Friends of HIMELE

Chris Stewart

Originally born in Washington, D.C., Chris spent his early years in Maryland before moving to Southern, then Northern California. He and his wife Teri made frequent visits to the islands over the years, gradually feeling pulled toward the pace and spirit of Kona, where they eventually settled in 2007.

Chris became involved with HIMELE after attending a steel guitar festival and meeting Geri Valdriz, the curator of the Vintage Lap Steel Guitar Exhibit. When Chris mentioned he made custom koa wood lap steels and knew others in the Kona area who owned or built vintage instruments, the two quickly found common ground. A few months later, Chris gathered up a group of instruments—his own and others from the community—and brought them to the Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience at the Mauna Lani Hotel.

That collaboration became the beginning of a long-running partnership. Today, Chris contributes five or more custom and vintage lap steels to complement Geri's exhibit at HIMELE events. He helps set up, break down, and store the instruments, and he's the friendly face at the exhibit table, answering questions and sharing stories with festivalgoers. After each event, he returns the borrowed instruments to their owners personally, always offering his thanks for their part in preserving the culture.

Before moving to Hawai‘i, Chris worked for decades as a news photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He still enjoys photography today, but now on his own terms—no deadlines, just storytelling for the joy of it. Much of his time is spent exploring Hawai‘i Island with Teri, learning about its history and traditions. As Chris puts it: "We just ask ourselves, 'Where do you want to go today?'"

A lifelong tinkerer and builder, Chris has constructed over 30 custom ukuleles and several lap steel guitars. Although the Big Island Ukulele Guild stopped meeting during the pandemic, he still works on instruments in his own time and is slowly taking on a new personal challenge: learning to play the lap steel himself, encouraged by fellow players and friends in the HIMELE community.

Slideshow photo credits: Don Rostow-1,8; Don Touchi-3,7; Addison Ching-2,4,5,6

Chris believes strongly in HIMELE's mission. He sees the festivals not only as a celebration of the Hawaiian steel guitar but also as a way to keep its cultural legacy alive. "You get old timers and newbies coming here listening to the music, meeting the players, and getting excited," he says. "Then they come to the exhibit and see a lap steel I built-and maybe someday, they'll want to build one too."

Whether through his photography, his craftsmanship, or simply his presence at each festival, Chris Stewart is helping perpetuate a uniquely Hawaiian art form-one instrument at a time.

Previous Friends of HIMELE Features

• 2025 October - Linda Mentzer
• 2025 July - Jake Kuliaikanu‘u Fernandez
• 2025 June - Monte McComber
• 2025 May - Don Rostow
• 2024 December - Ron and Andrea Tolentino
• 2024 November - Sandy Sardinha