Bill Anderson Art Gallery

The Bill Anderson Art Gallery is located at 16812 Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, near the corner of PCH and Broadway. It is a small storefront type of space tucked away amidst restaurants, surfboard shops and tattoo parlors – an oasis of artistic calm literally feet from the noise and rush that PCH has become. Mr. Anderson represents a number of artists and virtually everything in the gallery is for sale.

(watercolor of the gallery)

I first stopped by about a year ago and was impressed with pieces on display – especially the work of Milford Zornes. Milford, born in Oklahoma in 1908, is said to have been the most prolific artist employed by the W.P.A. during The New Deal and was later part of the California Style Movement of watercolor painting. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 100.

I wanted to do my report on his piece of art “The Master Bridge” but there were two versions of it, one a color poster the other a block print, so I returned to the gallery to find out which came first.

(color poster)

(linoleum block print)

In talking with Mr. Anderson he showed me an image from a book which was a third (actually the first) version of the work, and gave me the backstory of the history of “The Master Bridge”.

Bill was visiting Milford and saw some art on canvas and stretcher bars leaning against a wall. He noticed that one of them, a portrait, had a little damage to it and offered to take it home and restore it. The portrait was just thumbtacked to the frame and when he removed it at home to work on it he discovered that underneath was the oil painting of “The Master Bridge”. Over the years Milford had lost track of it and had assumed it was in a collection somewhere. Bill made the linoleum block version which they then printed and Milford signed as a limited edition.

I highly recommend paying a visit to the gallery – it is open Friday and Saturday from 1 – 9 pm and Sunday from 1 – 6. At least check out the website at www.billandersonartgallery.com – I’m sure you will enjoy it.

-Paul M.-