Stone Age Institute
Award for Outstanding Craftsmanship

This award is given to world class artisans from a wide variety of backgrounds, to celebrate the highest levels of craftsmanship. Recipients are invited to give a talk on their work and recieve an engraved plaque from the Stone Age Institute.

Recipients of the Outstanding Craftsmanship Award

2020 Frank Artess and Susan Gustafson, founders of the Foundation for African Medicine & Education (FAME), Karatu, Tanzania

2020 Saifuddin Khanbhai, owner of the Cultural Heritage Centre, Arusha, Tanzania

2020 Janis Ian, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter

2020 Jesse Eisenberg, actor, author, and playwright

2019 George Gruhn, leading expert on vintage American guitars, Gruhn Guitars, Nashville

2019 Lisa Loeb, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter

2018 Mohammed Al-Barwani, MB Holdings, Sultanate of Oman

2018 Michael Molenda, Editor-in-Chief of Guitar Player Magazine

2017 Carl Cook and Ronan Young, "reverse engineered" Bloomington's first car

2016 Carrie Newcomer, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter

2015 Mike Wood, creator of Leap Frog educational software

2015 Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer and inventor of the first personal computer

2013 Doug Dayhoff, brewmaster, "What brewers have taught me about early tool makers"

2012 Dr. Booker T Jones, music craftsman, "An Evening with Booker T. Jones"

2012 Gayle Cook, historical conservationist, "The Mystique of Domes"

2011 Gordon Getty, composer

2011 Mary Krupinski, architect, "Sticks and Stones: My Life as an Architect"

2010 Todd Rundgren, music craftsman, "Long Hair: Todd Rundgren and the Beatles Effect" and "Cluster: The Birth of the T-Chord"

2009 Jean Pierret, guitar craftsman

2008 Jay Matternes, artist/naturalist

2006 Art Seymour, glass bead maker, "The Craft of Venetian Chevron Bead-making"

2003 Mark Martin, master stonemason, "Dry Stone Masonry and Architecture"

2002 Jean Auel, author, Clan of the Cave Bear, "An Evening with Jean Auel"

2001 Bill Cook, medical device manufacturer, "The History of Medical Devices"

2000 Kenny Aronoff, drummer, "An Evening with Kenny Aronoff"

2000 Bill Kimberlin, digital effects, Lucasfilm, "Special Effects in the Cinema"

1999 Bill and Kathleen Oliver, winemakers, "A Tour of the Oliver Winery"

1998 John Raitt, Broadway legend, "A Musical Autobiography"

1996 Brian Anderson, blacksmith, "Forging into Our Past: Making Ancient Sword-blades"

1995 Fritz Maytag, brewmaster, "Strange Brew: Experiments in Sumerian Beer-making"

1994 Seymour Duncan, guitar maker, "The Archaeology of the Electric Guitar"