Twenty-two exceptional individuals had their lives transformed on Wednesday morning as they were announced as recipients of the prestigious 2025 MacArthur Fellowships, commonly known as "genius grants." Among this year's distinguished group is Chicago photographer and social justice artist Tonika Lewis Johnson, the only Illinois recipient, who will receive $800,000 paid out in annual installments of $160,000 over five years.
Johnson, 45, is a native of Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, where she continues to live with her 21-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter, both college students. Her artistic journey began with strong family influences - her father Tony Lewis, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, and her mother Rita Lewis, a screenplay writer. "They each have been incredibly influential," Johnson told the Tribune by phone on Monday.
As a teenager, Johnson commuted to the North Side to attend Lane Tech College Prep, where she came under the mentorship of two Pulitzer Prize winners: Tribune photographer Ovie Carter, who gave her her first camera, and Sun-Times teacher John White. She later earned a bachelor's degree in the arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2003 and an MBA from National Louis University in 2005.
Unlike many of her fellow 2025 MacArthur recipients who have worked in relative obscurity, Johnson has already gained significant media recognition. She was profiled in the Tribune for her groundbreaking work and was honored by Chicago Magazine as a Chicagoan of the Year in 2017. The MacArthur Foundation praised her for "documenting disparities in Chicago's neighborhoods through participatory art projects that empower residents to confront and disrupt these inequities."
Her most acclaimed project, the Folded Map Project, is described on her website as an initiative "to visually connect residents from corresponding addresses on the North and South Sides of Chicago to show how decades of harmful policies have divided Chicago socially and physically." This innovative approach has helped illuminate the stark contrasts between different areas of the city.
"I am proud, of course, but this really isn't about just me," says Johnson. "Though deeply personal, it not only validates the work I have been doing but is proof that Englewood means something. This neighborhood is not the problem and I hope what I am doing, what so many others are doing, can shift the narrative." She has often said, "You can't love a city without understanding it," and has dedicated herself to enlightening others about Chicago's complexities.
Johnson plans to use the first installment of her fellowship money to purchase a new camera and computer to further her artistic work. The MacArthur Foundation explains that candidates are suggested by a constantly changing pool of invited external nominators from as broad a range of fields and areas of interest as possible. The fellowship is not considered a reward for past accomplishments, but rather an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential.
The complete 2025 class of MacArthur Fellows includes notable recipients from various fields. Among them are atmospheric scientist Ángel F. Adams Corraliza, 37, from Madison, Wisconsin, who investigates tropical weather patterns and phenomena; photographer Matt Black, 55, from Exeter, California, who chronicles marginalized communities across the United States; and filmmaker Garrett Bradley, 39, from New Orleans, who blends documentary, narrative, and experimental cinema.
Other distinguished recipients include composer and vocalist Heather Christian, 44, from Beacon, New York; epidemiologist Nabarun Dasgupta, 46, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and archaeologist Kristina Douglass, 41, from New York City, who focuses on coastal communities in Madagascar. The list also features astrophysicist Kareem El-Badry, 31, from Pasadena, California, and Passamaquoddy tribal member Jeremy Frey, 46, from Eddington, Maine, who creates innovative woven artworks.
Additional fellows span diverse disciplines, including political scientist Hahrie Han, 50, from Baltimore; cultural anthropologist Ieva Jusionyte, 41, from Providence, Rhode Island; evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers, 49, from Amsterdam, Netherlands; and structural biologist Jason McLellan, 44, from Austin, Texas, who works on coronavirus vaccine development.
The artistic community is well-represented with multidisciplinary artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen, 49, from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; fiction writer Tommy Orange, 43, from Oakland, California; cartographer Margaret Wickens Pearce, 60, from Rockland, Maine; and artist Gala Porras-Kim, 40, from Los Angeles and London.
Rounding out the 2025 class are nuclear security specialist Sébastien Philippe, 38, from Madison, Wisconsin; neurobiologist Teresa Puthussery, 46, from Berkeley, California; musician and composer Craig Taborn, 55, from Brooklyn, New York; chemical engineer William Tarpeh, 35, from Stanford, California; and mathematician Lauren K. Williams, 47, from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Since 1981, the MacArthur Foundation has been changing lives through these annual fellowships, providing financial freedom that allows recipients to pursue their most innovative ideas and contribute to enriching our understanding of the world. Johnson's recognition not only celebrates her individual achievements but also brings attention to the important social justice work being done in communities like Englewood, potentially shifting narratives about underserved neighborhoods across America.
