Brooklyn Campus Council for the Arts Presents Shifting Elements

October 24, 2011

BROOKLYN, NY October 25, 2011 - The Council for the Arts at St. Josephs College is pleased to announce that it will showcase the works of Elizabeth Krug, Dina Helal, and Janet Rukowski in an exhibit entitled, "Shifting Elements: Artists Using Materials in Unique Ways, from October 24 to November 30 in the Alumni Room Gallery, 245 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn. There will be a gallery talk with all three artists on Tuesday, November 1 at 12:40 p.m., and receptions on Thursday, October 27 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, November 19 from 12 to 3 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

The title of this exhibition, "Shifting Elements: Artists Using Materials in Unique Ways refers not only to the use of media but also to the meaning behind the image.  The three artists: Dina Helal, Margaret Krug, and Janet Rutkowski, possess years of experience in working with their chosen mediums; still, they are fascinated by the fact that materials have a life of their own, affecting the final result of their project. The artists use a range of materials, take different approaches, and focus on a selection of subjects both personal and universal that is specific to each of them.

Dina Helal is an artist and educator that lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Her local exhibitions include Pochron Studios and The Rotunda Gallery in Brooklyn. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Pratt Institute.

Margaret Krug is a painter who received her M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has exhibited at The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Window Gallery, and throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. She was awarded the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Traveling Fellowship Award for Painting: George D. and Isabella A. Brown Traveling Fellowship. Currently, she is an assistant professor of painting and drawing at Parsons The New School for Design.

Working in conjunction with her husband, Walter Kenul, Janet Rukowskis work has been shown throughout the five boroughs, most notably her motorcycle-inspired line of furniture exhibit in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition, her works have been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles. In recognition of their excellence in their medium of choice, they have been listed twice in H+Gs Blackbook of best artisans.