One of the best things about going to Pratt is having New York City’s unique culture, resources, and opportunities right at your doorstep. Class field trips across the five boroughs make the most of all the city has to offer. From guided gallery tours to industrial site visits to close-up looks at possible future careers, check out some students’ recent adventures around NYC!
Behind the Scenes at a Sustainable Start-Up
Adjunct Associate Professor – CCE of Graduate Communications Design Katya Moorman and Adjunct Associate Professor of Graduate Communications Design Karen L Dunn took their Sustainability and Design classes to TômTex, a bio-based material innovation company. The group was given a private tour of the space, and had a chance to ask the founders questions about their professional processes and practices.
“TômTex is an incredibly innovative materials company,” said Xue Guo, MS Packaging, Identities, and Systems Design ’26. “As a packaging design student, this field trip has inspired me to consider using such materials in my future designs and to think more deeply about sustainability in packaging design—particularly how material choices and production processes can help minimize environmental impact and lead to more responsible design.”
“I think the trip to TômTex was an incredible eye opener for me, having grown up in an area that’s not only devoid of sustainable efforts but also innovative small businesses,” said Carlisle Ross, MS Packaging, Identities, and Systems Design ’26. “It’s also uplifting to see the diversity of approaches to waste management and “closing the circle” that people in NYC are exploring, which I can guarantee you I would not have known if I hadn’t come here. There’s so much innovation out there, and it makes me hopeful that we really might be able to turn things around soon.”
A Celebratory Visit to the Met Opera
Visiting Instructor of Film/Video Gisburg Smialek brought her Sound Design for Film/Video class to the The Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center to see Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Many of Smialek’s students had never been to the opera before. As a class based in sound, she wanted to celebrate the students’ semester of rigorous studies with an in-person, sound-based, and, most of all, joyful experience.
Presenting Data at NASDAQ Headquarters
Each year, master’s students in Digital Analytics: Web, Mobile and Social Media, taught by Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Information Sahirah Johnson, deliver their final presentations at NASDAQ’s iconic headquarters in Times Square to a panel of judges in their fields. Students, who were assigned to perform a user experience data analysis on a real client’s digital presence, have the chance to share their findings with the client. The experience of presenting to, and communicating with, important stakeholders helps build confidence and prepare students for successful careers post graduation.
“Presenting our project at NASDAQ was an unforgettable experience!” said Chuyuan Chiu, MS Information Experience Design ’25, adding that she’s “grateful for the opportunity to apply these skills in a real-world setting and to receive valuable insights from industry experts during our final presentation.”
Diving into NYC’s Pools
The School of Architecture partners with civic institutions to give students a peek into the processes, challenges, and opportunities of working on design projects with public impact. Professor of Undergraduate Architecture and K-12 Center Instructor Jonathan Scelsa has built a longstanding relationship between the School of Architecture and NYC Parks. This past fall, Scelsa and Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Architecture Laura Salazar-Altobelli co-coordinated a trip for Intermediate Design students, collaborating with NYC Parks as part of its research for a public bathhouse design project.
The class visited the WPA-era Marcus Garvey Park and Pool in Harlem, where NYC Parks Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Focht led a guided tour of the park, locker room, and pump room, sharing insights into the pool’s role within the Harlem community. Students got special access to the pool’s inner workings—from the spatial sequencing for visitors and staff to the machine rooms that keep the pool running.
Printing with the Professionals
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![A close-up of the technician in the printing workshop, engaging with a few students as he demonstrates the printing process. One student with blonde hair and glasses, another with a white jacket, and a third in a mustard-colored coat are closely observing and interacting with the printing materials.]()
A visit to GSB Digital’s printing facility in Long Island City. Images courtesy of Deb Caponera. -
![A group of students in a printing workshop attentively observing a technician demonstrating the use of a large industrial printing press. The technician, wearing a brown t-shirt and a green cap, is holding a sheet of paper while explaining the printing process. The background features shelves filled with various printing materials and tools.]()
A visit to GSB Digital’s printing facility in Long Island City. Images courtesy of Deb Caponera.
Deb Caponera, assistant professor, associate degree programs (School of Art), always takes her Pre-Press and Print Production classes to GSB Digital‘s printing facility in Long Island City. The printing company uses sustainable materials and a mix of modern and traditional printing techniques to meet their clients’ needs. Students had a chance to speak with the staff, who are enthusiastic about passing their knowledge on to early-career designers. Students learned about different printing techniques and how they can be incorporated into their own creative work.
“Getting to see the GSB printing facility in person was super valuable!” said Finn Evans, AOS Graphic Design ’24. “Learning about printing processes is one thing, but getting to see it in action right next to the machine is a whole different beast. My design process is now backed by some firsthand knowledge, and that’s awesome.”
Caponera echoed this perspective, saying that “this learning experience is an interactive, hands-on one that pushes the boundaries of what students already know from the classroom, asking more of them on their learning journey, and offering them new ways of creative problem-solving. Knowledge is power.”
Touring Poster House
Professional Practices in Photography, taught by Stephanie Powell, adjunct associate professor of photography, explores various career paths within the fine art and commercial photographic industries. The class, which illuminates the realities and possibilities of different post-grad plans, recently visited Poster House in Chelsea for a private tour and conversation with key employees.
Students were led on a tour by the museum’s Chief Technology Officer and Pratt alumnus Aaron Cohen, BFA Photography ’20. They also heard from Poster House’s executive director, curator, registrars and archivists, marketing staff, museum fabricator, and director of public programs. Each person introduced their roles, responsibilities, and how they got to where they are today. “The trip to the Poster House showed me that my education in photography can be a good foundation for building upon and expanding to explore the various fields in and out of the creative art industry,” said Jordan Anna Torres, BFA Photography ’26.
“It was a very inspiring field trip,” added Powell. “I never had a class like this in undergrad or grad school, and think it is an important part of the curriculum as it is a guided introduction to real-world applications of their Pratt degree.”
Seeing a Small Business in Action
Assistant Chair and Visiting Assistant Professor of Industrial Design Matte Nyberg‘s class Money Maker visited Franca, a Brooklyn-based design studio specializing in handcrafted ceramics. Founded by Jazmin de la Guardia, BFA Fine Arts (Printmaking) ’14, and Sierra Yip-Bannicq, BID ’13, Franca was a perfect destination for teaching students about small-batch production and running a small business.
Yip-Bannicq showed the class the different tools and processes they’ve developed to suit their business’s specific needs, ranging from self-initiated brand-aligned projects to custom productions for big businesses. “Although this visit focused on one specific making method (slip casting ceramic), a lot of what Sierra shared was applicable to any small business, especially those that manage self-production,” said Nyberg.
Money Maker focuses on the practical, operational, and strategic realities of making a career in design and craftsmanship. Field trips like this one help ground the course in real-world examples, ensuring students are ready to “navigate the entrepreneurial landscape confidently.”
“It was a great way to learn how to set yourself up for success,” reflected Jude Fox, BID ’26. “One of my favorite parts of the visit was learning about the different custom tools, such as the stencils and makeshift glaze fountain, that the studio uses as a good example showing that there won’t always be the perfect tool for you out there; sometimes you have to make it.”
“The visit made starting a business or selling my own work feel less far off, and a lot more like a real possibility,” added Megan Robalewski, MID ’25.
Giving Old Materials New Life
They say one person’s trash is another’s treasure, and nowhere is that more true than at Materials for the Arts, the recent destination of Fine Arts Civic Engagement Fellow Alex Strada‘s Studio in Social Practice. The creative reuse center warehouses and distributes donations of all types of goods, fabrics, furniture, electronics, and more, providing free materials to local students, teachers, artists, and nonprofits.
Students and guests received a tour of the warehouse facilities and explored workshop activities using donated materials, such as plastic CD cases, envelopes, stickers, fabric scraps, and more. The workshop, led by Niceli Portugal, focused on the ways in which these materials could be used by art educators. Then, students were set free to “shop” the free supplies, filling tote bags bursting with printers, papers, felt, tiles, books, and a whole array of other goods that will no doubt resurface in their art projects this spring!