Big Island ʻUkulele Guild 2017 at the Kahilu Theatre

The Big Island ʻUkulele Guild 2017 will be exhibited at the Kahilu Theatre Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 16 through 19, 2017.

The four-day exhibit showcases ʻukulele created by eight local builders: Terry Davis, Jane Klassen, Sam Rosen, Tom Russell, Ernest Theisen, Chris Stewart and Gary Cassel.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. This exhibit accompanies Kahilu Theatreʻs 15th Annual ʻUkulele & Slack Key Guitar Festival.

ʻUkuleles Drying. Photo by Chris Stewart

The Big Island ʻUkulele Guild 2017 showcases instruments built with a wide variety of materials and styles.

Cassel will exhibit a small concert ‘ukulele with a quilted big leaf Maple back, flame Maple sides, Sitka spruce top, Mahogany neck, and an ebony fretboard and bridge with abalone rosette and detail.

“Showcasing our instruments at Kahilu Theatre gives the Big Island ʻUkulele Guild members an opportunity to share their art and craftsmanship with the community,” Cassel said. “The ʻUkulele and Slack Key Festival provides a perfect venue for acquainting theater goers with the steps that go into building a handcrafted instrument. I personally enjoy answering questions and sharing information about this process and about our guild. It is wonderful to watch people enjoy the variety of sizes, shapes and styles of the beautiful instruments on display.”

Builder Russell is exhibiting an instrument described as a “bright-sounding, ʻwhimsical’ spalted waterfall Bubinga concert ʻukulele, which features a Yellowheart fretboard and brown ebony headstock.”

Davis is exhibiting a “tenor ‘ukulele made of curly koa and spalted mango,” while Theisen describes his “Kikipelli Dancer” as “a tenor ʻukulele with back and sides of Oregon black myrtle. Black Myrtle is a very rare variety of common myrtle from the Oregon Coast in the Grants Pass area. The top is Sitka spruce, the neck is Spanish cedar, the fretboard and bridge are ebony, the tuners are Grover gold plated and the strings are Worth polycarbonate.”

The Big Island ʻUkulele Guild, founded in 2001, is a group of women and men, young and old, professional and amateur, dedicated to improving their craft in the making of fine stringed instruments. They are committed to sharing that knowledge with others through fellowship, quarterly meetings, educational workshops and exhibitions.

The Kahilu Theatre Galleries exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and during all performances.

Gallery sales benefit the artist and exhibition program of Kahilu Theatre.

For more information, visit www.kahilutheatre.org or call (808) 885-6868.