Just 100 miles off the coast of New York City lies the Hudson Canyon, a vast underwater geological feature on the scale of the Grand Canyon.  The Canyon’s biodiversity was first documented during the Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition in 1925. Artists and scientists from the Department of Tropical Research (DTR) of the New York Zoological Society – now the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) – documented several species, some new to science.  A number of women scientists and artists in 1925 played a pivotal role transforming scientific discovery into public imagination.

A century later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 2025 Hudson Canyon expedition marks the 100th anniversary of that historic voyage.  In collaboration with the WCS, Anita Glesta is creating a multimedia installation, debuting in September 2026, that will directly draw from the recent and century’s old footage and research.

Through the Hudson Canyon Project, Glesta extends the legacy of the Arcturus Expedition artists, inviting audiences to consider our interconnectedness with the ocean and the importance of protecting marine ecosystems off of New York and New Jersey.

In September 2026, Anita Glesta’s AQUA COSMOS: The Hudson Canyon, will be a dual channel projection on the Brooklyn Bridge.  In collaboration with WCS, Glesta’s video animation will be a unique hybrid of documentary and animation. The archival footage of the first expedition in 1925 will be featured alongside footage from the 2025 NOAA expedition, the drawings from the women artists aboard the first voyage and Glesta’s original animations.  

Project Preview

Informational Video

NOAA Expedition Interview – Recorded LIVE from the NOAA vessel on September 27th. Watch my conversation about the role of the artist in scientific collaboration. Includes real-time discoveries from the ROV’s deep-sea exploration.

Paintings & Works on Paper