Dina Helal

May 7 1956 - December 14 2020

Dina Helal was an artist/educator. She had been an artist in residence at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Sweet Briar, Virginia. She received a Master of Fine Arts in painting from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, (1983) and a Bachelor of Arts honors in studio art and art history from Leeds University, England (1979). She lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York.

Exhibitions included: Westbeth, New York, NY (2017), Jamestown Art Center, Jamestown, Rhode Island, Atelier Newport, Newport, Rhode Island (2016), Front Art Space, Manhattan, NY, Melt, Goodwick, Brooklyn, NY (2013), Shifting Elements: Artists Using Materials in Unique Ways, St. Josephs College, Brooklyn, NY (2011), Belskie Museum of Art and Science, Closter, NJ (2008 & 2009), Refuse/Refuse, Pochron Studios, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY (2007), Reversal, Vlepo Gallery, Staten Island, NY (2005), The Window Group, Nix Gallery, New York, NY and Translucent, solo exhibition, The Window at 184 Franklin St, New York, NY (2004), Immediate Surroundings, solo exhibition, The Window at 184 Franklin St, New York, NY (2003), Holiday Show, The Window at 184 Franklin St, New York, NY, 20/20, The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, and Summer Show, The Window at 184 Franklin St, New York, NY (2002).

Helal was a museum educator who’s most recent position at the Whitney Museum of Art was Manager of Education Resources; during the nearly past 30 years (September 1990 - July 2020) included Manager of Interpretation and Interactive Media, Head of Online Education, Head of Curriculum and Online Learning, Head of School and Family Programs. Dina’s first Whitney position (September 1990) was Coordinator, Family & Community Programs directed by Connie Wolf, at the Whitney Museum Phillip Morris Branch directed by Thelma Golden, when we met at a meeting she arranged.

Shared interests led to Dina volunteering her expertise in my public art project (Note 1) Artist & Homeless Collaborative as a Director. And in her position as a Whitney Museum art educator: founding (1991) with me, Connie, Thelma, David Ross and MOMA Education Director Philip Yenawine, Carol Morgan, Robert Craddock and Betsey Barnett, the first arts workshops for shelter residents, children directed by adult women - many of whom had suffered domestic violence (not named in respect for privacy). Workshops and programming continue at the Whitney Museum; Museum of Modern Art (thru 1992) assisted by education staff; originally made possible by a Andy Warhol Foundation grant I wrote (1991, fiscal sponsor NYFA).

Note 1: “Making Art, Reclaiming Lives: The Artist and Homeless Collaborative” by Andrea Wolper, edited by Nina Felshin But is it Art? The Spirit of Art as activism 1995 Bay Press

Dina Helal

(r to l) Untitled (Graphite, White I and White II)

Encaustic, graphite on wood panels each 10” x 10” 2015

Collection Hope Sandrow

Dina’s explanation for her practice of creating diptychs, two paintings shown side by side:

“my twin sister died at birth, I have both of our names - Dina Helena.“ (October 25 2020)

About

“Ephemeral Emerald’s (Project Title) work includes small encaustic paintings comprised of digital images and collage elements—composites that often blend place, space, time, and memory. The images are often combined with drawing and mixed media in order to draw attention to detail and the connections between seemingly disparate parts. Recently she has used images on paper, combining encaustic with collage, and she has jettisoned the images in larger encaustic paintings, letting the materials improvise to create works about chance, alchemy, and abstraction.”

Dina Helal