Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – The original exhibition Barbara Roux: Environments, on view from February 7 – April 5, 2012 in the Hofstra University Museum’s Emily Lowe Gallery, features drawings, photographs, poetry and sculpture by Barbara Roux, a combined-media artist, poet, and conservationist.

Barbara Roux uses her daily interaction with natural habitats to inform her artistic work with a focus on the forest and coves where she lives on the north shore of Long Island.  Her understanding and appreciation for the natural resources of this area have merged with her professional artistic training, resulting in work that seeks to educate us, the viewer, about the value and importance of our natural environment. Roux alters but does not disguise the elements from nature that comprise her sculpture.

“Barbara Roux grew up on Long Island during a time when the land was primarily untouched and nature’s beauty was a part of her daily existence,” said Executive Director of the Hofstra University Museum Beth E. Levinthal. "Through her work as an artist and poet she shares her passion to protect our fragile environment and natural habitats. We are enriched by her artistry as we are encouraged to more actively protect and preserve our region’s ecosystems and their natural inhabitants.”

An illustrated catalog, Barbara Roux: Environments accompanies the exhibit. Supplemental materials including information about the artist, her work, and resources about conservation will be available on a touch screen kiosk in the gallery. A brochure for guided viewing also will be available to visitors to enhance their experience of the exhibition.

Barbara Roux will offer a walk-through of the exhibition sharing her thoughts on her poetry and artwork during the opening reception on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 4 p.m. in the Emily Lowe Gallery. Roux will also reflect on how her works illustrate her physical and emotional connection to her environment.

Other exhibit related public programming includes Looking at Art on February 11, 2012 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., a workshop led by Hofstra University Museum Education Director Nancy Richner, guiding attendees to discover and enhance their ability to interpret and discuss works of art. The Natural Pen: Creating Poetry from Nature’s Inspiration with Patricia Navarra offered on March 6, 2012 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. is a poetry workshop with Hofstra Adjunct Assistant Professor Patricia Navarra. Attendees will be guided to create their own poetry in response to the works on view. Sketching in the Galleries, invites individuals to use exhibited works as inspiration to create their own sketches in the gallery using materials supplied by the Museum, this program is offered free on Wednesdays from 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

For more information on this exhibit and associated public programs please call (516) 463-5672 or visit the Hofstra University website at www.hofstra.edu/museum.

The Hofstra University Museum has been awarded the highest honor a museum can receive, continued accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Approximately 4% of museums nationwide have earned this distinguished recognition. Accreditation certifies that the Hofstra University Museum operates according to professional standards, manages its collections responsibly and provides quality service to the public.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution of higher education where more than 12,000 full and part-time students choose from undergraduate and graduate offerings in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering, communication, education, health and human services, honors studies, a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

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