Maria was born in Hell’s Kitchen and grew up in a building across from Fountain House Gallery. She has been associated with the Gallery for over 20 years. Maria met her husband Timothy at the Gallery, where they shared a two-person show. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and teaches a weekly art class at Fountain House. Her watercolor and acrylic paintings display a facility for color and proportion. She adores animals, particularly her cat who appears in many of her works. Maria is a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts City Artist Corps Grant.