Chip Thomas

Arizona

Chip Thomas, aka “jetsonorama” is a photographer, public artist and activist who worked as a physician between Monument Valley and The Grand Canyon on the Navajo nation from 1987 to 2023. There, he coordinated the Painted Desert Project – a community building project which manifested as a constellation of murals across the Navajo Nation painted by artists from all over the rez + the world. These murals aimed to reflect love and appreciation of the rich history shared by the Navajo people back to Navajo people. As a member of the Justseeds Artists Co-operative he appreciates the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded, socially engaged artists. You can find his large scale photographs pasted on the roadside, on the sides of houses in the northern Arizona desert, on the graphics of the Peoples Climate March, Justseeds and 350.org carbon emissions campaign material. Thomas was a 2018 recipient of a Kindle Project gift and in 2020 was one of a handful of artists chosen by the UN to recognize the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Artists were chosen to generate work that "contributes to the envisioning and shaping of a more resilient and sustainable future. It is hoped that this work will amplify and accelerate implementation of the UN Global Sustainability Goals with a focus on communities and climate action."

Other Media