Artist of the Issue: Kyle Burton ’18

After gaining an interest for the arts when he was nine, Burton was able to cultivate his talent with the help of the artists in his family. “Art is something I’ve always felt confident in, it’s always been like a home base for me,” said Burton. 

Throughout his Hopkins career, Burton has not only used art as an environment for relieving stress and a place for meeting other talented artists. He has progressed through the fine arts curriculum and is currently taking Fine Art III. 

Burton can be found spending his free time oil painting in an art studio he set up in his house and entering local art competitions. “I try to practice whenever I have the time, or even when I don’t have the time,” Burton said. 

With regards to continuing in college, although Burton is not exclusively looking for  renowned  art programs, “the availability of art instruction and the possibility to major or minor in art [is] definitely an important consideration.”

Encompassing his broad interests and ambitions, Burton wants to embrace the connection between arts and STEM in his college studies. “I think there’s a dumb belief that the arts have no place in the STEM world, in any STEM field, but, as art is a form of communication, I can’t imagine the ability to visually communicate is at all obsolete in biology.”  

With an interest in double-majoring in science and visual art, Burton wants to incorporate his artistic visions into his biological studies. He plans on taking art classes in college with the hope of growing as an artist through the professors and resources with which he is provided. “Art really is just that for me, a necessity,” explained Burton.