A North Carolina native and Wake Forest University graduate has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship — also known as the “genius grant.”
Public artist Chip Thomas graduated from Wake Forest in 1979 before attending medical school in Tennessee. He eventually moved to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, where he spent nearly four decades working as a primary care physician.
Since 2009, Thomas has installed large-scale black-and-white murals on abandoned buildings and grain silos, often depicting Navajo people and their history. In a video released by the MacArthur Foundation, Thomas said in some ways his art is an extension of his work in the medical field.
“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," he said.
In a statement, the MacArthur Foundation said Thomas “advances a model of socially engaged art defined by unwavering commitment to place and community.”
Thomas is one of 20 fellows selected this year. He’ll receive an $800,000 award over five years.