Rebecca Rutstein at the Schuylkill Center

Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education debuts its latest solo gallery exhibition, “(In)Visible Structures,” showcasing the visionary paintings of multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Rutstein. Opening on April 10, 2025, the show launches with an Artist Reception and Gallery Talk from 6 pm to 8 pm, followed by a special slide lecture during the Schuylkill Center’s Naturepalooza Earth Day Festival on April 26 at 2 pm. (In)Visible Structures will remain on display until May 31, 2025.

(In)Visible Structures: A Dialogue Between Art and Science

(In)Visible Structures presents an array of paintings that illuminate the world’s invisible networks—oceans, fungi, and the microscopic channels within sea ice—that sustain life on Earth. The exhibition includes pieces from Rebecca Rutstein’s established Kama’ehuakanaloa Series, created on an oceanic voyage off the coast of Hawaii in 2023. Bridging the known and the unknown, Rutstein also reveals two new works: “Brine Forest (2025),” based on her collaborative research into the intricate salt channels of Arctic sea ice, and “Shape Shifter (2025),” inspired by the underground fungal networks that enable trees to communicate. Curated by Heather Moqtaderi, the show offers a unique opportunity to explore how art amplifies scientific discovery.

Rebecca Rutstein: Informed by Adventure and Collaboration

For over two decades, Rutstein has immersed herself in partnerships with scientists to capture unseen phenomena. Her dedication has taken her on eight ocean expeditions and even three deep-sea dives in the Navy-owned Alvin submersible. A Pew Fellowship in the Arts recipient who has also been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, Rutstein has exhibited internationally, and her work is found in more than 50 public collections—including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the National Academy of Sciences.

For (In)Visible Structures, the artist draws from her passion for bridging art, science, and technology, illustrating how hidden landscapes and processes can elicit deeper reverence for our third rock from the sun.

Rebecca Rutstein (In)Visible Structures: Environmental Stewardship Through Creativity

Organized by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education’s Environmental Art Program, Rebecca Rutstein’s (In)Visible Structures underscores the power of art to inspire environmental stewardship.

According to Rutstein, her collaborations with scientists fuel a sense of humility and wonder, enabling her to translate complex natural systems into dynamic abstract forms. Curator Heather Moqtaderi notes that this synergy of creativity and science resonates with the Schuylkill Center’s mission—to engage the public in an evolving conversation about human interconnectedness with nature.

The works, courtesy of Bridgette Mayer Gallery, reflect how visual storytelling can connect viewers with the urgent issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, stirring empathy and a renewed commitment to preserving the Earth’s hidden life-support systems.