Distinguished Artist Awards
Nominations are currently closed.
Photo description: Jerry Laktonen, an Alutiiq carver of
Larsen Bay, received a Distinguished Artist Award in 2025.
Honoring decades of artistic accomplishments
Rasmuson Foundation offers one $50,000 Distinguished Artist Award annually in recognition of an Alaskan’s creative excellence over multiple decades and significant artistic accomplishments. These artists have chosen to make their lives and careers in Alaska, thereby making our state a more culturally rich place to live. First and foremost, they have made creatively incisive art reflecting their particular and extraordinary perspective. Award recipients will most likely be full-time, professional artists, and will be recognized by peers and experts across the state as among the most highly accomplished in their field. Artists may work in any artistic discipline.
Distinguished Artist Award recipients have created an extensive independent body of work representing life-long investigation and development of their personal creativity. They must have decades of experience creating art and contributing to advancement of arts and culture in Alaska.
We welcome public nominations of artists who meet the Distinguished Artist Award criteria. Artists can also nominate themselves. Distinguished Artist nominations do not preclude artists from applying for an Individual Artist Award program grant.
Past Distinguished Artists recipients
Visit our gallery of past recipients to learn more about the artists and to see their work.
About the Distinguished Artist Award
Artists may apply or be nominated for a Distinguished Artist Award if they meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Artist must be a full-time Alaska resident and have lived in the state for the past five years at the time of the nomination and remain a resident, living in Alaska for the duration of the grant period.
- Artist must have decades of experience creating art and contributing to advancement of arts and culture in Alaska and must be established in an artistic career. An established artist has created an extensive independent body of work representing a life-long investigation and development of their personal creativity. They demonstrate a high-aesthetic level of artistic ability with a strong consistency of expression over a professional art career.
- Artist is often producing work.
- Artist may only win a Distinguished Artist Award once. View past recipients here.
Selection criteria for awards include:
- The impact the artist has had on arts and culture in Alaska.
- The quality of artistic work over their decades-long career.
- The artist’s creative accomplishments and the promise of future artistic excellence.
- A nominated artist’s work must be culturally responsible and not contain elements of cultural appropriation, defined as the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.
Rasmuson Foundation assembles an Alaska-based panel of artists and arts experts to assist in the selection process. Decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.
We have an online gallery of all previous Distinguished Artists that includes a bio, photos of their work, and, if available, their mini-documentary.
Nominations are simple: who do you believe deserves recognition for their lifetime of work?
- Before beginning your nomination, please review our past recipients list.
- Next, complete our online nomination form where we will ask you to tell us more about the artist, their impact on arts and culture in Alaska, their artistic accomplishments, and why you think they should be the next Distinguished Artist.
- Most of the questions are optional guidelines to help us be be better familiar with your nomination.
Nominate an artist
Nominations are currently closed. It will reopen in 2027.
Need help?
If you are not sure where to start, connect with our grantmaking team. We are here to help!