We have purchased two large paintings and some smaller pieces of art from Mr. Hester over the years. Always, have we been treated in a friendly and accommodating manner. Our only disappointment has been that on a couple of occasions, we did not find the gallery open during business hours. I have to wonder about some of the negative reviews by so-called collectors. It seems some of these people might have been a bit pretentious and full of themselves. When you buy a piece of art, you don't need to put on airs or try to impress the gallery owner.

We have purchased several pieces from Bill Hester over the last several years. Each time he has been wonderful to work with and has always gone the extra mile. We’ve frequented other galleries where the employees dismiss us due to our age, whereas Bill has always been kind and generous towards us.

Hard to believe I am wasting time leaving a review for Bill Hester Fine Arts. The other negative reviews are spot on and sum up our experience in April. First, he insults my wife by intimating that I have good taste but she and I don’t share that. At this early point in the “conversation” my wife was already half way out the door - she senses ridiculous, self absorbed arrogance much faster than I do and has no tolerance for it. I’m more charitable and tend to engage losers on the theory that everyone has some redeeming quality or possibly is the product of a sad life and needs a friend. Well, in his 25 minute long monologue about himself, his various careers, his “exclusive” arrangement with the artist in whom I was interested, (somebody) Fisher (not half bad, btw), he then spends time insulting all the other galleries along Canyon Road by stating that they discount paintings by 40%, but he does not. They are just selling wallpaper. I was flummoxed, started laughing at him - politely only to myself - and then getting a little angry. But I simply could not tear myself away from watching this train wreck.My wife later laughed out loud when I told her the no-discount claim, pointing out that while she was there for two minutes, Bill Hester quickly engaged her and offered to discount a Fisher paining by 15% without her asking.Finally, he kept pointing out to me that the “real art collectors” hadn’t yet arrived in Santa Fe and that he’d be fortunate to acquire so many Fisher paintings. My guess looking back is that he had so many lined up in a row - six or seven, and all the exact same size and price ($7,500) - that he was throwing out some excuse as to why they hadn’t sold. Too bad.I could go on, but that’s plenty of true story telling so that other visitors who recognize the above will get a laugh out of their experience. Sadly, his personality issues, if that’s all they are, reflect poorly on Canyon Road and Santa Fe. Or, who knows, maybe he actually highlights how pleasant, learned, and welcoming the other gallery owners and managers are?Bill, I enjoyed our visit. Without meeting you, it would have been like going to a Barnum and Bailey Circus and not seeing a clown.

Bill is an amazing artist in his own right in the way he displays artistic expressions of others. His studios are amazing and art offerings beyond outstanding. The Hester sculpture garden is remarkable.

Think of the most stereotypical pompous art snob you can think of. That's a perfect representation of Bill. He insulted me for being a art hobbyist. Good art wasted on a terrible person.