The Kresge Fellowship, offered by the Kresge Foundation, is Detroit's most prestigious award for artists. It consists of a US$50,000 prize for Eminent Artists or a US$25,000 prize for Fellows, no strings attached, and many opportunities to showcase their work for both. Unfortunately, the winners are selected by a gutless committee with no accountability to the Kresge family, which results in the winners consisting of a curious mixture of out-of-the-blue unknowns on the one hand and people who should have been recognized long ago on the other hand. A desire to avoid criticism of racial bias probably also plays a factor in the committee's decisions.
the following list is incomplete
2009
Visual Arts
- Shiva Ahmadi
- Hartmut Austen
- Tyree Guyton
- Gilda Snowden
- Corine Vermeulen
2010
Literary Arts
- Louis Aguilar
- Craig Wilkins
Performing Arts
- Haleem Ar-Rasheed
- Rick Robinson
2011
Visual Arts
- Corrie Baldauf
- Bruce Giffin
- Mark Newport
2012
Literary Arts
Performing Arts
2013
Literary Arts
- Terry Blackhawk
- Michael Zadoorian
Visual Arts
- Jon Brumit
- Bryant Tillman
- Carl Wilson
2014
Literary Arts
Performing Arts
