ARION Data II, 2025; Mixed-media on canvas; 42 x 42 inches; Courtesy of the artist and Cristin Teirney Gallery, NYC
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art (RUMOCA) presents Diane Burko: Extraction, A Dialogue of Extremes, a multimedia exhibition on view from August 24 through October 17, 2026 at RUMOCA's 301 High Street W. Gallery.
Presented in collaboration with the Arctic Radium Isotope Observing Network (ARION), a National Science Foundation–funded research project led by Rowan University Associate Professor Dr. Lauren E. Kipp and Dr. Matt Charette of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the exhibition demonstrates how artistic practice and scientific research can illuminate the environmental challenges shaping our world.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, video, and virtual reality, Extraction, A Dialogue of Extremes examines two forms of extraction: the scientific investigation of climate change in the Arctic and the destructive extraction of natural resources in the Amazon rainforest. Together, these interconnected bodies of work reveal the fragile balance between discovery and exploitation.
Monumental paintings inspired by Arctic scientific expeditions transform environmental data into luminous representations that trace the changing flows of radium isotopes. In contrast, Burko's Amazon works confront the devastating consequences of mining and deforestation, incorporating charred bark, gold leaf, collage, and imagery of Indigenous territories to explore environmental destruction and resilience. Throughout the exhibition, sculptural tree stumps embedded with materials symbolizing ice, gold, fire, and burnt wood bridge these two narratives, while an immersive virtual reality experience places visitors aboard an Arctic research icebreaker alongside scientists studying one of Earth's fastest-changing environments.
An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, September 16, from 5:00pm–7:00pm, preceded by a 4:00pm panel discussion exploring the intersection of art and science.
Diane Burko is an internationally recognized artist whose work in painting, photography, and time-based media examines the intersection of landscape, climate science, environmental justice, and human intervention. A Professor Emerita at the Community College of Philadelphia, Burko has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Leeway Foundation, and the Independence Foundation, and is the recipient of the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Royal Academy of Arts (London), Círculo de Bellas Artes (Madrid), the Phillips Collection, Minneapolis Institute of Art, RISD Museum, Tang Museum, and the National Academy of Sciences. Her work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Phillips Collection, and the Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art. She is represented by Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York.
Reflecting on her practice, Burko writes: "What drives my environmentally focused practice is curiosity—the need to learn more. My research begins remotely, then on site as I bear witness to an actual place, collaborating with scientists to enrich my understanding before transforming that experience into visual form."
For more than five decades, Burko has explored humanity's relationship with the natural world. While her recent work confronts climate change, deforestation, extraction, and environmental justice, it remains grounded in the beauty and complexity of the landscapes themselves. Her paintings seek to make scientific research emotionally accessible while inviting viewers to consider both the fragility and resilience of our planet."
About the Research
The exhibition is the public engagement component of the Arctic Radium Isotope Observing Network (ARION), a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between Rowan University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. ARION studies how climate change is altering the chemistry of Arctic Ocean surface waters by tracking naturally occurring radium isotopes. Recent expeditions have documented significant shifts in Arctic circulation and water chemistry, providing critical insights into the rapidly changing Arctic environment. Burko's paintings translate this complex scientific research into visual experiences that invite public understanding and dialogue.
Dr. Lauren E. Kipp is Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Rowan University and an oceanographer whose research focuses on naturally occurring radioactive isotopes as tracers of ocean chemistry and climate change, particularly in the Arctic.
Dr. Matt Charette is Interim Director of the Marine Policy Center and Director of WHOI Sea Grant at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His research examines ocean circulation, coastal biogeochemistry, and Arctic climate processes through the study of naturally occurring isotopes.
About the VR Experience
Beacon RA, created by filmmaker Amy Lauren, is an immersive virtual reality documentary that follows Dr. Lauren Kipp aboard the 2021 NABOS Arctic expedition. The film allows visitors to experience scientific fieldwork firsthand while exploring how researchers trace invisible chemical signals that reveal the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Ocean.
The Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art (RUMOCA) serves as a cultural destination for South Jersey and the Rowan University community through exhibitions, public programs, and interdisciplinary collaborations that connect contemporary art with current social, scientific, and cultural issues. Our mission is to inspire curiosity and a passion for contemporary art, enrich the quality of life for our local community, create a welcoming and inclusive cultural destination at Rowan University, and serve as a regional resource for contemporary art.
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