Ruth Burke is an interdisciplinary artist whose socially-engaged practice straddles the fields of contemporary art, human-animal studies, and agriculture. From and of the Midwest, she lives and works in Central Illinois on lands that were once home to the Illini, Peoria and the Myaamia people, as well as many other Nations later displaced to the region by colonial encroachment and genocide. Burke’s work has focused on collaborating with animals since 2015, and her current focus is a series of large-scale native plant earthworks powered by animal traction.
Burke has published articles and creative work in various peer reviewed journals, presented her work at venues and institutions nationally and internationally, created earthworks in three US states, and received numerous grants from various entities. She was recently honored with the Harold Boyd Endowed Professorship (2024-2026) from the ISU Wonsook Kim School of Art, the ISU College Teaching Initiative Award (2024), and a 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Partnership Award (2024), amongst other awards and residences.
Ruth Burke holds a BFA from the Ohio State University, an MFA from the University of Michigan, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Video Art in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, School of Art. She also runs DAP STUDIOS LLC, an art-and-agriculture business for hire on public artworks and small scale agricultural or garden projects.
