Adam Swanson

After three years in Ithaca, New York and a stint in Antarctica, painter, Adam Swanson, has called Duluth home for five years. The young painter, married and father of two, has creating quite a following in the short time he lived in the region.  Perhaps its his distinctive style: bright, bold, Impressionistic yet accessible, Swanson has quickly achieved a measure of local respect in the arts community. Penguins, bicycles,water and wolves. He both inspires, (and we hope) is inspired by the region. We’re lucky to have him.

2nd Place: Sarah Brokke

She gets high points from her students at St. Scholastica, but what counts here are votes from Reader readers who assigned painter Sarah Brokke with the Runner Up title in this year’s poll. Her work has been in the Zeitgeist Atrium, Duluth Art Institute and PROVE, among other spaces in recent memory. She has been influenced by her studies abroad (England and Italy) obviously and the Northland is better off for it.