Newbill Collection by the Sea Celebrates 25 Years

Annette Newbill Trujillo, owner of Newbill Collection by the Sea, opened the second art gallery in the Ruskin Place Artist Colony in 1993. Seaside was the ideal location, she says, because of its support for art.

“I chose to open an art gallery in Seaside because I felt that Seaside attracted a visually literate public who came here with an appreciation for beautiful architecture and urban planning, as well as for the enjoyment of our beautiful natural resources,” she says. “Additionally, the fact that in its design, Seaside allocated a designated arts district was a compelling reason for opening an art gallery here.”

Trujillo says the soul of a home is found in art, and that the art one chooses defines the home. “I get to work daily with gifted artists who bring renewal and vitality in the form of their art and because I work in a vacation town where people are relaxed and happy,” she adds. “I get to experience a daily stream of relationships with customers that transcend the pressures of the day-to-day and the realities of being human.”

Newbill Collection by the Sea features North American artists, mostly regional and Southern craftsmen. Among the many artists represented by Newbill, some of the featured artists include works by Susan Wittenberg, a local abstract artist whose new mixed media work exudes a dreamlike and speculative quality; Betsy Meyers, master jeweler who produces wearable art; Prentice Hicks, whose free-form glass-blown functional pieces have been sold for all of the gallery’s 25 years; the late Ann “Frantic” Morley, whose highly collected works are available in limited editions; Craig Riches, a copper sculpture famous for his spinning flame dancers; oil painter Joel Barr, whose bold contemporary canvasses invite the viewer to explore imagination and the human spirit; and Neal Whitt, retired lawyer and clay sculptor who creates thought provoking whimsical and humorous works.

“We showcase excellence in craft, craftsmanship and design in all craft media — clay, glass, metal, wood, fiber and mixed media, including two-dimensional work — original paintings and photography,” Trujillo adds. “We have continued that mission for all of our 25 years.”

Annette and her husband, Pat, who recently retired and now assists in the gallery, have always been “evangelical” about helping people realize the need for art. “There is a common human thirst for beauty,” she says. “One of the earliest human artistic acts was to shape tools more than was functionally necessary. We all need order in our lives. But we also need novelty, which manifests itself in curiosity and exploration. Whether it is the beautiful painting in your home or a piece of artful jewelry — that adornment satisfies the thirst for beauty.”