Maria Farmer is an American visual artist and whistleblower, best known as the first person to report Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse to authorities in 1996.[1][2][6] Born in 1969 in Paducah, Kentucky, she earned a B.A. from Santa Clara University in 1992 and an M.A. from the New York Academy of Art in 1995, where she first encountered Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.[1][2] In the mid-1990s, Farmer sold paintings for over $20,000 and was hired by Epstein to collect art for him, leading to her staying at his Ohio property where she alleges abuse occurred.[1][2] She filed complaints with the New York Police Department and the FBI, marking her as the original whistleblower in the Epstein case, though her reports received little immediate action.[1][2][6] Her sister, Annie Farmer, is also a survivor who later testified publicly.[5] Farmer's career as an artist focuses on symmetrical faces in surreal environments; she briefly paused creating art to sell antiques and restore houses but resumed with notable works like "The Survivors Project" in 2020, exhibited at Gavlak Gallery in Los Angeles.[1][2] She has appeared in documentaries including *Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich* (2020), *Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell?* (2022), and *Ghislaine: Partner in Crime* (2022).[5] Health challenges include a 2019 brain tumor diagnosis and Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2020.[2] Currently, at age 56, she continues painting and selling art, maintains an active Instagram highlighting Epstein victims and criticizing the Wexner family, and is suing Epstein's estate.[1][2] Her advocacy keeps her relevant in discussions of Epstein's crimes and survivor justice.[1][2][5]