#  Gallery Reception + Artist Talk with Jess Holz 

 



####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **January 15, 2026** 

 05:00PM - 07:00PM EST 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **Harvard Ed Portal**  

224 Western Ave., Allston

 

 

 [ RSVP to Attend arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/harvardedportal/1972712) 

 



 

Enjoy snacks & drinks while you experience art with community members and local artists! Join us for an engaging evening with artist **Jess Holz** as we celebrate her solo exhibition *Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible.*

Holz and a guest moderator, **Peter Girguis**, Professor of Organismic and evolutionary Biology, Harvard University**,** will delve into the vivid, microscopic worlds at the heart of her work—time-lapse “paintings” shaped by the movements of plankton gathered from Boston’s rivers and ponds. Experience the exhibition, meet the artist, and take part in a lively conversation and Q&A exploring the surprising beauty, motion, and creativity found in nature’s smallest living forms. Jess Holz is a Brighton-based multimedia artist and member of Artisans Asylum.

Guests will...

- Hear the inspiration and stories behind Jess Holz's artwork.
- Meet members of [Artisans Asylum](https://www.artisansasylum.com/) as they highlight the creative offerings at Allston's largest community makerspace for do-it-yourself ("DIY") fabrication.
- Network with artists, makers, entrepreneurs and students.

This is an annual exhibition slot showcasing an [Artisans Asylum ](https://www.artisansasylum.com/)member.



 

 ### Jess Holz

Artist

**Jess Holz** creates artworks which give the viewer a peek into invisible worlds, as well as a chance to reflect on the influence of scientific visual culture on our collective imagination. She has just received an MFA in Art+Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; previously she  worked in several labs, gaining valuable technical experience with a number of microscopic imaging techniques. The discrepancy between what can be perceived by eye and what is imaged has fostered her fascination with perceptual systems along with the optical properties of materials. Jess actively exploits this in photography and installation. Holz is a Brighton-based multimedia artist and member of Artisans Asylum.



 

   ![artist jess holz sitting for a portrait](/sites/g/files/omnuum12051/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-11/Jess%20Holz11192025_027%20copy.jpg?itok=c0H0xqAT) 

 

 

 

 ### Peter Girguis

Guest Moderator

**Peter Girguis** is a Professor at Harvard University and Co-Director of the Harvard Microbial Sciences Initiative. He studies the biochemical adaptations of marine microbes and animals, and their role in shaping in marine biogeochemical cycles. He also develops novel “open-access” instruments such as underwater mass spectrometers and microbial samplers, with the goal of enabling a breadth of stakeholders to have access to such tools.

He received his B.Sc. from UCLA and his Ph.D. from the UC Santa Barbara. He was a Packard Postdoctoral Fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. He joined Harvard University in 2005. He has been a Distinguished Lecturer for the NSF RIDGE2000 initiative, a Merck Co. Innovative Research Awardee, chair of the National Deep Submergence Science Committee. He has authored or co-authored over 150 publications. His honors include the 2007 and 2011 *Lindbergh Foundation Award for Science & Sustainability*, the 2018 *Lowell Thomas Award* for groundbreaking advances in Marine Technology, the 2020 *Petra Shattuck Award* for Distinguished Teaching, and the 2024 *Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Science and Exploration*.



 

   ![Peter Girguis, Professor at Harvard University, sits in boat, ocean in the background](/sites/g/files/omnuum12051/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-01/Peter%20Girguis%20headshot%20Falkor%20too%202024%20%282%29.jpg?itok=r6jdCs1y) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Arts & Culture ](/program-area/arts-and-culture)
 
 

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