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The Daily Hub

A roundup of ideas and projects from around the Institute

  • Mark Grattan, BID ’06, was featured in Elle Decor for designing the home of U.S. sports stars Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. “I wanted to try a moment where it doesn’t work on paper,” Grattan said. “It works only in real life.”

  • The experimental play “Kinderkrankenhaus” by Jesi Bender, MSLIS ’12, will show at Brooklyn’s Brick Theater in September. The play “explores neurodiversity, the pathologizing of difference, and the complexity of labels in a world where the unspeaking are seen as unthinking.”

  • Raymond Figueroa Jr., visiting instructor in the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment (GCPE) and president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition, was interviewed for The New York Times article “Vital Places of Refuge in the Bronx, Community Gardens Gain Recognition.” The story describes how communities throughout NYC are adapting to climate change with the help of community gardens.

  • A Tortoise’s Year of Fate by Yi Xiong, BFA Film ’22, will have its world premiere at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, held from August 2 to 12 in Locarno, Switzerland. The short film, which depicts the journey of a factory worker longing for hope, has been selected for the Pardi di domani section of the festival. This section showcases emerging talent and promising works in the world of cinema. This short film was originally created as Xiong’s thesis project at Pratt.

  • Adam Friedman​​, chief strategy officer of research and strategic partnerships, was interviewed for the City & State article “New York City’s uphill battle to save manufacturing”: “People need heat pumps, people need probably dry wells to handle the downpours, people need a whole bunch of existing technology … If we can channel more of that to be produced in the city, I think that there’s some real job creation opportunities there.”

  • Tim Richartz, adjunct assistant professor of industrial design, was interviewed for a Fast Company story on independent designers working within a furniture industry dominated by large companies: “You can find people who are willing to create products that are meaningful, and as creative people that’s what we want to do.”

More Pratt Institute News

A young woman stands in front of an exhibition booth featuring colorful posters and materials for an architecture and arts festival. She wears a black outfit and a yellow lanyard. Beside her, another image shows her outside a modern building with glass facade, waving at the camera. The scene includes people walking in the background and urban architecture.

Designing Her Way to Her Dream Job

Recent alumna Renata Dominguez always knew she wanted to work in design. Now, just one year post-grad, she’s thriving at one of the biggest international branding agencies.
A spacious, elegantly decorated room with ornate detailing and large windows. Several individuals are walking around, some looking at artworks while others take photos. A table with a floral centerpiece is in the middle, surrounded by chairs. Two large paintings hang on the walls, depicting portraits and a landscape. The ambiance is bright and showcases a classic interior design.

Seeing the City: Tours, Talks, and More

From Pratt Institute News

This fall in New York City, students went to the newly renovated Frick, explored innovative materials at a circular design brand, and heard from famed director Spike Lee.

Exploring the Role of Values in Art and Design Education

From Pratt Institute News

Hosted on Pratt’s Brooklyn campus, the 2025 AICAD Symposium featured sessions on climate literacy, community-based learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.