The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond,  to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.

2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition

Maria Burke

Home County: Logan
Ohio Ohio 43138 United States
Website: Stromatolite – Natural Science Studio

Bio

Maria Burke pulls from a decade and a half of experience working in the museum exhibits field. She received her BFA in Biomedical Art from the Cleveland Institute of Art — studying zoology, biology, and techniques in scientific illustration. Her work draws from her experience in visual design, illustration, and museum taxidermy. She is driven by her deep love and passion for native wildlife and natural history. Her work seeks to foster in others the same appreciation and curiosity of our diverse and complex home. She currently resides in the Hocking Hills region of South East Ohio, where she owns and operates Stomatolite LLC, an art and design studio that focuses on sharing the beauty and importance of our natural world. Stromatolite, being the fossilized formations created by cyanobacteria, the oldest fossil evidence of life on earth — a modern reminder of our origins and the tangible link that connects all living things. Her gouache paintings of native wildlife have been shown at nature centers across the state of Ohio — while her taxidermy and wildlife sculpture have won awards at the Ohio Taxidermy Championships. Maria’s illustrations and designs have been featured in places such as the Cincinnati Museum Center, Wayne National Forest, Holden Arboretum, Cleveland Museum of Natural History,  Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and The University of Akron. 

Artist Statement

Sir David Attenborough once said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. This quote is one of the driving forces in my work. I believe that regardless of where one lives there is nature all around, waiting to be discovered and appreciated. As the artist, it is my job to shine light on these hidden treasures and to spark curiosity in the viewer. I have a deep love and passion for native wildlife and natural history and feel that many of us have lost our connection to this world that sustains our very lives. My work seeks to foster in others the same appreciation and curiosity I have of our diverse and complex home.