2023
Riki Banerjee — Neurotech leader and vice president of research and development at Synchron
Maddy Bartsch — Farmer, educator, and organizer of decentralized textile economies based in Minneapolis
Brian A. Grandison — Actor, a writer, a director, and artist-in-residence in the Twin Cities, around the country, and internationally
Peter Mui — Founder of Fixit Clinic
Ron Ramsay — Creator of Agincourt, Iowa and an associate professor of architecture at NDSU
David Thomas — From the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba and manager of planning and design for Treaty One
2022
Brian Alexander — Transdisciplinary artist focused on sound
Dr. Tiara Moore — Biologist and activist
William Swanson — Suspense fiction writer and journalist
Katie Swenson — senior principal, MASS Design Group
Cole Wehrle — Table-top game designer
2021
Christina Ciardullo, Michael Morris, and Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman — Architects and designers, Space Exploration Architecture
Kate Ladenheim — Dance artist and choreographer
Ellie Lum — Bag maker and educator, Klum House
Peyton Scott Russell — Graffiti artist
2020
Francis D.K. Ching — Architect, professor, sketcher, author
Jamie Fassett-Carman and Mark Larson — Puzzle and escape room designers, Trapped Puzzle Rooms
Matt Jenkins — Blacksmith, Cloverdale Forge
Kevin Johnson — 3D printing research fellow, Stratasys
Kathy McTavish — Media composer and installation artist
Lucia Watson — Chef and founder of the former Lucia’s Restaurant, author
2019
Adam Regn Arvidson — Landscape architect, author, Wild and Rare
Ansley Barnard — Aerospace and automotive engineer
Johanna Hurme — Architect, founding partner, 5468796 Architecture
Erin Rafferty-Bugher — Art therapist, educator
Jonathan Thunder — Multidisciplinary artist (canvas, animation, film, 3D projection mapping)
Jess Zimbabwe — Architect, city planner, National League of Cities, Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership
2018
Dessa — Rapper, singer, essayist, poet
Billie Faircloth, AIA — Partner, research director, KieranTimberlake
Amara Hark-Weber — Shoemaker, artist, educator
Kate Sutton-Johnson — 3D designer of environmental, exhibit, and stage design
Mary Anne Wise — Textile artist, cofounder of Cultural Cloth
Kao Kalia Yang — Writer, author of The Song Poet and The Lakehomecomer
2017
Diane Jones Allen — Landscape architect, DesignJones LLC
Lucie Amundsen — Egg farm co-owner, author, Locally Laid
Matthew Baldwin — Illustrator, painter, artist
Mark Hansen — Teacher, designer, builder, North House Folk School founder
Brent Kelley, AIA — Architect, principal, Corgan, specializing in airports
Mina Leierwood and Peter Schulze — Artist/teacher and artist/engineer, Art Shanty Project – Polar Bear on Wheels
2016
Bob Borson, AIA — Architect, blogger of “Life of an Architect”
Len Brackett — Japanese house designer, woodworker
Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer — Performers, choreographers, Bridgman/Packer Dance
Erin McKean — Lexicographer, founder of Wordnik.com
Carolyn Porter — Graphic designer, type designer of the P22 Marcel font
Charles Yust — Principal design technologist at frogdesign
2015
Dan Chouinard — Pianist and accordionist
Todd Melby — Reporter, digital innovator, lead producer of “Black Gold Boom“
Ellie Schoenfeld — Poet, co-author of Bound Together: Like the Grasses
Andy Skoglund — Engineer and bike designer, Surly Bikes
2014
Rob Cotter — CEO and Founder of Organic Transit, creator of the Elf
Eric Gjerde — Author and paper artist; Origamist
Christopher Haas, AIA — Architect and founder of HAAS Architecture in San Francisco
Chuck Hoberman — Hoberman Associates, a multi-disciplinary practice; transformable principles
C. Michael Lewis — Freelance artist with backgrounds in architecture and advertising
Joyce Sutphen — Author, teacher, award-winning poet, 2011 MN Poet Laureate
Lucas Westcott — Lead interpretive ranger, Rock Harbor Ranger Station, Isle Royale on Lake Superior
2013
Gabriel Campanario — Founder of Urban Sketchers; staff artist at the Seattle Times
Dr. Yuri Danilov — Tactile Communication & Neurorehabilitation Lab, UW-Madison
Michael Fortune — Canadian creative contemporary furniture master
Elizabeth P. Gray, FAIA — Founding principal and partner, Gray Organschi Architecture
Anna Kipnis — Video game designer/creator of Molyjam, Double Fine Productions
Doug Scholz-Carlson — Minneapolis-based fight choreographer, actor, and director
2012
Megan Q. Bachman — Writer, photographer, on global climate change
Michael Barone — Pipe organ musician; Executive Director of Pipedreams
Calvin Brook — Architect, urban designer, and planner
Chris Downey — “Architect who lost his vision”
Carl Haensel — Educator, biologist, photographer, writer, fishing guide
Butch Roy — HUGE Improv Theater
2011
Edith Ackermann — Developmental psychologist, educator, researcher
Sam Bousfield — Inventor of Switchblade; CEO of Samson Motorworks
Rick Defoe — Annishinabe and a Fond-Du Lac band member, co-chair of the Duluth American Indian Commission
Debra Frasier — Children’s book author and illustrator
Jerry Messman — Architect, BSB Design; designer of the Abod
Norbert Yankielun — Explorer, engineer, inventor, author
2010
Kevin Clemens — Author, engineer, environmentalist
Kimberly Dickey — designer, statistician, environmental specialist
Prudence Johnson — Singer/songwriter
Tim Kaiser — Folk music/performance art
Blaine Merker — Environmental designer
Craig Scott — Architect, IwamotoScott Architecture
2009
Bruce Blair — Permaculture
Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick — New Orleans cultural photographers
Nicolai Czumaj-Bront — Industrial designer, Haworth
John Langdon — Ambigrams word artist
Kristina de Sacramento and Michael Zieghan — Flamenco dancer and guitarist
Erik Simula — Birch bark canoes/Lake Superior travel
Carole Wedge — Architect, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott
2008
Lance Brockman — Theater scene designer
Heinz Brummel — Jeweler/sculptor
Bill Holm — Author and storyteller
Eddie Jones — Architect, Jones Studio, Inc.
Mark Thomas — Creator of the SeaDog Pump
Becky Weis — Scandinavian fiddler
Marcy Wheeler — Political blogger
2007
Carol Barton — Pop-up book artist
Bill Bastian — Operatic performer
Bill Berg — Wildlife research biologist
Martin Kastner — Alternative food service concepts
JB Straubel — Chief Technical Director, Tesla Motors
Anni Tilt and David Arkin — Architects, Arkin Tilt Architects
2006
Jeff Bartlett — Lighting designer, Southern Theater
Arthur Ganson — Sculptor, inventor, mechanical engineer
Jerry Glover — The Land Institute
Ari Hoptman — Comedian
Suzanne Moore — Lettering artist
Dan Newton — Accordionist
Jane Weinzapfel — Architect, Leers Weinzapfel Associates
2005
Ben Hall — Graffiti artist
Ruth MacKenzie and Dean Magraw — Musicians
Carol Rehtmeyer — Toy design/marketing
Robert Scott — Jet edge technology, Possis Medical
James Timberlake — Architect, KieranTimberlake Associates
Richard Taylor — Fractals
Richard Vosko — Liturgical consultant
2004
Tim Eliassen — America’s Cup racing boats
Andrew Freear — Auburn University Rural Studio
Charles Harper — Architect, disaster relief
Robert Hogg — Micro-Robot Explorer, NASA
Kevin Kling — Storyteller, playwright, comedian
Rivers and Tides — Film
2003
Stuart Allan — Mapmaker, cofounder, Raven Maps
Wing Young Huie — Photographer
Collen Kruse — Comedian, storyteller
William Massie — Architect
Amelia Rudolph — Extreme dance, Project Bandaloop
Mark Seeley — Climatologist
Mark Zeh — Studio IDEO
2002
Kurt Buetow — Designer, inventor
Doug Garofalo — Architect
Wallace Hill — Musician, Minneapolis Drum Center
Steve Loken — Center for Resourceful Building Technology
Mira Nakashima-Yarnall — Architect-trained furniture designer
Dale Sohlstrom — Minnesota Street Rod Association
Kent Whealy — Seed Savers Exchange
2001
Joe Chvala — Dancer, Flying Foot Forum
Craig Curtis — Architect
Michael Donahue — Great Lakes Commission
David Robinson — Terrorist prevention, Sandia National Labs
Robert Schemenauer — Fog collection as a means of water supply
Orrin Shane — Archeologist
Sandy Spieler — Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater
2000
Richard Bresnahan — Potter
Sheila Kennedy — Architect
Karal Ann Marling — Author on popular culture
Matteo Martignoni — Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project, India
Bruce Murray — Native American storyteller
Kirk Tingblad — Animator
1999
Michael Chandler — Artist
Douglas Ewart — Musician, creator of musical instruments
Pliny Fisk — Environmentalist, straw bale construction
NASA — Design for space exploration
Herb Pick — Wayfinding, spatial cognition
Peter Woytuk — Sculptor
1998
Merrill Elam — Award-winning Atlanta architect
Daniel Fechtner — Prosthetics designer, rehabilitative medicine
Gerhardt Knodel — Textile artist, Cranbrook Academy of Art
John Margolies — Photographer, commentator on American popular culture
Fuller Moore — Daylighting, work of Alvar Aalto
Jim Stowell — Storyteller, Twin Cities playwright
1997
Leslie Ball & Gary Rue — Songwriters and musical performers
Terry Beaubois — Architect, multimedia design solutions
Mike Davis — Ecologist, Minnesota DNR, Mississippi River
Ralph Goldbeck — Architect, Wienermobile designer
Katherine Lanpher — Journalist, Pioneer Press
Brion Toss — Rigger, author, philosopher
Jacqueline Vischer — Environmental psychologist
1996
Steve Badanes — Design/build architect, Jersey Devils
Leslie Ball — Singer, songwriter, performer
Wayne Bowes — Bus-based transit planning, Ottawa
Eric Goetz — Space-age boatbuilding, America’s Cup
Craig Roeder — Healing light and colors
Michael Van Staagen — Cirrus aircraft design
1995
Craig Blacklock — Lake Superior photography
Stewart Brand — How buildings learn, evolving design
Medard Gabel — World Game, world resources
Ken Greenberg — Urban design and planning, Toronto
Jeff Teague and Franz Von Holzhausen — VW Concept 1 design
Stanley Tigerman and Eva Maddox — Archiworks design school
1994
Tom Bender — “Architecture with heart and spirit”
Dudley Riggs — Satirical review
Ron Bowen — Prairie restoration
Philip Brunelle — Conductor, design of music
Nancy Clanton — Lighting that responds
Paul Hawken — Ecology of commerce, sustainability
House of cards
1993
Bob Bruce and Marc Hinshaw — Lake Superior Center update
Friend, Hauser, Hegman, Jennings — Arts on 2 production
Nancy Gibson — Wolf Center naturalist
Bill Holm — Poetry, humor
Bart Prince — Organic craft houses
Gary & Susanne Siepl-Coates — Swedish sustainable communities
John Zeisel — Humanistic space planning
Fishing lure design
1992
Bill Holm — Poetry, humor
Jerry Kimball — Duluth waterfront plans
Frank LaGiusa — Commercial lighting
J. C. Mays — Audi automobile design
Tony Nelessen — Urban community planning
Mike Plant — Around-the-world sailboat racing
Fanciful footbridge designs
1991
Bob Bruce — Lake Superior Center
Michael Crosbie — Soviet architecture
Mary Lee Hardinbergh — Environmental dance, choreographer
Kirk Ready — Solar-powered cars
Darrel Rhea — Packaging, design research
Bill Sims — Walt Disney Imagineering
Larry Stark — Ice-fish house designs
1990
Colder by the Lake — Drama troupe
Mark Erickson — Outdoor clothing and tent design
Art Harkins — Futuristic planning
Vladimir Matus — Northern climate planning
Dave Mona — Public relations, Super Bowl XXVI
Mary Nordale — Alaskan housing and culture
Saunders Schultz — Sculptor, creative problem-solver
Wayne Tobiasson — Cold regions engineering, Antarctica
1989
John Alred — NASA designer, space station
Colder by the Lake — Drama troupe
Marc Hinshaw — HHPJ architects, deconstructivism
Michael Kalil — Space station, interior space
Ron Keenberg — IKOY architects, industrialized building
Bob Mantell — Arctic expedition, explorer
Tom Newhouse — Furniture design, office systems