Pratt Presents Transforming Cities Through the Arts and Industry

Please join us for a special evening showcasing the power of the arts and industry to collaboratively transform neighborhoods, drive creativity, and stimulate innovation. The panel discussion will focus on one of the best examples of this extraordinary power, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which has become a unique creative engine, enhancing the city’s economic development and supporting its artistic sector.

The discussion will explore the ways public art enhances shared space and helps catalyze neighborhood transformation, the role of arts and creatives in the progress of urban areas, how the relationship between culture and commerce can be leveraged to promote equity, and how to navigate the complexities that can arise as art and creatives make neighborhoods more desirable. Pratt’s President Frances Bronet will facilitate the conversation and will be joined on stage by Commissioner Laurie Cumbo of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as Lindsay Greene, president of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The artist’s perspective will be represented by distinguished artist and Pratt alumna Mickalene Thomas, BFA ’00. 

This event is part of Pratt Institute’s Design Equity initiative, a provocative series of discussions and events dedicated to shaping a sustainable and just future in New York City (and beyond). Design Equity will examine how civic and creative leaders effect positive change in arenas such as housing, climate resilience, food, education, and more. Design Equity also highlights the ways in which Pratt’s faculty and alumni bring their creative education and community-first approach to spark change and foster a more just and sustainable tomorrow. Previous Design Equity events have examined transportation, housing, and food access, and have featured a host of distinguished participants, including Pascal Sablane, Hank Gutman, and Marcus Samuelsson.   

PARTICIPANTS:
Laurie A. Cumbo, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, The City of New York
Lindsay Greene, President, The Brooklyn Navy Yard
Mickalene Thomas, Artist and Pratt Alumna
Frances Bronet (moderator), President, Pratt Institute

This event is open to the public and will be recorded.