History
Would you believe Bert's Pine Bay Gallery was originally obtained to create a parking lot for Bert's Bar and Grill? Bert's Bar could offer few spaces for his customers, so Pine Bay Marina, located across the street, became the parking lot. When Bert's Pine Bay Gallery first opened in the little yellow clapboard building that was one of the first buildings to be built in Matlacha in the 1920s, it was an outlet for Bert's tee shirts and caps, with a smattering of local art. After Hurricane Charley blew off the roof, and the front porch, owner Bernard Johnson decided to add more merchandise to the newly renovated building. More local artists saw the possibilities; Mel Meo added her art to the mix and the business grew to be voted