Threewalls, a Black-led nonprofit organization providing support and visibility for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American)-identified contemporary visual artists and creatives in Chicago, has announced the five 2022 recipients of the RaD Lab+Outside the Walls fellowship. 

With support from the Surdna Foundation’s Radical Imagination for Racial Justice initiative, the program provides each fellow with $40,000 in the first year, with the option to renew for a second year, to research a racial justice issue embedded in their neighborhood and help bring about structural change using their artistic and creative practices. In addition, the fellows gain access to creative and personal development support through the Wellness Circle.

In 2019, Threewalls received $1.2 million from the Surdna Foundation’s Radical Imagination for Racial Justice initiative to expand the organization’s racial justice work. 

This year’s fellows are jireh drake (they/them), a mixed media artist and writer; Jorge Felix (he/him), an artist and community curator; Tiffany Johnson (she/her), a grassroots researcher and survivor advocate; Kiela Smith-Upton (she/her), a community-based artist; and Sojourner Wright (they/she), a multidisciplinary artist and sacred space facilitator. 

“This intergenerational cohort represents the breadth and interconnectedness of racial justice, equity and artistic practices in our Chicago community,” said Threewalls executive director Jeffreen M. Hayes. “The convergence of their contemporary practices will unearth beautiful links and movements towards a racially equitable and just Chicago and society at large. We are proud to begin a collaborative relationship with these fellows, support the growth of their practices, and increase the award amount to $40,000 from $32,000 in 2020.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/valentinrussanov)