Join us for an inspiring dialogue with Tonika Lewis Johnson, a social justice artist and recent recipient of the MacArthur “Genius Grant.” Hailing from Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood, Johnson’s work eloquently confronts the harmful realities of racial segregation with a poetic touch.
During this event, Johnson will discuss her influential “Folded Map Project,” which bridges the gap between residents at corresponding addresses on Chicago’s North and South sides, and other projects that blend art with community-focused activism. The session will kick off with live readings from her upcoming 2024 book, “Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It,” encouraging the audience to engage with diverse perspectives and challenge ingrained stereotypes.
This event is complimentary for Hyperallergic members. Tonika Lewis Johnson, a photographer and social justice artist, was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2025. Her participatory art endeavors shine a light on how systemic inequities and segregation influence neighborhoods, empowering locals to address and alter these issues. Her signature project, Folded Map, connects “map twins”—residents living on the same street name but separated by the city’s racial and economic divides—facilitating dialogues that uncover structural disparities and shared experiences.
Johnson’s diverse artistic practice includes photography, mapping, multimedia storytelling, and public art, featuring installations like Inequity for Sale and community-led projects such as UnBlocked Englewood. Her work is showcased in esteemed cultural venues nationwide. Johnson holds a BA from Columbia College Chicago and an MBA from National-Lewis University and co-founded the Englewood Arts Collective.
