Studio Shaffer Lutsko

This exhibition explores dust as both a material force of the atmosphere and a catalyst for crisis in the Salton Sea region, where climate change, public health, and economic decline converge. Once more visited than Palm Springs, the Sea now faces fragile landscapes and precarious futures as receding waters expose toxic lakebed dust. Drawing inspiration from Frederick Law Olmsted’s “Emerald Necklace,” the exhibition proposes a new mode of urban development—a necklace of modest, flexible, and reconfigurable “charms” linking key sites along the Sea. These modular elements, constructed from humble and durable materials, are designed to reflect community needs across recreation, culture, energy, infrastructure, and environmental protection. By situating architecture as a tool for making climate change legible and engaging cross-sector partnerships, The Limits of Visibility reimagines how design can respond to the urgent challenges of our time. Supported by the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (Design), and USC School of Architecture