Multidisciplinary artist and part ocean explorer, Rebecca Rutstein works at the intersection of art, science and technology. For over twenty years she has created painting, sculpture, interactive installation and public art inspired by the natural world. Rutstein has been an artist-in-residence at locations around the world including seven expeditions at sea and two deep sea dives to the ocean floor in the Alvin submersible. Her collaborations with oceanographers, ecologists, microbiologists, molecular scientists and geologists give her a unique perspective and broad view of the interconnectedness of systems in the natural world. Through visual and immersive experiences, her work sheds light on the places and processes that are often hidden from view, to foster a deeper connection with nature, and inspire wonder, empathy and stewardship in the face of our climate crisis.

Rutstein’s collaborations have been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences/Keck Futures Initiative, Delta Airlines Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Ocean Exploration Trust, and the Philadelphia Foundation along with several universities. She is the recipient of the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, an Independence Foundation Fellowship, a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant, an Alabama Council on the Arts grant, is an MIT Ocean Discovery Fellow, and was recently named the Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding for her groundbreaking work at the University of Georgia. Rutstein was recently interviewed by the National Endowment for the Arts and her work has been featured on NPR, ABC, NBC, CBS, and in the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Vice & Vogue UK magazines. With over 30 solo exhibitions, Rutstein has exhibited widely in museums and institutions both in the U.S. and internationally, and has spoken at over 40 institutions including Stanford, Cornell and Georgetown Universities about her practice and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work can be found in over 40 public collections including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Georgia Museum of Art, National Academy of Sciences, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, U.S. Department of State, Yale University, University of Washington, University of Alabama, University of New Mexico, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Microsoft and AT&T. Rutstein holds a BFA (magna cum laude) from Cornell University and an MFA from University of Pennsylvania. She is represented by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery (Philadelphia), Space Gallery (Denver) and Sherry Leedy Contemporary (Kansas City).

Rebecca Rutstein: Blue Dreams is on view at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. thru September 15, 2023.