Arlene Rush is a conceptual multidisciplinary artist whose work exists among ideas of feminist ideology, political engagement, and a strong sense of identity. Inquiries have pervaded her life both personally and professionally on the issues of gender, identity, and equality. 

Rush, a pioneer in Chelsea, opened her first studio in 1986 on West 26 Street across from the West Chelsea Arts Building, which she has occupied since 1995. She has exhibited extensively in museums, universities, and galleries worldwide. Rush was the recipient of the Rauschenberg Medical Grant 2025, a residency to Barcelona, Spain, from the CFEVA 1988, and the Pat Hearn & Colin De Land Foundation Grant 2011. In 2020, she received the Carole Eisner Award For Sculpture. She is on The Creative Center's Advisory Council. 

Her work is in numerous collections, among some are: 9/11 Memorial & Museum Artist Registry; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY; Museum of Modern Art, Wales, UK; Museu Brasileiro de Escultura, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Bldg., Washington, D.C.; Sara M. Vance Waddell, Cincinnati, OH; Joe Baio's Collection, New York, NY; Golden Collection, Berlin, NY and The Robert H. Chaney Collection, Houston, TX and ARCO Chemical, Newton Square, PA.

Rush has been reviewed in several publications, including: The New York Times, Wall Street International, Eidenhovens Dagblad, Art Fuse, Arcade Projects, D/Railed Contemporary Art Magazine, Hyperallergic, Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Artdependence Magazine, ANTE Magazine, Varsari21, Time Out New York, Artsy Editorial, Rheinische Post, Aktuell, The New Yorker, Stadtmagazin, International Gallerie, and Lilith Magazine.