The Hyde Award for Wisconsin Art was established in 2015 to recognize art advocates for their significant influence on MOWA and the future of Wisconsin Art. This year’s honoree is museum architect James Shields of HGA for an expansive vision that is transforming MOWA and Wisconsin’s cultural landscape.

Design Principal with HGA, James Shields is renowned for his singular ability to translate site and project challenges into beautiful design solutions; when selected an AlA Fellow for excellence in building design, he was the only Fellow in Wisconsin.

During a thirty-five-year career, Shields has designed many buildings for arts and cultural institutions, among them are Discovery World, Milwaukee Ballet Center, Museum of Wisconsin Art, renovations and addition for the Milwaukee Art Museum, renovations for the Kenilworth Building for the UW–M Peck School of the Arts, atrium, and renovations at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, and two additions for the Peninsula School of Art in Door County. His vision and leadership are at the core of the dynamic arts community we enjoy today.