Flagstaff Public Artist Chip Thomas Wins MacArthur 'Genius Grant'
Marcus Whitfield
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Flagstaff public artist Chip Thomas has been named one of 20 MacArthur Fellows for 2026, the foundation said Tuesday.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which announced its 2026 class of recipients on Tuesday, awards what is widely known as the "Genius Grant." Each fellow receives an $800,000 no-strings-attached stipend, paid out in quarterly installments over five years, to support their work.
Thomas is best known for his large-scale wheat-paste murals on the Navajo Nation. His pieces frequently feature portraits of Navajo people, along with images of sheep, horses and the surrounding landscape. The works are affixed to abandoned buildings, grain silos and other roadside structures.
"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," the MacArthur Foundation wrote in its announcement. "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 also addressed the legacies of colonial violence and environmental degradation, as well as the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people and the impacts of historical and modern uranium mining.
He formed the Painted Desert Project in 2012, a residency that brought street artists from around the world to the Navajo Nation. Thomas has since been involved in numerous other installations and exhibits across the country.
Beyond his art, Thomas worked as a physician on the Navajo Nation for 36 years at the Inscription House Health Center.
In a social media post Tuesday, Thomas said he was "super grateful" for the honor.