Folded Map™ Project Screening and Discussion

This program will be held in-person at the Newberry.

Tonika Lewis Johnson’s Folded Map™ Project visually connects residents who live at corresponding addresses on the North and South Sides of Chicago. She investigates what urban segregation looks like and how it impacts Chicago residents. What started as a photographic study quickly evolved into a multimedia exploration with video interviews of residents. The project invites audiences to open a dialogue and question how we are all socially impacted by racial and institutional conditions that segregate the city. Her goal? For individuals to understand how our urban environment is structured and its impact on our social networks. She wants to challenge everyone to think about how change may be possible and to contribute to a solution.

This event will begin with a screening of the Folded Map™ film, followed by an interactive discussion lead by Tonika Lewis Johnson and a book signing of Don't Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt it.

This event is part of programming connected with our free exhibition, Mapping Outside the Lines, running October 9, 2025, through February 14, 2026. The Mapping Outside the Lines programming is generously supported by the Chicago Free For All Fund at The Chicago Community Trust.

Speaker

Tonika Lewis Johnson, a Chicago native hailing from the South Side's Englewood neighborhood, is a multifaceted artist and photographer. Co-founder of both the Englewood Arts Collective (EAC) and Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), she actively challenges and reshapes the narrative surrounding South Side communities. With a keen eye for urban segregation and a commitment to preserving Chicago's Black cultural memory, Tonika's work explores injustices ingrained in our built environment, systems, and social networks. A trained photojournalist and former teaching artist, Tonika has garnered citywide recognition since 2017. Chicago Magazine honored her as a Chicagoan of the Year in 2017, celebrating her photography capturing Englewood’s everyday beauty. She has exhibited her projects "From the INside" and "Everyday Rituals" at popular public venues such as Rootwork Gallery, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Harold Washington Library Center, and Loyola University's Museum of Art (LUMA).

Cost and Registration

This program is free and open to all. Advance registration required.

Registration opens October 1.

Interested in learning more?

Take a look at a related Adult Education course: 

How Maps Work - taught by David Weimer, curator of the exhibition "Mapping Outside the Lines" 

Support the Newberry

Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.

Questions?

Call us at (312) 255-3592 or send us an email.

Past Public Programs

Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.