Page 45 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer 2024

slovisitorsguide.com SUMMER 2024 45
Pismo Beach, Shell Beach & Oceano
Discover the enchanting Thomas Kinkade
Showcase by the Sea Gallery
A few short blocks from the
iconic Pismo Beach Pier, on
the corner of Cypress Street and
Stimson Avenue stands a brick
building with double doors swung
wide open. As you step inside the
Thomas Kinkade Showcase-By-
The-Sea Gallery, the bright sun-
shine, salty sea air and the tantaliz-
ing scent from Pismo Fish & Chips
fade away as your eyes adjust to the
dim lighting. Spotlight-illuminated
paintings wink at you from every
corner, eliciting hushed tones as
you wander the cool, quiet gallery.
“Thom’s peaceful paintings
reach a variety of people. Anyone is
bound to fall in love with one of his
many styles and scenes,” explains
long-time gallery owner Ann
Smith. “Thom’s paintings draw you
into a place where you would like
to be.”
While Kinkade’s work is most
often associated with whimsi-
cal landscapes and cozy English
cottages, a stroll through the
gallery will broaden your horizons
with Kinkade’s interpretation of
Baseball, NASCAR, and the “ever-
popular Disney Collection.”
A California native, Kinkade
was known as the “Paint-
er of Light,” using
techniques
perfected by
a distin-
guished
group of
nine-
teenth-
century
Ameri-
can
painters,
known as
the Lumi-
nists.
“I try to
create paintings
that are a window for the
imagination,” Kinkade once said.
“If people look at my work and are
reminded of the way things once
were, or perhaps, the way they
could be, then I’ve done my job.”
Smith
and her
team have
done their
job as well,
showcasing
Kinkade’s
work in the
best light. “Dim-
mer” switches
positioned next to
the paintings allow you to
experience the beautiful trans-
formation Kinkade pices make
throughout the day – a single
painting appears new at dawn,
dusk, and noon.
Since it was first established in
1993 the gal-
lery has built
countless
relationships
with col-
lectors and
tourists alike,
offering a
quiet cultural
reprieve from
the busyness
of Pismo
Beach.
“Through the years we have
helped many decorate their home,
with what I believe is timeless, su-
perb art,” Smith said. “We work in
a most peaceful setting at the beach
and have made many
wonderful friends
through the years.”
“Come on in,”
Smith said. The doors
are open, and Kinkade’s
light-filled, “window
for the imagination,” is
there for you to explore
in Pismo Beach, Cali-
fornia.
Thomas Kinkade
Showcase by the Sea is located at
500 Cypress S-5 in Pismo Beach For
more information visit showcasegal-
leries.com or call (805) 773-9424.
—Katie Marchetti
“I try to create
paintings that are
a window for the
imagination.”
– Thomas Kinkade