Rooted in Steel- Solo Show by Mona Rutenberg

Melt Studio & Gallery is pleased to present Rooted In Steel, a solo exhibition by sculptor Mona Rutenberg, on view from July 9 to August 2, 2026.

After more than thirty years working as an art therapist, Rutenberg discovered welding at the age of fifty and embarked on a new creative path as a full-time sculptor. Working primarily with salvaged steel collected from scrap yards, roadsides, and abandoned spaces, she transforms discarded materials into powerful sculptures that explore memory, resilience, repair, and transformation.

Deeply influenced by childhood experiences spent in her father's used machinery business, Rutenberg draws upon the textures, forms, and atmosphere of industrial environments that have remained embedded in her memory. Through reclaimed steel, she reconnects with these early influences while imagining the stories and histories carried within each fragment.

Rooted In Steel brings together several interconnected bodies of work, including abstract compositions inspired by tools, interactive tree trunk sculptures with hidden interiors, and pieces that merge steel with natural materials such as driftwood and roots. Together, these works reflect themes of growth, healing, attachment, and the enduring resilience found in both nature and the human spirit.

Join us in celebrating this remarkable exhibition and discover how discarded materials can be transformed into objects of beauty, meaning, and renewal.

Artist Reception Saturday July 11th , 2026 1-4 pm Artist Talk 1:30 pm

Gallery Hours:

Thursday, Friday and Sunday noon-5pm
Saturday noon-6 pm
Or by appointment.

Photo credit: @ezrasoiferman