EAST LANSING, MI.- Kresge Art Museum will display the artwork of four Master of Fine Arts degree candidates at the annual Michigan State University Department of Art & Art History Master of Fine Arts Exhibition from March 24 to April 6, 2008. The featured artists are: Helena Craules (painting), Grace Frost (painting), James Shurter (graphic design), and Nicole Sowinski (painting).

The opening reception will take place on Friday, March 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. The MFA candidates will introduce and discuss their work at public talks on Monday, March 24, at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday, March 27, at 1 p.m. in the museum. The exhibition and reception are sponsored by the MSU Graduate School .

This year’s artists exhibit work in painting and graphic design. This exhibition is the culmination of an MFA degree program that emphasizes extensive creative exploration under the supervision of a faculty guidance committee. Focused work in an area of concentration, as well as coursework in art history and related fields, helps each artist situate their work within the larger discourse of the present practice of art. As part of the MFA curriculum, the candidates work closely with curators and staff at Kresge Art Museum to plan, promote, and mount the show.

Painters Helena Craules and Grace Frost both explore the psychological -- Craules uses the female form as a way to explore and express ideas of physical and psychological abuse, while Frost’s paintings, loosely based on Greek myths and folklore, construct narrative sequences that revolve around the psychological world of a main character.

Designer James Shurter will present video and projection installations that explore the impact of memory and perception on one’s sense of self. Paintings by Nicole Sowinski use images of “everyday” activities, while incorporating references to larger issues and events with a greater social impact.

“This exhibition is an excellent example of student creative endeavors being shared with external audiences in a public environment,” said Tom Berding, Chair of the Department of Art & Art History. This particular exhibition also continues the history of successful collaborations between the Department of Art & Art History and the Kresge Art Museum , setting the stage for exciting future possibilities.

“By displaying graduate student art at Kresge Art Museum , we offer the community an opportunity to see their accomplishments and for the students to be recognized publicly for their work,” says Director Susan J. Bandes. “These annual exhibitions are eagerly anticipated by students, faculty, families and the community.”

For additional information questions, or to arrange an interview with the exhibiting artists, please contact Mariah Cherem , KAM Communications & Events Coordinator, at (517) 353-9834, or via email at cheremma@msu.edu.

Admission is free to Kresge Art Museum. The museum is open Mondays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays until 8 p.m., weekends noon ­to 5 p.m. Kresge Art Museum is located on the first floor of Kresge Art Center at the intersection of Physics and Auditorium Roads on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing , MI . For information, call (517) 355-7631 or visit www.artmuseum.msu.edu.