Curtis was presented the 2022 C.T. Hurst Award, also known as the Silver Trowel Award, “for one who has made extraordinary contributions to Colorado archaeology through excavation or survey projects, collections research, extensive publication for professional and public audiences, or long-time service to agencies, universities, or private companies.” The CAS Awards Committee chose to acknowledge Curtis’ contributions with this award “because of his devotion to exploring the archaeology of Colorado and his dedication to broadening our understanding of Colorado’s ephemeral Native American wickiups.”