Art runs in Tim Burke’s blood: Burke’s grandfather was a master plasterer, who worked on notable Detroit structures such as the Fox Theatre and the former Lafayette building, and Burke’s father was an artist and sculptor with studios around the city. This deep connection to not only art, but historic parts of Detroit drive Burke’s own works and art practice. 

Burke refers to himself as an “outsider artist,” since he is self-taught, but he wears many other hats. Burke is a passionate preservationist and treasure hunter. He joins and leads community efforts to save and restore notable structures and rescues and repurposes their parts if the efforts are unsuccessful. Burke also gives back to his community by facilitating art-as-therapy sessions for those in various forms of recovery. 

Burke runs the Detroit Industrial Gallery, which is housed on Heidelberg Street. Burke’s work can be seen all around the city, such as Lafayette Greens, the corner of Fourth and Griswold, the new YMCA, the Legacy Art Park, and much more. Some of Burke’s reclaimed-materials jewelry is sold at the Detroit Institute of Arts.