History

In 1999, Pratt Institute joined forces with MunsonWilliams-Proctor Arts Institute (MWPAI) to give students the option of starting their Pratt education at a smaller, more intimate campus where they could develop their skills and focus on their work. The combination of MWPAI’s distinguished arts community and Pratt’s strong reputation and curriculum developed into a focused, passionate, and supportive learning environment that attracts young artists and designers from around the world.

The School of Art

Founded in 1941, the MWPAI School of Art focused on creating an art program that instilled the principles of a strong visual arts foundation. Established with the intention of providing an exceptional preparatory program in art, Munson students, after completing the two year program, would continue their education at top schools throughout the country including Pratt Institute. The School was granted the authority to confer the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree by the State of New York in 1948.

As MWPAI continued to receive monumental acclaim, Pratt Institute and MWPAI saw an opportunity to combine their strengths. Pratt Institute, interested in the consistently high-quality students coming out of Utica, formed an affiliation with MWPAI and created PrattMWP. The upstate institution welcomed the alliance since Pratt could offer an outstanding benefit to the students: a clear path to their B.F.A. degree at one of the world’s preeminent art colleges through a seamless relocation to Pratt’s Brooklyn campus in their junior year.

Since the union, PrattMWP has added new studio buildings and classroom spaces, state-of-the-art computer labs, and new residence halls.

Where does the MWP come from?

The Institute

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute (MWPAI) was established in 1919 to serve as “an artistic, musical and social center.” The Institute was named for three generations of one Utica family whose philanthropic generosity supported the fundamental belief in the prominent role the arts play in a vibrant community. The art institute aims to promote interest and participation in the arts and stimulate artistic selfexpression and personal creativity.

In 1936, MWPAI opened to the public, displaying the vast collection of fine and decorative arts objects amassed by the family and organized concerts of highly acclaimed classical musicians. The MWPAI Museum of Art houses a collection of more than 15,000 works of art. The modern and contemporary collection is noteworthy for its works by American artist Charles Burchfield, Susan Rothenberg, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, and Louise Bourgeois to name a few. In addition, the Museum has a distinguished group of paintings and sculptures by leading European Modernists, including Salvador Dali, Wassily Kandinsky, and Pablo Picasso. The Performing Arts division continues to produce live stage performances, children’s concerts, and a superb film series throughout the year.

work here