Jess Holz
@jessholz.bsky.social
Artist and microscopist. MFA art + technology, but work in a neuro lab by day. Insects, neurons, electron microscopy… follow me to see lots of plankton videos…
jessholz.com
jessholz.com
Pinned
Jess Holz
@jessholz.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Hello hello world. I’m on here now. I am a microscope addict. I do a lot of plankton chronophotography, see below video of vorticella feeding currents. I love the microworld and consider myself an advocate for these tiny creatures, I like to make them visible. Will post more soon
My dad did manage to squeeze in a visit to Boston earlier this week 😊 Just a reminder the show is up until until Feb 19th. #sciart #plankton #microscopy
February 6, 2026 at 1:53 AM
My dad did manage to squeeze in a visit to Boston earlier this week 😊 Just a reminder the show is up until until Feb 19th. #sciart #plankton #microscopy
For #fluorescencefriday I present boring brown ‘junk’, debris, marine snow- consisting of decaying organisms and plant matter, that become colorful galaxies under fluorescence. I always wonder about the histories of living organisms present in these debris. Sample from the Charles river #sciart
January 31, 2026 at 3:02 AM
For #fluorescencefriday I present boring brown ‘junk’, debris, marine snow- consisting of decaying organisms and plant matter, that become colorful galaxies under fluorescence. I always wonder about the histories of living organisms present in these debris. Sample from the Charles river #sciart
Anyone know what the coiled structure is in these fluorescence photos? The coil seems to be only visible if the tissue is destroyed. 200-400x magnification, autofluorecence of a sample collected from punching through ice in a shallow part of the Charles river, Boston. #sciart #microscopy
January 27, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Anyone know what the coiled structure is in these fluorescence photos? The coil seems to be only visible if the tissue is destroyed. 200-400x magnification, autofluorecence of a sample collected from punching through ice in a shallow part of the Charles river, Boston. #sciart #microscopy
If anyone wants to listen to my artist talk on plankton painting moderated by @pgirguis.bsky.social it’s up here :) youtu.be/66F5FQskmW0?... #sciart #microscopy
Jess Holz artist talk - Plankton Painting solo show @ Harvard Ed Portal
YouTube video by Brittany Paris Archived
youtu.be
January 22, 2026 at 5:25 PM
If anyone wants to listen to my artist talk on plankton painting moderated by @pgirguis.bsky.social it’s up here :) youtu.be/66F5FQskmW0?... #sciart #microscopy
Thanks everyone for coming to the opening of Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible. Had great turnout and the artist talk went well. My mom, sister, and friend from Milwaukee even flew out. Super special to share this with everyone. #sciart
January 17, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Thanks everyone for coming to the opening of Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible. Had great turnout and the artist talk went well. My mom, sister, and friend from Milwaukee even flew out. Super special to share this with everyone. #sciart
Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible now on display until feb 19th at Harvard Ed Portal. Super exciting to see this come together. Opening reception next thursday 5-7pm, would love to see you there! #sciart #microscopy
January 10, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible now on display until feb 19th at Harvard Ed Portal. Super exciting to see this come together. Opening reception next thursday 5-7pm, would love to see you there! #sciart #microscopy
I'm super excited to announce a solo exhibition at Harvard Ed Portal featuring my timelapse Plankton Paintings: hrvd.me/gallery-holz. Opening reception Jan 15, 5-7pm, at 6pm I'll be doing an artist talk in conversation with @pgirguis.bsky.social Would love if you could join! #sciart #microscopy
December 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
I'm super excited to announce a solo exhibition at Harvard Ed Portal featuring my timelapse Plankton Paintings: hrvd.me/gallery-holz. Opening reception Jan 15, 5-7pm, at 6pm I'll be doing an artist talk in conversation with @pgirguis.bsky.social Would love if you could join! #sciart #microscopy
When the brain states back: spooky neuron faces I’ve found, for halloween (‘eye’ see u…) #sciart #electronmicroscopy #pareidolia
October 31, 2025 at 11:35 PM
When the brain states back: spooky neuron faces I’ve found, for halloween (‘eye’ see u…) #sciart #electronmicroscopy #pareidolia
Had a blast at Artisans Asylum open studios scoping tardigrades. Made some fun timelapse too with the ciliates in the sample providing the ‘scribbles’. Def attracted nerdy types with the tardigrades, but even people who didn’t know what they were were captivated by their cute little wiggles.
October 26, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Had a blast at Artisans Asylum open studios scoping tardigrades. Made some fun timelapse too with the ciliates in the sample providing the ‘scribbles’. Def attracted nerdy types with the tardigrades, but even people who didn’t know what they were were captivated by their cute little wiggles.
Nice to see artwork from my new scope finally on paper. Gearing up for Artisans Asylum open studios this Saturday 2-7pm. I’ll be selling plankton stickers and will have a live tardigrade station! #sciart #microscopy
October 23, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Nice to see artwork from my new scope finally on paper. Gearing up for Artisans Asylum open studios this Saturday 2-7pm. I’ll be selling plankton stickers and will have a live tardigrade station! #sciart #microscopy
Boston folk, Artisans Asylum fall open studios is next Saturday, 2-7pm. I will be setting up a live tardigrade station in my studio! :) Would love to see you there. tinyurl.com/FallIntoMaking #sciart #microscopy
October 19, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Boston folk, Artisans Asylum fall open studios is next Saturday, 2-7pm. I will be setting up a live tardigrade station in my studio! :) Would love to see you there. tinyurl.com/FallIntoMaking #sciart #microscopy
If anyone on here knows how to ID polychaete larva, I’d love to work with you on getting to the species level on these worms I always find in Boston harbor. I could provide a ton of photos, if I knew what to image for an ID. I know they are spionid but that’s it. #sciart #microscopy #plankton
October 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
If anyone on here knows how to ID polychaete larva, I’d love to work with you on getting to the species level on these worms I always find in Boston harbor. I could provide a ton of photos, if I knew what to image for an ID. I know they are spionid but that’s it. #sciart #microscopy #plankton
Still looking for an id on this weird robot looking copepod I found on vacation in Maine, anyone have any ideas? www.inaturalist.org/observations... #sciart #microscopy
Copepods (Subclass Copepoda)
Copepods from Tremont, ME, USA on August 25, 2025 at 05:41 PM by pinkbeetle. weird robot looking copepod. Would love an ID on this one!
www.inaturalist.org
October 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Still looking for an id on this weird robot looking copepod I found on vacation in Maine, anyone have any ideas? www.inaturalist.org/observations... #sciart #microscopy
October 11, 2025 at 10:52 PM
For #fluorescencefriday I just thought these neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus were pretty. #sciart #microscopy #confocal
October 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
For #fluorescencefriday I just thought these neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus were pretty. #sciart #microscopy #confocal
Really loved this part of Plankton Performance at MIT museum. This part of Movement II: Charles river is done using timelapse and fluorescence microscopy. Note all the filamentous cyanobacteria. Big red blobs are rotifers with chlorophyll in their bellies swimming around. #sciart #experimentalvideo
September 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Really loved this part of Plankton Performance at MIT museum. This part of Movement II: Charles river is done using timelapse and fluorescence microscopy. Note all the filamentous cyanobacteria. Big red blobs are rotifers with chlorophyll in their bellies swimming around. #sciart #experimentalvideo
If anyone is curious to see Plankton Performance at MIT Museum last Friday (my collaboration with sound artist Senem Pirler and local Boston plankton under the microscope), I just uploaded a video here: youtu.be/mIxZhLeqJoo?... #sciart #microscopy
Plankton Performance at MIT Museum Sept 12th 2025
YouTube video by Jess Holz
youtu.be
September 14, 2025 at 2:59 PM
If anyone is curious to see Plankton Performance at MIT Museum last Friday (my collaboration with sound artist Senem Pirler and local Boston plankton under the microscope), I just uploaded a video here: youtu.be/mIxZhLeqJoo?... #sciart #microscopy
I’m a day late for #fluorescencefriday but I had a blast at MIT museum ‘performing’ with live improvised sound by Dr. Senem Pirler. Vid shows fluorescence microscopy of the Charles river, note all the cyanobacteria. #sciart #plankton
September 13, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I’m a day late for #fluorescencefriday but I had a blast at MIT museum ‘performing’ with live improvised sound by Dr. Senem Pirler. Vid shows fluorescence microscopy of the Charles river, note all the cyanobacteria. #sciart #plankton
Plankton Performance, this Friday 7pm at MIT museum. I will be collaborating with plankton from the Charles river under my leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscope, while Senem Pirler responds to their movements and behavior with sound. mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/pla... #sciart
September 7, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Plankton Performance, this Friday 7pm at MIT museum. I will be collaborating with plankton from the Charles river under my leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscope, while Senem Pirler responds to their movements and behavior with sound. mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/pla... #sciart
A rare green fluorescent flagellate, ‘swimming plant’, trails in timelapse under fluorescence microscopy. Anyone know what causes green fluorescence in marine critters? 99.9% of flagellates I find are red from chlorophyll. Sample collected from Boston harbor. #sciart #algae #plankton
September 1, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Lovely vacation with my folks on Mt Desert Island in Maine. Amazing spot on the water, I brought a little scope and had a blast looking at sea life. Even the lichen next to the house had tardigrades! #sciart #microscopy
August 29, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Lovely vacation with my folks on Mt Desert Island in Maine. Amazing spot on the water, I brought a little scope and had a blast looking at sea life. Even the lichen next to the house had tardigrades! #sciart #microscopy
I’ll be ‘performing’ with lively plankton from the Charles river at MIT museum Sept 12th, 7pm. Composer Senem Pirler will respond to the plankton movements with sound. Would love to see you there! #sciart #microscopy
✨🦠 Join artist Jess Holz @jessholz.bsky.social & composer Senem Pirler for "Plankton Performance," a live sci-art experience under a Leica DMRB microscope!
📍 MIT Museum, Sept 12, 7PM EDT
🔗 Get info: https://fcld.ly/zzw2dn9
#sciart #planktonpainting #ScienceMeetsArt
📍 MIT Museum, Sept 12, 7PM EDT
🔗 Get info: https://fcld.ly/zzw2dn9
#sciart #planktonpainting #ScienceMeetsArt
Plankton Performance | MIT Museum
Join us for an improvised collaboration between artist Jess Holz and composer Senem Pirler.
fcld.ly
August 29, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I’ll be ‘performing’ with lively plankton from the Charles river at MIT museum Sept 12th, 7pm. Composer Senem Pirler will respond to the plankton movements with sound. Would love to see you there! #sciart #microscopy
Started my vacation with a family visit to my studio, looking at water from the harbor. My sister Brit is the one that crocheted me all the adorable critters (great for workshops too). And we found a polychaete that looked like toothless! Below. #microscopy #sciart
August 23, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Started my vacation with a family visit to my studio, looking at water from the harbor. My sister Brit is the one that crocheted me all the adorable critters (great for workshops too). And we found a polychaete that looked like toothless! Below. #microscopy #sciart
I’m excited to announce Plankton Painting as a live audiovisual event/concert, in collaboration with Dr. Senem Pirler who will respond to the rhythms, textures, and motion of these lively organisms through sound. Boston folk, I’d love to see you there! mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/pla... #sciart
August 9, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I’m excited to announce Plankton Painting as a live audiovisual event/concert, in collaboration with Dr. Senem Pirler who will respond to the rhythms, textures, and motion of these lively organisms through sound. Boston folk, I’d love to see you there! mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/pla... #sciart
Plankton painting at MIT museum was a blast! I’m stoked that 80 ppl came, the auditorium was almost full. See paintings from today at: flickr.com/PlanktonPainting Bosmina bloom in the Charles river right now, made things interesting. #sciart #microscopy
July 12, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Plankton painting at MIT museum was a blast! I’m stoked that 80 ppl came, the auditorium was almost full. See paintings from today at: flickr.com/PlanktonPainting Bosmina bloom in the Charles river right now, made things interesting. #sciart #microscopy