The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced its 2025 cohort of MacArthur Fellows, awarding 27 recipients—including visual artists Gala Porras-Kim, Jeremy Frey, Matt Black, Garrett Bradley, Tonika Lewis Johnson, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen—with $800,000 each over five years. The artists span conceptual institutional critique, Indigenous basketry, documentary photography, film, and social practice, with several currently holding major solo exhibitions or biennial features.
The MacArthur Fellowship, often called the "genius grant," is one of the most prestigious unrestricted awards in the U.S., signaling broad cultural recognition and providing financial freedom for recipients to pursue ambitious work. This year's artist cohort highlights the foundation's continued commitment to supporting diverse practices that engage with history, conservation, colonialism, and social justice, reinforcing the fellowship's role in elevating visual artists alongside scientists and scholars.