Michelle Burdine

Michelle Burdine is an Assistant Professor of Art at Centre College in Danville, KY, where she leads the Photography & Digital Media area within the Department of Art (Studio) under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She joined the institution in 2021 and brings extensive experience from prior appointments at Murray State University, The Ohio State University, and The Ohio Institute of Photography.

Her educational background includes:

• MFA in Studio Art, The Ohio State University
• MA in Humanities (interdisciplinary: philosophy, history, fine art), Wright State University
• BA in Humanities, Antioch University Midwest

Burdine is an interdisciplinary artist whose work centers on photographic processes—from historic to digital—to investigate the interplay between social institutions and individual identity. Her research critically engages with themes of time, loss, family, gender, and the lived experience of menstruating bodies. Through mixed-media installations incorporating photography, text, organic materials, and storytelling, she visualizes the psychogenic and material impacts of societal structures. Her practice is both personal and sociological, drawing from autobiographical experiences such as caregiving, grief, and childfree identity to reflect broader cultural narratives.

Her recent artistic output spans powerful projects like In Sickness Until Death (2018–ongoing), a photographic and installation meditation on her parents’ decline and death; Medicare for All (2021), which uses cyanotype photograms of prescription drugs to critique healthcare inequity; Collected II (2020), an exploration of biological rhythm and grief through menstrual blood paintings; and the ongoing "Do You Have a Cat?" Conversations with Child Free Women (2024–present), which challenges dehumanizing stereotypes through portraiture and audio interviews. These works collectively demonstrate a consistent focus on embodiment, temporality, and systemic critique, often using abstraction and narrative to process personal and political themes.

Her recognitions include:

• Artist Residency Grant, Great Meadows Foundation (2021)
• Artist Enrichment Grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women (2020)

Burdine’s work has been exhibited nationally, including solo exhibitions at the Stein Galleries (Dayton, OH), Meadows Museum of Art (Shreveport, LA), and University Art Gallery (Terre Haute, IN). She has also been featured in media such as Hyperallergic. While no formal advising or grant leadership is detailed, her sustained creative output and institutional role indicate active mentorship and scholarly contribution. She maintains a professional website and is accessible via email at michelle.burdine@centre.edu.