I use painting to explore my environment, experiences, and inner worlds. Grounded in observational painting, my work spans a range of subject matter and degrees of abstraction, often reflecting the complex relationship between people and nature. Painting provokes me to see the world with greater sensitivity, and my work is a response to the elements that intrigue me. Shapes, light, and color interactions often initiate the work, but they don’t necessarily dictate the outcome. In my effort to materialize a fleeting moment or idea, I experiment with process and materials, allowing something new to emerge. 

Teaching and socially engaged projects are integral to my multifaceted role as an artist. These collaborative experiences create a generative exchange in which my studio practice informs my teaching, and teaching, in turn, invigorates my painting.

EDUCATION

2015-2017 2006-2010 Master of Fine Arts, Community Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Baltimore, MD

Certificate in the College Teaching of Art, MICA, Baltimore, MD

Bachelor of Art, Visual Arts, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 New Orleans Nocturne, Degas Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2019 Medicine Cabinet, The ArtsCenter, Carrboro, NC

2017 Facing Change, Northeast Market, Baltimore, MD

2012 Before Day, Gallery Royale, New Orleans, LA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025 Southeast Invitational, Shain Gallery, CharloLe, NC

As it Unfolds, New Art Dealers Association, Online Group Exhibition, Curated by Fitsum Shebeshe

A Look Forward with Bascom Instructors, Joel Gallery, Bascom Center for Visual Arts, Highlands, NC

En Plein Air Abita Springs, Abita Springs Trailhead Museum, Abita Springs, LA

Observer, Curated by Emre Karaoglu, The Front, New Orleans, LA

School of Art & Design Faculty Biennial, Bardo Art Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC

2024 Sedimentary, Two-person exhibi3on with Augustus Hoffman, New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, New Orleans, LA

The Birds Shall Return, Pales3ne Benefit Exhibition, Art Conscious Gallery, Arabi, LA

Parts Unknown II, Staple Goods, New Orleans, LA

Louisiana Fine Arts Showcase, Southeastern Louisiana University Contemporary Art Gallery, Hammond, LA

Figurative Group Show: Impact, Gallery Huracan, New Orleans, LA

Individuals, Second Story Gallery, New Orleans Healing Center, New Orleans, LA

2023 Le Salon des Bon Enfants, Good Children Gallery, New Orleans, LA

Mesopic Vision, Two-person exhibition with Kaori Maeyama, Cave Gallery at The Willow School, New Orleans, LA

The New Orleans Art Association 2023 National Show, Juried by Dawn Emerson, The Building, New Orleans, LA

The Annual Faculty Exhibition, New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, New Orleans, LA

School of Art & Design Faculty Biennial, WCU Fine Arts Museum, Cullowhee, NC

2022 St. Bernard Plein Air, Crevasse 22 River House, St. Bernard, LA

Out of The House, Virtual Group Exhibition, Concept Animals, Austin, TX

Presence, North Carolina Figurative Artists, Greenhill Center for NC Art, Greensboro, NC

2021 Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency 15th Anniversary Exhibition, San Bernardino County Museum,

Redlands, CA

Contemporary Figurative Show, Hillard Gallery, Kansas City, MO

…For Our Consideration, Curated by Lucia Olubunmi Momoh, The Front, New Orleans, LA

School of Art & Design Faculty Biennial, Bardo Art Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC

2020 In The Hallway, Alternate Roots Virtual Salon, Curated by Abrose Murray

People Are Like Plants, Online Exhibi3on, Joshua Tree Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA

Asheville Masters, Curated by Ken Vallario, Phil Mechanic Studios, Asheville, NC

Raleigh Fine Art Society NC Artists Exhibition, Juried, Curated by Nat Trotman, CAM Raleigh, Raleigh, NC

Documenting Activism, National Humanities Center, Research Triangle, NC

Work Outside, Cobb Gallery, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

2019 Larger than Life, Figurative Art Exhibition, Mark BeZs Gallery, Asheville, NC

ArtFields, Juried Exhibition, Lake City, SC2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Passing Through, Four Person Show, Joshua Tree Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA

50 Years Without King, Cobb Gallery, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Community! Here and Now, Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel, MD

Repurposed with Purpose, Curated by Doreen Bolger, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD

Pacific Northwest Plein Air Juried Exhibition, Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale, WA

Walls We Build, Eno Gallery, Hillsborough, NC

Contemporary South 18’, Juried Exhibi3on, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC

Paint it Orange, Juried Exhibition, Hillsborough Arts Council, Hillsborough, NC

Unbound: Documentary as Art, The Carrack Modern Art, Durham, NC

MICA Grad Show III, Decker Gallery, Baltimore, MD

Strokes of Genius, Juried Exhibition, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD

Finding Our Place, Hall BarneL Gallery, New Orleans, LA

Twilight Time, Two-Person Show, Julia 600 Gallery, New Orleans, LA

The Land, Washington ArtWorks, Rockville, MD

House, The Foundation Gallery, New Orleans, LA

Pacific Northwest Plein Air Juried Exhibi/on, Columbia Center for the Arts, Hood River, OR

K’anchay, La Muela Del Diablo, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Space Between, Ariodante, New Orleans, LA

HONORS & AWARDS

2025 Finalist, The Homiens Art Prize, Winter 2025

2023 Honorable Mention, New Orleans Art Association National Show, Juror James Michalopoulos, New Orleans, LA

2019 Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL.

2018 First Place, Paint it Orange Plein Air Event, Juror Chad Smith, Hillsborough, NC

Artist Project Grant Recipient, Orange County Arts Commission, Orange County, NC

2017 Project Development Grant Recipient, Alternate Roots, Bal3more, MD

RESIDENCIES

2019 2014 2013 2012 Joshua Tree Highlands Ar/st Residency, Seven-week Group Residency Fellow, Joshua Tree, CA

Artist in Residence, Sustainable Bolivia, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Artist and Sense of Place Art Educa/on Residency, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA

Artist in Residence, Ac3on Research in Community Health & Development, Gujarat, India

TEACHING

2024-Present Teaching Ar/st, Travis Hill School, Juvenile Jus3ce Intervention Center, New Orleans, LA

2021-Present Painting Faculty, New Orleans Academy of Fine Art, New Orleans, LA

2019-Present Adjunct Faculty, Western Carolina University, School of Art and Design, Cullowhee, NC

In-person, hybrid, and online undergraduate courses including Introductory Painting, Introductory Drawing, and

Introduction to the Visual Arts

2019 2018 Teaching Artist, Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community, Asheville, NC

Painting Instructor, Various Adult Painting Classes, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC

Painting Instructor, Various Adult Painting Classes, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC

Muralist and Teaching Artist, Creative Arts in Public and Private Schools, Durham, NC

Teaching Artist, Youth Programs, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC

2017 Spring Graduate Teaching Intern, Painting 1 and Developing Critical Literacies, MICA, Baltimore MD

Visual Art Enrichment Teacher, Holistic Life Foundation, Robert Coleman Elementary School, Baltimore, MD

2013-2015 2012-2015 2011 Teaching Artist, Artist Exchange Program, K-12, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA

Teaching Artist and Muralist, Young Audiences, K-12 Schools, New Orleans, LA

Art Instructor, youth and adult art classes, AZc Studios, Bangkok, Thailand

2SELECTED WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES

2025 Perceptual Color, 3-Day Intensive, The Bascom Center for Visual Arts, Highlands, NC

Distilling the Built Environment, 1-Day Workshop, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA

Painting New Orleans at Night, 1-Day Workshop, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA

2024 Embracing the Unknown in Landscape Painting, 3-Day Intensive, The Bascom Center for Visual Arts, Highlands, NC

Painting the Third Thing, Lecture Presentation, New Orleans Art Associa3on, New Orleans LA

Dis/tiling the Landscape in Sedona, 1-Day Intensive Plein Air Workshop, Sedona Art Center, Sedona, AZ

2023 2022 2021 Painting the Night, 5-Session Online Workshop, Penn Studio School, Philadelphia, PA

Form and Content: Tools for Sensitive Art Appreciating, Online, Winslow Art Center, Bainbridge Island, WA

Painting the Impressionist Landscape, 1-day Intensive Online Workshop, Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC

The Power of Notan, 2-Day Workshop, Ar3st League of the Sandhills, Aberdeen, NC

2020 2019 Alla Prima Still Life Painting, Online, Oshner Lifelong Learning Ins3tute, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Self-Portraiture for Teens, 5-day Workshop, Asheville Art Museum, Asheville NC

Plein Air Painting Demonstration, Asheville Urban Landscape Painters, Asheville, NC

2018 Socially Engaged Art in Baltimore, College Presidential Speaker Series, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Visiting Artist, Art Department, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

International Visiting Artist, 3-Weeks, Adult and Youth Visual Art Workshops, AZc Studios, Bangkok, Thailand

2016 Innovative Community Murals, Maryland Art Education Association Conference, Baltimore, MD

Mixed-Media Art as Advocacy, Testimonies and Refugee Advocacy Workshop, PROOF, NY, NY

2015 2012 Nocturne Streetscapes Painting Demonstration, Jefferson Painting Guild, Metairie, LA

Sketching as a Universal Language, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, St. Petersburg, FL

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

2025 2017-2021 2017 2015-2016 2014 2012 Volunteer Art Instructor, Keidy Residential School, Gujarat, India

Art Facilitator, Hope House Summer Program, Federal Correctional Institution Cumberland, Cumberland, MD

Community Outreach Coordinator, The ArtsCenter, Carrboro, NC

Community Arts Facilitator, Refugee Youth Project, AmeriCorps, Bal3more, MD

Volunteer Teaching Artist, Mosoj Yan Shelter for Victims of Sexual Abuse, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Volunteer Art Instructor, Keidy Residential School for Girls, Gujarat, India

SELECTED PRESS

2022 Medium, BuLerbaugh, Chad. July 24, 2022. Art I Had to Have: Above It All.

|hLps://medium.com/@chadbuterbaugh/art-i-had-to-have-above-it-all-625c32f8e9d9|

2019 The News and Observer, Menconi, David. February 13, 2019. When Confederate statues fall, this artist is there to

‘commemorate this time of change’. |hLps://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/ar3cle224953425.html|

Indy Week, Pietras, Emily. February 6, 2019. Painting Magic Mushrooms on Pill BoHles and Cell Phones, Ben

Hamburger Contrasts Our Culture’s Mindful Ambitions and Mindless

Habits.|hLps://indyweek.com/culture/art/painting-magic-mushroomson-pill-boLles-and-cell-phones-ben/|

2018 ABC 11, Powell, Tisha. October 26, 2018. Durham Students Leave Their Mark Through Literacy and Art.

|hHps://abc11.com/mural-lakewood-elementary-durham-school-bulldog-paws/4562479/|

south: A Scholarly Journal, Holland, Sharon and Hamburger, Ben, “A Conversa3on with Ben Hamburger, south

Volume L, 1 (2018): 81-89. Print. |hLps://www.jstor.org/stable/26484086|

Scalawag Magazine, Hamburger, Ben, Aug. 15, 2018, Toppling Giants: Painting the Removal of Confederate

Monuments, Online Photo Essay, |hLps://www.scalawagmagazine.org/2018/08/removing-confederatemonuments-

paintings/|

2017 Baltimore Style, Burrows Sydney. March 31, 2017. Stories of Change: A Young Artist Explores Baltimore's

Shifting Landscape. |hLp://bal3morestyle.com/stories-of-change/|

WYPR, Kast,Sheilah and Harvie, Maureen. April 4, 2017. Facing Change: Portraits of East Baltimore.

|hLp://wypr.org/post/facing-change-portraits-east-baltimore|

2016 The Baltimore Sun, Mbakwe, Christiana. July 12, 2016. Art by Local Refugee Youth Explores “Sanctuary”.

|hLp://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-ae-refugee-art-20160712-story.html|