Fitch Foundation Establishes New Talbert Prize for Heritage Justice
The James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Mary B. Talbert Prize for Heritage Justice. Established with the generosity of the President’s Fund at the New York Community Trust, this award seeks to strengthen diverse representation in the field of historic preservation by supporting practitioners engaged in innovative work around neglected heritage. The Prize recognizes an outstanding individual working in either traditional or nontraditional preservation practice whose work demonstrates engagement with marginalized stories and broadens collective understanding of traditionally neglected heritage. This award is named after Mary B. Talbert, an early preservation pioneer who, herself, was overlooked as a contributor to historic preservation in the United States.
The Talbert Prize for Heritage Justice recognizes the creative and positive potential of individuals with fellowship funding that, unlike other Fitch grants, is not conditional upon the completion of a new project. Rather, the annual award of up to $17,500 seeks to support ongoing and upcoming creative work by talented practitioners based on promising track record. There is no external application process for the Talbert Prize. Nominees are brought to the Foundation’s attention through its Trustees and expansive network of colleagues. “An important goal of the Talbert Prize is to broaden the public platform for innovative individuals on issues of neglected heritage, as part of the Fitch Foundation’s pursuit to demonstrate the relevance of historic preservation and its utility for social good,” said Anne Van Ingen, Chair of the Fitch Foundation.
For three decades the Fitch Foundation has played an important role as an incubator of innovation within preservation. By diversifying the community of professionals engaged in preservation, and by encouraging scholarship that extends beyond the boundaries of existing practice, the Fitch Foundation’s Talbert Prize for Heritage Justice can expand the field of historic preservation’s attention to neglected heritage, particularly cultural sites that have been subjected to disinvestment and neglect, or that have been left behind by preservation practitioners because of systemic racism or a restricted view of significance, or a combination of the two.
2024 Talbert Prize Awardee: Tonika Lewis Johnson
As the inaugural Talbert Prize awardee, the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation is thrilled to recognize Tonika Lewis Johnson. Ms. Johnson is a photographer and social justice artist, and lifelong resident of Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Her work addresses the systemic and personal consequences of segregation in Chicago. By blending art, advocacy, and community engagement, her initiatives aim to preserve legacies, inspire equity, and foster transformative change.
Ms. Johnson’s seminal Folded Map Project visually examined disparities among “map twins” across Chicago’s racial and economic divides. Her current project, UnBlocked Englewood, focuses on preserving and stabilizing legacy home ownership in one of the city’s most historically disinvested neighborhoods. This preservation approach can be a model for investment in historic homes and fostering community pride in under-resourced communities. “Ms. Johnson’s track record of impactful work demonstrates a new vision for what historic preservation can be through the perspective of artmaking and building maintenance. We are absolutely delighted to highlight Tonika’s powerful portfolio of work,” said Amy Freitag, Trustee of the Fitch Foundation and President of the New York Community Trust.
In 2019, Ms. Johnson was named one of Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago, and in 2021, she was selected as the National Public Housing Museum’s Artist as Instigator. In 2022, Landmarks Illinois recognized her as a Preservation Influencer.
Read more about Tonika’s work here.