B.A. in Theater and Performance Studies, M.A. in Art History, Stanford University
Maria Silk’s research focuses on artistic communities in the San Francisco Bay Area from the Summer of Love to the present. At Berkeley, she intends to study Bay Area countercultures through the lens of broader themes including migration and intercultural performance, gentrification and displacement, and the history of psychoactive drugs. Having worked in Bay Area queer nightlife as a drag performer, DJ, and producer since 2014, Maria continues to produce two monthly drag shows and present work as a performance and video artist. She was a 2017 danceWEB Scholar at Vienna’s ImPulsTanz festival for contemporary dance and performance, and she holds a B.A. in theater and performance studies and an M.A. in art history from Stanford University. Other interests include Butoh, trans studies, and science and technology studies.