Chicago-based photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson is a long-time community activist who began documenting Englewood, her South Side neighborhood, as a way of counteracting the numerous media reports and visuals that ignored the positive and focused on the problems. She made beautiful images of the people and beloved spaces of her neighborhood that were exhibited in her hometown at Rootwork Gallery, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Harold Washington Library Center, and Loyola University's Museum of Art.
In 2010, she helped co-found the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E), with the mission of building relationships and mobilizing people and resources to create positive change. She also co-founded the Englewood Arts Collective in 2017. In her work, Tonika explores segregation and documents the richness of the black community. This approach was the foundation for her critically acclaimed Folded Map project, that visually investigates disparities among Chicago residents and brings them together for conversation. On her website, there are images, videos, and a downloadable action kit for those who wish to expand their knowledge of their surroundings and explore how systemic racism has impacted all facets of our lives.
The Museum is thrilled that Tonika will be the Artist-as-Instigator for the year.