Page 42 - San Luis Obispo Visitors Guide - Summer 2025

42 SUMMER 2025 slovisitorsguide.com
Pismo Beach, Shell Beach & Oceano
We are thrilled to announce a monumental milestone in the
history of The Great American Melodrama Theater: our
50th Anniversary Season!
www.AmericanMelodrama.com
Year-round live theater, professional actors
Fun for folks 5 to 105!
A variety of great musicals, comedies, spoofs, classic melodramas and thrillers.
Family owned and operated since 1975!
on Historic HWY 1 Oceano, CA
(805) 489-2499
Visit the 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
sunshine, salty sea air, and the
tantalizing 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.
A California native, Kinkade
was known as the “Painter of Light,”
using techniques perfected by a
distinguished group of nineteenth-
century American painters, known
as the Luminists.
“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.”
“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 whimsical
the day – a single painting appears
new at dawn, dusk, and noon.
Since it was first established in
1993, the gallery has built count-
less relationships with collectors
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, California.
Thomas Kinkade Showcase by
the Sea is located at 500 Cypress S-5
in Pismo Beach. For more informa-
tion, visit showcasegalleries.com or
call (805) 773-9424.
— Katie Marchetti
landscapes and cozy English cot-
tages, a stroll through the gallery
will broaden your horizons with
Kinkade’s interpretation of Baseball,
NASCAR, and the “ever-popular
Disney Collection.”
Smith and her team have
done their job as well, showcasing
Kinkade’s work in the best light.
Dimmer switches positioned next
to the paintings allow you to expe-
rience the beautiful transformation
Kinkade pieces make throughout