next door was another gallery that had been the old Carmel Hardware store, and they wanted out. I spoke to my business advisor and asked him if I could get the building and he said, ‘I don’t think you want to do that.You just spent all that money on the renovation.’ I went against his wishes and leased it.” An engineering feat, Bill had his contractors knock out the wall between the buildings to create the 4,500-square-foot space. “It made all the difference,” he says. “We weren’t long and narrow but more square.” During the slow month of December, the couple partnered with artist Will Bullas, known for his whimsical animal art, and had a show for him, giving everyone who brought an unwrapped toy a free Bullas print. “The show grew to where it was so big, peo- ple would line up all the way around the gallery,” Bill says. “Will would sign a print and he would (Above) “Feel the Vibe,” by Carlos Azanedo. The artist is known for his contemporary cityscape paintings. (Below) “Las Picasianas” by Maria Luisa Campoy. Her sculptures are inspired by her Spanish heritage and her native country’s landscape.