Maggie Pelton

Maggie Pelton is a rising Lowcountry artist whose work lives at the intersection of science and creativity. A research technician at the Baruch Marine Field Lab in Georgetown, SC, Maggie pairs her background in marine science with a lifelong love of drawing, painting, and observing the natural world.

Maggie grew up immersed in nature, inspired by her father and grandfather—both biologists—and by long days spent exploring the outdoors, sketchbook in hand. She began developing her artistic voice at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC, where she completed four years of study in a variety of media, from painting to printmaking to photography. Her early work centered on how we study, document, and engage with the environment—a theme that continues to guide her art today.

After earning her B.S. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina in 2022, Maggie worked on research projects across the country, from oyster reefs in Georgetown to shorebird populations in Alaska. Throughout, her field notebooks doubled as sketchbooks, capturing not only data but the beauty and rhythm of the research process itself.

Now living and working in the coastal ecosystems she loves, Maggie’s art celebrates the intersection of observation and imagination. Her work highlights the delicate relationship between humans and nature—bridging the gap between technical and beautiful, scientific and soulful.