Kelley Lindquist

Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient

College of Liberal Arts, October 27, 2022

Kelley Lindquist received a bachelor of arts degree in European history in 1975 from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. He is the president and CEO of Artspace Projects, Inc., America’s leading nonprofit real estate developer for creative communities. Lindquist joined Artspace in 1987 as its sole employee with a budget of $60,000. Since then, he has grown the nonprofit organization to a team of 70 with a national Board of Directors, and an annual budget of $20 million. Artspace owns and operates 52 mixed-use projects nationwide, representing a $587 million investment in America’s urban and rural arts infrasture. These properties provide over 1,700 live/work units to low-income artists and their families, as well as millions in rent subsidies annually. In addition, almost 500 commercial tenants, including arts and cultural organizations, creative entrepreneurs, and small businesses benefit from below market rate spaces. One of Artspace’s first projects outside of the Twin Cities included a partnership with the Ojibwe community in Duluth to create Washington Studios. Other projects include the Olglala Lakota community on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the Native Hawaiian community in Honolulu, a predominantly Puerto Rican community in New York’s East Harlem, predominantly African American communities in Memphis and New Orleans, and a predominantly Mexican American community in El Paso, Texas. Because of his unique and bold leadership, Artspace has received numerous awards, including the 2019 ACHP/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, Bell Artspace Campus in New Orleans; the 2019 Colorado Preservation, Inc. State Honor Award; the 2018 Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Louisiana Landmarks Society; and the Minnesota Brownfields Rescape Awards for Community Impact, to name a few. Linquist is a sought after speaker and consultant at national and international conferences. In 2018, he presented in China and Greece about his work with Artspace.

Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.