Pratt Manhattan Gallery (144 West 14th Street, Second Floor) will commemorate Pratt Institute’s milestone 125th anniversary with “125 Icons: A Celebration of Works by Pratt Alumni and Faculty 1887-2012,” which will feature iconic works created by Pratt alumni and faculty that were voted on by the Pratt community. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will run from November 30, 2012 through January 19, 2013.
The Institute is one of the world’s most prestigious colleges of art, design, and architecture, and its alumni and faculty have collectively produced works of art, design, and architecture that have changed the world. The 125 works in “125 Icons” were selected by alumni, faculty, students, and staff from over 300 works by alumni and faculty that comprise Pratt’s online “Icons Gallery.”
“This exhibition is the grand finale of Pratt’s 16-month 125th anniversary celebration,” said Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte. “We’re excited to bring together these iconic works at Pratt Manhattan Gallery and to commemorate the achievements of alumni and faculty who have helped make the Institute what it is today,” he added.
Todd Galitz, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Pratt Institute, has spearheaded an effort over the last three years to identify many of these iconic works and has led the organization of the exhibition that will bring this impressive body of work to the public.
“The collection of works on display are innovative, creative, and representative of the impact that Pratt’s alumni and faculty have had on the world,” said Galitz. “These works of art, design, and architecture comprise all facets of our lives including the spaces we inhabit, the products we use, the media we consume, and the art that inspires us,” he added.
Iconic works include New York’s landmark Chrysler Building (designed by alumnus and architect William van Alen), groundbreaking covers of Esquire magazine (designed by alumnus and master communicator George Lois), Sesame Street’s beloved Big Bird (created by Jim Henson and brought to life by faculty member and master puppet builder Kermit Love), Scrabble (conceived by alumnus and out-of-work architect Alfred Mosher Butts during the Depression), the sleek Corvette C5 (redesigned by alumnus and industrial designer John Cafaro), OXO Good Grips (co-launched by alumnus and industrial designer Tucker Viemeister), and the Dunkin Donuts logo (colors and typeface selected by alumna, faculty member, and industrial designer Lucia DeRespinis). To view these iconic works and more by Pratt alumni and faculty, please visit Pratt’s Icons Gallery.
The exhibit space also will feature a video loop of “Treasures of New York: Pratt Institute,” a half-hour broadcast documentary program, produced by Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21, that goes inside the prestigious college to discover its vibrant Brooklyn history and architectural and cultural impact. Several of the works on display in “125 Icons” are featured. The program is also available to a national audience at the series website.
The specific works to be included in the exhibition were announced on October 15 at Pratt’s 125th Anniversary Gala at the Waldorf=Astoria. Designed in 1929 by Pratt alumnus Lloyd Morgan (Architecture 1911), this famed hotel is yet another example of Pratt’s iconic cultural legacy.
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“125 Icons: A Celebration of Works by Alumni and Faculty 1887-2012”
November 30, 2012-January 19, 2013
Pratt Manhattan Gallery
144 West 14th Street, Second Floor
Gallery Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 AM-6 PM; Thursdays, 11 AM-8 PM
Pratt Manhattan Gallery will be closed December 22, 2012 through January 1, 2013.
Media Contact:
Amy Aronoff at 718.636.3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu