Broaden your intellectual and personal horizons through the study of art, design, and curatorial practice within a global perspective. Through critical, theoretical, and historical analysis, we encourage respectful awareness of––and engagement with–– our pluralistic community and enlightened understanding of your own material, visual, and cultural environments and your place within them.
Gain necessary skills and knowledge for a career as an art and design historian, a museum, gallery, or library professional, or to prepare for doctoral studies. By studying global art and design through multidisciplinary and cultural contexts and intensive specialized research, you’ll become an independent and critical thinker and writer, with an understanding of the historical role of art and design. Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide professional opportunities in your area of interest.
The Experience
IXD students Wuke Zhou, Yuki Shimano, and Olivia Turpin at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (photo by Shih Wen Huang)
Learning at the nexus of NYC arts and cultural communities, students in the History of Art and Design MA consider their discipline within larger social, cultural, and political contexts. With class sizes of just 8–12, you’ll collaborate closely with your cohort and faculty and work directly with museum collections and archives.
Internships
Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide professional opportunities in your area of interest and prepare you for future careers. Recent students have interned at prestigious institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and more.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an unparalleled experience that can extend the boundaries of your intellectual abilities and creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college and graduate experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. Study in Paris with the Pratt in Paris summer program or in Venice with Pratt in Venice, a 6-week program that recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.
Our Faculty
All full-time and part-time faculty are leading scholars and practitioners who are experts in their fields. They are deeply engaged in expanding their disciplines and building equity through their own work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and bring their commitment, and their experience, into the classroom. See all History of Art and Design faculty and administrators.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges, and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
📢 Calling All Pratt Artists!
How does art unlock the surreal, the unseen, challenge power structures, or reimagine the future of the self? 🔮 Submit your work to Surrealism Tomorrow – The Next 100 Years, an exhibition celebrating 100 years of surrealism while imagining what’s next.🌀
🔥 Why Submit?
💡 Receive exclusive feedback from curators at MoMA & Lenbachhaus, psychoanalysts and artists
🏆 Win monetary prizes + one-on-one sessions with the judges
✨ Get your work featured in a week-long exhibition
📖 Be published in the zine Surrealism Tomorrow: The Next 100 Years
🔹 Deadline: February 28, 2025
🔹 Exhibition Dates: April 14–21, 2025 (Opening April 16)
🔹 Open to all Pratt students
Let’s push boundaries, challenge rationalism, and tap into the unconscious—just like the surrealists before us. Submit your work today! 🎨🔮
#SurrealismTomorrow
Design Evolution Monthly:
Typography Through the Ages
Typography began as a labor of love in illuminated manuscripts, where each letter was a work of art.
The invention of the printing press revolutionized typography, making books accessible to the masses and standardizing typefaces.
During the Renaissance, typography saw a surge in creativity, with the development of elegant serif typefaces.
The Industrial Revolution brought bold, eye-catching typefaces used in posters and advertisements, reflecting the era's dynamism.
From pixels to vectors, typography has come a long way. Modern digital fonts offer endless possibilities for creative expression.
Image 1. Book of Kells Illuminated depiction of the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek, chi and rho; from the Book of Kells, c. 800 AD.
Image 2. Gutenberg Bible A page from the Gutenberg 42-line Bible, 1456.
Image 3. Robert Estiennes Bible in latin, 1545.
Image 4.Poster for the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, 1854.
Image 5. Slovic – variable font by Fontfabric
We are honored to announce the first HAD Faculty Conversation of the semester by Akiva Sanders, "Freedom and Equality in the Early Bronze Age: Clues from Household Items”
* This event is for Pratt community.
Date: Wednesday, February 19th, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Venue: Main 212
About the Project: Freedom and equality are fundamental values in our society. But are they fundamentally at odds? Are there times and places where they can coexist? Where equality can be maintained over multiple generations without drastically restricting self-expression? This lecture, drawn from my recently published book, looks at how local communities reconstructed society in the centuries following their destruction of the world's earliest known palace (ca. 3200 BCE) at the site of Arslantepe in the Upper Euphrates Valley of Eastern Turkey. We will explore their houses that served as communal places of gathering and locations of self-expression that were both unique and imaginative. However, for five hundred years, none of these places became institutionalized in a way that removed agency from the following generations.
About the Speaker: Akiva Sanders is an archaeologist and art historian who tries to understand the past through the varied experiences and attempts at self-expression of those who inhabited it. His research focuses on the assembly and disassembly of monumental central institutions in Mesopotamia: the changes in daily life, sources of meaning, and interpersonal relationships that accompanied these pivotal moments, methods of resistance to institutional authority, and the creative aftermath of institutional collapse. He approaches these questions with evidence from settlement archaeology, art history, population genetics, and ancient fingerprints.
Happy Lunar New Year!
This festive season, we explore the fascinating world of Nianhua (年画)—traditional Chinese New Year prints that have decorated homes for centuries.
A Glimpse into Art History: Nianhua, meaning 'New Year Pictures,' originated during the Han dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. These vibrant woodblock prints were not just decorations but also talismans believed to bring good luck, ward off evil spirits, and ensure a prosperous year ahead.
Each piece is a testament to the skill and artistry of traditional Chinese craftsmen, who painstakingly carved and painted these intricate designs.
#LunarNewYear #Nianhua #TraditionalChineseArt #ArtHistory #CulturalHeritage #HistoryOfDesign
Image Courtesy: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Nianhua, 19th–20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper.
Welcome Back, Creatives!
A new semester means fresh opportunities to learn, create, and inspire. Let’s make this semester one of growth, creativity, and innovation!
Stay tuned for exciting content, tips, and community highlights throughout the term. Here's to an art-filled adventure ahead!
#WelcomeBack #NewSemester #ArtAndDesign #CreativeJourney #InspirationAwaits #PrattInstitute
For over 40 years, the Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA) celebrates exceptional teaching, and recognizes the recipient's commitment to Pratt's students and mission. The Distinguished Teacher is nominated by students and the award is conferred by the Academic Senate, the Administration, and the Board of Trustees.
Student nominations are underway for Pratt Institute's 2025 Distinguished Teacher Award via emails with a unique link for each student, voting closes on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Monthly Art Quote
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."
— Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas reminds us that art is more than just a visual experience—it's about evoking emotion, sparking imagination, and shaping perception. How do you interpret this quote in your own creative journey? Let’s discuss in the comments!
#MonthlyArtQuote #EdgarDegas #ArtInspiration #ArtHistory #CreativeVision
The graduate studies in the History of Art and Design provide students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers as art and design historians and professionals in museums, galleries, and libraries, or to pursue graduate work at the doctoral level. Through comprehensive study of global art and design within historical and cultural contexts and intensive research and scholarship in specialized areas, students develop a critical understanding of the field as well as research and analytical skills. Graduates demonstrate excellence in independent and critical thinking and understanding of the historical roles and responsibilities of art and design. Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide opportunities for students to work in professional areas of their interests and prepare for future careers.
