Chip Thomas spent decades caring for patients on the Navajo Nation while building a photographic practice with Diné communities. His large portraits appear on roadside buildings and grain silos, placing everyday lives and local histories in public view.
On September 29, the MacArthur Foundation named Thomas a 2026 fellow. The award provides $800,000 over five years, supporting a practice developed through long relationships with the people he photographs. Drivers can encounter the work along the road, not only inside a gallery.