View this post on Instagram
Arizona-based public artist Chip Thomas transforms overlooked spaces into powerful public artworks inspired by community experiences and histories. He’s just been named one of the 2026 MacArthur Fellows, and has been awarded the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s prestigious “Genius Grant” of $800,000.
The grant is awarded to nominated artists in the U.S. who show “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” The awards go to roughly 20 to 30 people each year working across many disciplines, including art, science, and social justice. The $800,000 is paid in quarterly installments over five years, and there are no limitations or rules for how the recipients can spend it.
Thomas is known for his large-scale murals depicting Navajo people, which can be found on abandoned buildings, grain silos, and other roadside structures. His artistic practice grew alongside his 36-year career as a primary care physician on the Navajo Nation, where he often works closely with the Diné community.
“The portraits of Diné People of various ages and images of sheep, horses, and the landscape turn the structures into sites of cultural memory and affirmation,” says the MacArthur Foundation. “Thomas has deeply engaged with local communities and worked with small institutions across the country to create similar murals that reflect their lives.”
Since 2009, Thomas has used his art to bring attention to some of the difficult histories and challenges facing the Navajo Nation, from the history of colonial violence, to the environmental damage, to their lands. He also uses art to spotlight missing and murdered Indigenous people and the ongoing severe health crises caused by uranium mining. Thomas explains, “I would hear things people were experiencing that I wanted to raise greater awareness around, and hopefully to do so with respect and sensitivity.”
In 2012, he founded the Painted Desert Project, bringing street artists from around the world to the Navajo Nation for a collaborative residency. Since then, Thomas has taken part in multiple installations and exhibitions across the country, using his art to share Indigenous stories, raise awareness, and connect people with the places and communities he works alongside.
“I feel my art is a form of community care, in that I’m reflecting the beauty of the community back to the people, and attempting to create an environment of wellness,” says Thomas. “When Navajo people see it, I want them to see the love, the concern, the respect that I attempted to put into the work. For people who aren’t from the Navajo Nation, I want there to be a sense of curiosity about who these people are.”
Find out more about the artist’s work in the video below, and follow Chip Thomas on Instagram for more.
Public artist Chip Thomas was named one of the 2026 MacArthur Fellows and was awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s prestigious “Genius Grant” of $800,000.
View this post on Instagram
Thomas is known for his large-scale murals depicting Navajo people, which can be found on abandoned buildings, grain silos, and other roadside structures.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Since 2009, Thomas has used his art to bring attention to some of the difficult histories and challenges facing the Navajo Nation.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Find out more about his life and work.
Chip Thomas: Website | Instagram
MacArthur Foundation: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Sources: Chip Thomas | 2026 MacArthur Fellow; Chip Thomas
Related Articles:
5 Breakthrough Artists Who Are Making Contemporary Native American and Indigenous Public Art
Portraits Capture the Faces of America’s Endangered Languages
Feather Sculpture Pays Tribute to Native American Generosity to Irish During the Great Famine
Inside de Young Museum’s New Indigenous American Art Galleries
