Summer 2024

also sell out of all the paintings in his show.We probably had up to 3,000 gifts for children piled up against every wall of the gallery.” Tragically, Bill lost Jennifer to cancer in 2006. “She was president of the Carmel Business Association and started the Carmel Gallery Walk and the Carmel Art Festival,” Bill says.“She was wonderful. The entire Carmel Mission was full at her funeral.” Then in 2015, a fire of unknown origin hit the gallery one day in the early hours before dawn, causing paintings to be lost and smoke damage to much of the remaining art. Locals helped by running paintings out of the gallery during the fire. Bill was able to move into a temporary space during the year it took to rebuild the gallery and restore the artwork. Despite the tragedies, Bill’s love for working with people and for art persevered. “I’m sort of shocked that I’ve been here this long and that I still enjoy it,” he says. New Masters Gallery represents a diverse collection of painters, sculptors and other artists, like Jean Charles Spindler, who uses the technique of marquetry to piece together hand- cut wood into stunning images. “He’s the best in the world,” Bill says. “His grandfather started his workshop in the 1800s in France.There’s a 10-foot by 6-foot work of a castle in Bavaria that just pulls people into the gallery.They are amazed by it.” Other artists include Stephen Pan, who has been represented at the gallery for a quarter century and is known for his luminous paintings of ballerinas with ethereal tutus that appear translucent on the canvas. “It’s museum quality,” Bill says. “It’s just tech- nically superb.” Painter Thalia Stratton is known for her restaurant interiors, some of them from Carmel eateries. She captures scenes in a mes- merizing manner. Local artist Merry Kohn Buvia is a naive painter inspired by the animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “It’s very satisfying to have all the wonderful relationships with so many artists and clients,” Bill says. “I have been doing this for so long that primarily I choose by quality, not subject matter or medium. I know artists all over the world and thankfully they know the gallery.” New Masters Gallery is located on Dolores Street between Ocean and 7th in Carmel. For more information, call 831/625-1511 or visit www.newmastersgallery.com. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 161 After 50 years and several locations, New Masters Gallery continues to exhibit world-class artists, due to owner Bill Hill’s long-standing relationships in the art world. The current 4,500-square-foot space is on Dolores Street in downtown Carmel. 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. Photo: Kelli Uldall