The Kailua Village Artists will host a featured artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at their gallery. Light pupu will be served. The three featured artists honored at the reception are stained glass artist Bill Jaeger, porcelain artist and water color painter Betty Gerstner, and watercolor painter and digital designer Stefanie Culbertson.
Jaeger learned the art of stained glass many years ago while living on the mainland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Wichita State University and a master’s degree from the University of Kansas. Jaeger and his wife Kathleen moved to Hawaii Island in 2004 upon his retirement from various management positions held over his 28 years with the Colgate-Palmolive company. Since then, he has completely immersed himself in the art of stained glass. Each art piece is an original design of hand-cut glass soldered together using the copper foil method.
Gerstner has been a porcelain artist for 36 years. In 2000, shortly after moving to Hawaii, Gerstner began studying watercolors and now divides her time between the two mediums of porcelain and watercolor. Gertstner’s art studio is at her home in the picturesque “up country” town of Captain Cook, where she teaches classes in porcelain painting.
Culbertson moved to Hawaii in 1989 from Germany, where she started her formal art education when she was 15 years old. She joined the Kailua Village Artists and the West Hawaii Arts Guild in the early 90s. Culbertson spent eight years in Hawaii doing art and started her college education here. She holds two AA-degrees in liberal arts and drama and a bachelor’s degree in digital design. She returned home to Hawaii in 2006 and started her own business, Tiffany Arts Designs, doing graphic and digital design work and painting in watercolors. Since July 2010 she’s had a booth at the monthly Kokua Kailua Village Stroll with her art. Early in 2011, Culbertson rejoined the Kailua Village Artists Gallery. In 2012, she joined the Blue Sea Artisans Gallery, and is an active member at both galleries.
The Kailua Village Artists Gallery is located at 75-5729 Alii Dr., Suite C-110 in the Kona Marketplace. The gallery is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 329-6653.