Featured Artisan
Don Kolstad
Don Kolstad was born in Southern California in 1950 and attended the University of Utah on a Football and Baseball Scholarship. While attaining a degree in Psychology he realized his great love was to become an artist.

After leaving college, Don worked in the music industry as a promotional manager setting up concerts for Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins, Chet Atkins and many other country stars of the time. In 1982 Don decided to try a career as a full-time artist and Alaska seemed the most beautiful place on earth to work as a painter.

Don works primarily in watercolor and oil paints along with other media to keep a fresh approach and to stay challenged. Don has been President of the Alaska Watercolor Society, owned a gallery at the Anchorage 5th Ave. Mall, created limited edition prints and posters, been a juror for art shows, had numerous one-man shows around the state of Alaska and West Coast, and has also been the featured Artist at many fund raising auctions including the Mayor’s Ball and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Don has been commissioned over the years to paint for the Alaska Railroad, Alaska Magazine, Anchorage Hilton, Simon and Seaforts, Chef’s Inn, American Legion of Alaska, KTUU TV, Hunting and Fishing calendars, designs for a women’s clothing line at Nordstrom, painted the helmet of Olympic Gold Medal winner Tommy Moe, cover art for Anchorage Visitors Guide (Summer and Winter), the US Air Force and  paintings for the Alaska and Caribbean Cruise Lines.  At the Anchorage Museum of Natural History and Art in November of 2006, Don’s work was part of an auction of “Great Masters of the North”, and Don was one of only a few living artists featured.

For the last several years Don has been teaching watercolor classes at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, giving workshops, and working in his studio at Plein Air painting. He continues to challenge his work with new ideas and techniques and is more interested in where the work is going and not where it's been. In Don’s words, “I have a wonderful life with my wife and family and I am very blessed to be painting year after year.”