\n<\/p>\n
Chicago artist Tonika Lewis Johnson can now add \u201cgenius\u201d to her already robust resume.<\/p>\n
The Englewood native \u2014 who is known for her large-scale, social-justice-oriented work, including the Folded Map Project<\/u><\/a> \u2014 is among this year\u2019s class of MacArthur Fellows.<\/p>\n The so-called \u201cgenius grants\u201d have been awarded annually by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation since 1981 and come with $800,000 in no-strings-attached funding for each recipient. They recognize \u201cexceptional creativity\u201d and potential for future work, according to the foundation.<\/p>\n This year, there are 22 fellows from around the world, whose areas of expertise range from visual art and filmmaking to chemical engineering and astrophysics. California author Tommy Orange is also among this year\u2019s recipients. His novel \u201cThere There\u201d was the Chicago Public Library\u2019s citywide read<\/u><\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n Other Midwest honorees include \u00c1ngel F. Adames Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies the forces that drive tropical weather patterns, and S\u00e9bastien Philippe, a University of Wisconsin nuclear security specialist focused on examining the past harms and potential future risks from building, testing and storing launch-ready nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n Johnson said being among the recipients feels like validation, not just for her own creative output, but also for her South Side neighborhood.<\/p>\n