Adam Swanson

Adam Swanson has won this category before a few years ago and he’s back again. The last time he won he was heading over seas and didn’t even get to see the issue before he left. It’s safe to say Swanson will be around the area for awhile now. We asked him what he’s been up to and it turned out to be quite a bit, “a lot has changed for me personally in the past three years. I’m married, with two sons, Jasper and Oliver. I moved to Cloquet into a log home, on a dirt road, in the woods. I paint full-time (and have been for almost four years now). Last year I went to Turkey on an artist fellowship, which was awesome. I’ve been working on painting people into my photos, while exploring the human connection with the natural world. This past year my personal paintings have been about alternative energy, outer space and human animal hybrids. I am thrilled to have been nominated as a finalist again. It makes me really happy to think that the things I make strike chords with your readers. Almost all of my time is spent alone, in my studio. I never really know what people think about my work, as it hangs in the coffee shops, bars and galleries. It is a terrific honor and I am grateful for the support of the northland. I would not be painting every day without it.”

Runner Up: Sarah Brokke Erickson