Black Excellence: Chip Thomas
https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2026/chip-thomas
Chip Thomas is a public artist transforming overlooked and neglected spaces into powerful public works grounded in community histories and present-day experiences. Most of Thomas’s works are sited on the Navajo Nation and made in collaboration with the Diné People. He began his artistic work during his 36-year career as a primary care physician on the Navajo Nation. The ethos of care and healing from his medical practice is also evident in his artistic practice, particularly those works that confront the legacies of colonial violence and environmental degradation.