Columbus-Inspired alumni spotlighted in local arts mag

Alumni Christopher Burk and Amanda Hope Cook are two of the three artists included in Columbus Alive magazine's latest round-up of local creatives. The article, included in the June 5 edition, is part of a series about how the people, scenery, signage, architecture, and landscaping of Columbus inspire local artists to create.

Burk (Fine Arts 1999) and Cook (Illustration 1999) are painters whose work shares a theme: the urban landscape.

Burk's paintings depict Columbus landscapes, often from an unusual viewpoint or angle.

“I like to give the viewer a different perspective," said Burk in the article. "I’ve always been really drawn to the urban landscape, and the majority of people only look at what’s eye-level … not looking at a transformer as a thing of beauty.”

Cook looks to Columbus signage as inspiration for her paintings. She's captured many of the city's well-known icons including Rife’s Market in Grandview, R & R Bait in the Brewery District, and the Drexel Theatre in Bexley.

"The paintings stun by capturing every last detail; shadow work and three-dimensional depth making each one seem like a photograph," wrote Alive reporter Jesse Tigges in the article.

Cook's latest work was recently in a solo exhibition titled C-Bus at Sharon Weiss Gallery

Burk is from Galloway, OH, and attended Westland High School. Cook is from Goodlettsville, TN, and attended Hunters Lane High School.