Meet Maxwell Park: David Burke

“You need to begin by working with those immediately around you: your neighbors and community. It’s about starting from the inside and working outward.”

David Burke is a longtime Maxwell Park resident, as well as a parent, educator, and celebrated local muralist. His larger-than-life work transforms public spaces, spotlighting the talents of East Oakland artists, activists, and community builders. His latest mural series ‘Love Letter to Oakland’ features scenes of the older generation of local activists and artists entrusting their legacy to the younger generation. “I want to honor the people who have shaped our community and paved the way for the next generation of talent.”

Burke says his life has been a series of small leaps into the unknown. In college, he majored in biology, pivoted to art, and eventually left his teaching career to pursue art full-time.

“Those leaps don't stop,” he says. “Each new ledge presents another chance to choose to do what I’m most interested in and curious about. And it never gets any easier. But I'm grateful to have had the privilege of being a full-time artist for the past 13 years, surrounded by an incredible community of fellow artists.”

Maxwell Park, with its rolling hills and unexpected vantage points, still captivates Burke. “I'm drawn to the changing elevations,” he says. “Climbing a hill might reveal a view you won't find on any travel postcard. Yet, you are still in Oakland. I never feel removed or detached, I still feel deeply connected to the city.”

To see more of Burke's art, visit https://dburke.org/ or follow him @hungryghoststudio