Inspire t h e g i v i n g n e w s l e t t e r o f p r at t i n s t i t u t e Fall / Winter 2012
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The Waldorf=Astoria
n Monday, October 15, hundreds of Pratt friends and alumni will gather at the legendary Waldorf=Astoria to celebrate the Institute’s 125 years of educating creative leaders and to raise vital scholarship funds to support the visionaries of the future. When Pratt alumnus Lloyd Morgan (Architecture, 1911) designed the Waldorf=Astoria in 1929, he could not have known the impact it would have on New York City and the world. As with so many of the designs created by Pratt alumni and faculty, the hotel became an icon. Now, this historic venue will take center stage as Pratt’s yearlong celebration reaches a pinnacle with the most ambitious scholarship fundraising event in the Institute’s history. Student scholarship funds raised from the event will help fulfill a cornerstone priority of the Institute’s recently completed strategic plan. Significant fundraising successes toward meeting the event’s goal have already been aided by the dedicated leadership and generosity of the 125th Anniversary Gala chairs: CulinArt, Young Ho Kim (B. Arch. ’71), Marjorie and James Kuhn, Sondra and David S. Mack, Bruce (B.F.A. Interior Design ’53) and Judy Newman, and David and Jane Walentas. “The 125th Anniversary is a very meaningful milestone in any organization’s history. For Pratt, whose alumni and faculty members have created so many of the buildings, products, and designs that defined the past century, this is a particularly important time to celebrate and prepare for the future,” said Kim. The October 15 celebration will set a new standard for the Institute’s fundraising events, which include the highly successful annual Legends scholarship gala and the spring Fashion Show Cocktail Benefit, which generates scholarship
A table of students at Legends 2010
funds to support students in Fashion Design. With new leadership and committee structures, as well as the generous support of alumni, friends, and the extended Pratt community, the 125th Anniversary Gala is creating a successful model to elevate the Institute’s future event fundraising. “With the Institute’s growing reputation as a leader in preparing graduates who have the knowledge, creativity, and drive to make a positive impact on the world, the time is right for Pratt to capitalize on the success and momentum of signature events to generate even greater scholarship funds for talented and deserving students,” said Marjorie Kuhn, who has served as a chair of the annual Legends scholarship benefit since 2008. In addition to the event chairs, members of the 125th Anniversary Gala steering committee are playing a vital role in the evening’s success: Their personal support and extensive outreach are critical to engaging friends and business associates in purchasing benefit tables and tickets. “Pratt’s 125th Anniversary is particularly meaningful to me,” said steering committee member and Trustee Robert Siegel (B. Arch. ’62), who is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of his graduation from Pratt this year. “Pratt has played a central role in my life and it’s deeply rewarding to have the opportunity to contribute to its future while celebrating its remarkable past.” For more information or to purchase tickets for Pratt Institute’s 125th Anniversary Gala, visit www.pratt.edu/125gala or call 718-399-4486.
Pratt Center Awarded $2 Million for Fellowship Program T he Pratt Center for Community Development was recently awarded a $2 million endowment from the Taconic Foundation in Hudson, New York. The endowment will enable the Center to establish the Taconic Fellowship program—an interdisciplinary initiative to integrate Pratt’s art, design, and architectural expertise with community development and urban planning projects throughout New York City. The Taconic Fellowship is modeled on the Center’s long-standing fellowship program conducted in collaboration with the Institute’s Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development. For
decades the Center has linked Pratt’s Regional and Community Planning graduate students and faculty to transformative community development projects in all five New York City boroughs. From building and preserving affordable housing to expanding energy efficiency improvements to leading public transportation projects, the graduate planning Fellows have been integral to the success of the Pratt Center’s efforts to create a more equitable and sustainable New York. The Center will replicate this success through the Taconic Fellowship, leveraging the extensive range
of knowledge, perspective, and resources found in the Institute’s academic departments to strengthen social justice initiatives locally. Through the Taconic Fellowship, the Center will also prepare residents of color from low- and moderate-income communities to lead local urban planning efforts, and diversify the perspectives and voices shaping the urban planning field. “Thanks to the Taconic Foundation’s generous support and commitment, Pratt will continue to foster the next generation of community development practitioners while expanding the field’s tools, skills, and strategies,” said Adam Friedman, the Center’s director.
Kevin Wick
Guests at Legends 2011
Courtesy Hilton Worldwide
Joshua Wong
125th Anniversary Gala Supports Future Visionaries
impact of giving
dean's corner
Liz Claiborne Award–Concept to Product Inspires Young Designer
SLAS is constantly looking for ways to partner with other departments and schools across Pratt. One of the most exciting examples is the Writing/ Architecture program, through which first-year architecture undergraduates study literature and writing in conjunction with their introductory architecture studio. This kind of cross-disciplinary engagement is unique to Pratt.
What is your vision for the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences over the next five years?
SLAS is poised to play an increasingly unique role as the provider of interdisciplinary liberal arts programs that draw on art and design, the humanities
By providing essential start-up funding to a young designer, the Liz Claiborne Award goes a long way in helping recipients move their vision from concept to product. “In our current economic climate, young designers are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain themselves financially with their creative work and endeavors,” says Fashion Design Chair Jennifer Minniti. “This award supports and recognizes exemplary talent in the fashion discipline while promoting and kick–starting the entrepreneurial spirit sorely needed in today’s fast paced industry. Kelsy’s design philosophy, represented in this collection, is exceptionally strong and truly deserving of this award.”
Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse (B.F.A. Fashion Design ’12)
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our months ago, if anyone had asked me if I would ever start my own company, I would have said no, very definitely,” says Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse (B.F.A. Fashion Design ’12), who was presented with the inaugural Liz Claiborne Award–Concept to Product at the 2012 Pratt Fashion Show. The award, funded by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, provides a $25,000 cash prize to help a talented student develop his or her own fashion collection after graduation. Parkhouse, who showed designs combining vintage feed sack textiles with new fabrics to create a nostalgic yet fresh look, garnered accolades from fashion industry icons Fern Mallis and Calvin Klein who attended the 2012 Pratt Fashion Show. New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn praised the sophistication, sense of balance, and execution of Parkhouse’s designs in the article “Doing Their Homework” that appeared in the newspaper’s Sunday Styles section on April 29, 2012.
To make a secure online gift to The Fund for Pratt—SLAS, visit www.pratt.edu/give. Under “Special Instructions,” indicate that you prefer to direct your gift and select “Fund for Pratt—Liberal Arts and Sciences.”
THE FUND FOR PRATT Parent Gifts Go Beyond Gratitude
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hen it comes to financing a college education, par- daughter, Fiona (B.F.A. ’12), while they were living in ents often play a central role in helping their chil- Mexico City and, later, New Delhi. “We had to put a dren pursue their academic goals. So it should come as no lot of trust in Pratt because we were so far away,” says surprise that parent giving is becoming one of the fastest Mrs. Mustard. growing sources of support for The Fund for Pratt. Within Having worked their way through college themthe last three years alone, gifts received from parents of selves, the Mustards also give to The Fund for Pratt to Pratt students and alumni have nearly doubled. recognize Pratt students’ efforts to juggle classroom
Pratt Institute
work and part-time jobs. “If they are willing to work to support their education, then we should help support it, too,” says Mrs. Mustard. “People don’t have to give a lot. It just takes a small gesture to let the students know that a lot of people are thinking about them.”
— Ann Mustard
The Fund for Pratt provides unrestricted funds for the Institute’s immediate use in the areas of greatest need. It does not take a large gift to make a big difference. Every gift counts. To make a secure online gift to The Fund for Pratt at a level that is meaningful for you, visit www.pratt. edu/give.
| Leadership Societies
inspire
pratt institute Institutional Advancement Office of Communications
Todd Michael Galitz Vice President for institutional advancement Mara McGinnis Executive Director of Communications Adrienne Gyongy Copy Editor Inspire is a twice-yearly newsletter for donors and friends of Pratt. Please direct questions and comments to inspire@pratt.edu or call Institutional Advancement at 718-636-3537.
jonathan weitz
Charlotte Savidge Associate Director of Development Communications The talent of tomorrow needs leaders like you today! To learn how you can take the lead with a gift to The Fund for Pratt, visit www.pratt.edu/leadershipsocieties or call 718-399-4295.
— Art Ortenberg
Parkhouse at 2012 Pratt Fashion show with model
Charles Pratt Memorial Scholarship Helps Designer Realize Vision I
bob Handelman
For many, supporting Pratt is a way of expressing their gratitude for the exceptional education their children receive. “We give to acknowledge the nurturing our son has received from the Pratt faculty and staff, as well as the great education he is getting,” says Patricia Nussbaum (P ’14), whose son, Brian, is majoring in fashion design. “It’s also important to us to model philanthropic behavior for our children.” For Ann and Allan Mustard (P ’12), whose diplomatic and journalism careers have taken their family around the world, supporting Pratt is a way of thanking the Institute for seeing to the well-being of their
I t j u st ta k e s a s ma l l g e stu r e to l e t th e stu de n ts k n ow th at a lot o f p e o p l e a r e th i n k i n g a b o u t th e m .
Such reactions to her work, combined with the start-up funding provided by the Liz Claiborne Award, inspired Parkhouse to launch her own line, CARLEEN, which she plans to sell at a luxury price point. The $25,000 award will help cover the costs of the high quality fabrics, as well as production, marketing, and sales. Parkhouse, who was offered a position at the fashion design production firm SourceNYC even before completing her studies at Pratt, is having her line produced by SourceNYC, which will also help to offset start-up costs. The vision that Parkhouse exhibits is an essential element of the Liz Claiborne Award. “Liz’s father taught Liz one critical tenet—the significance of seeing. The relationship of seeing to implementing is vital,” says Ortenberg. “That’s what this award is about: learning to see through taste developed through historical study plus the developed craftsmanship to implement one’s concept. Thus, concept to product.”
The relationship of seeing to implementing is vital. That’s what this award is about.
William “Billy” Bausback (B.I.D. ’12) at Harry Allen Studio
ndividually glazed porcelain tables, chair seats of handmade felt rope suspended between legs that bend like swaying trees, handcrafted felt and ceramic vases—these are just some of the designs by William “Billy” Bausback (B.I.D. ’12) that reflect his sustainable design sensibilities and love of craftsmanship. “I’ve always been a very hands-on person, and am drawn to anything I can make myself,” says Bausback. In spring 2011, Bausback’s self-motivation and leadership, characteristics embodied by Charles Pratt II, as well as his artistic achievement and design concepts, earned him a $25,000 Charles Pratt Memorial Scholarship, providing the undergraduate industrial design student with essential financial support for his senior year at Pratt as well as confidence-boosting recognition that helped solidify his design vision. During his final year, Bausback continued his exploration of unconventional materials and developed his conceptual approach to design in a studio sponsored by Herman Miller, a major American office furniture manufacturer. The designs produced by Bausback and his classmates earned Pratt a booth at the 2012 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), where Pratt was one of only six design schools worldwide selected to present work. “Designing work for Herman Miller to be shown at
ICFF was a tremendous honor,” says Bausback, who also credits his current design internship with Harry Allen (M.I.D. ’95) to the support and recognition he received from the Charles Pratt Memorial Scholarship. “Billy clearly has a promising career ahead of him, and his success thus far attests to Pratt’s ability to impart marketable skills that are of obvious value to the design community,” says former Pratt Trustee Edmund S. (Ned) Twining III, who, along with his wife, Diana, established the Charles Pratt Memorial Scholarship in 2004 in honor of Twining’s grandfather, Charles Pratt II, grandson of the Institute’s founder and fourth president of Pratt Institute. In spring 2012, Twining and his mother, Anne Pratt Hall, each made generous gifts to bolster the scholarship, which, to date, has been awarded to outstanding students in Foundation, Communications Design, Fine Arts, Industrial Design, and Fashion Design. Twining adds, “It’s tremendously rewarding to follow the careers of the Charles Pratt Memorial Scholarship recipients and to know that we played a role in their development through this award.”
To learn how you can create a scholarship to support Pratt’s students, please contact Institutional Advancement at 718-230-6852.
Shawn Punch photography
The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS) is one of the only schools of its kind within a major art and design college. How does the SLAS curriculum and faculty reflect its unique position?
SLAS also adds to Pratt’s distinctiveness among and sciences, and the community engagement that art and design schools through its ability to attract has long been a part of the Institute’s philosophy. and retain an impressive roster of serious research Key activities include a faculty-led initiative to science faculty whose interests lie slightly outside transform the general education curriculum to give the mainstream of scientific studies. They have rela- students ways to link the skills, knowledges, and tionships with some of the world’s best laborato- crafts they learn in SLAS courses with what they are ries, such as Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at learning in the courses that are part of their majors. Columbia University and the Brookhaven National SLAS will also make the B.A. program in Critical and Laboratory, giving Pratt art and design students Visual Studies a first-choice program for students the rare chance to participate in serious scientific wanting a liberal arts degree from a leading art and research. Building on these faculty members’ work, design college. In addition, SLAS is committed to SLAS is developing a Research Center for Science ensuring that each student has the opportunity for and the Arts to nurture these important initiatives, an international educational experience. increase student research opportunities, and attract How can individual supporters, more faculty to explore the relationship between especially alumni, play a role in the science and the arts. School’s future success? Giving to The Fund for Pratt—SLAS is an excellent What are the School’s greatest way for alumni to make a significant impact through opportunities at this time? The School’s prime opportunities lie in creating a contribution of any size. The Fund for Pratt— programs that add to Pratt’s already vibrant art SLAS supports key priorities, including faculty and design atmosphere while furthering the development to advance art and science research; Institute’s mission and reputation. Two new SLAS scholarships and travel stipends for students graduate programs designed to do that are the M.A. to participate in that research; and funding for in Media Studies that will start in fall 2013, and facilities and equipment that support the School’s the M.F.A. in Writing, beginning in fall 2014. Both work both in the classroom and in the field. Giving of these programs build on existing strengths at to The Fund for Pratt—SLAS is an excellent way to make a meaningful difference. the undergraduate level.
jonathan Weitz
Jonathan Weitz
Andrew W. Barnes, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
i nspire p r at t i n st i t u t e 2 0 0 w i l lo u g h by av e . b r o o k ly n , n y 1 1 2 0 5
Dear Friends, I hope you will join us for one of our fall events celebrating Pratt’s 125th anniversary, such as the October 15 gala celebration at the Waldorf=Astoria, the iconic New York
you're invited! Mark your calendar for these exciting upcoming events and activities for Pratt alumni and friends:
City hotel designed by a distinguished Pratt alumnus. The many accomplishments of Pratt graduates are a testament to your support for
9.2 9.12
the Institute and the outstanding education
Alumni Day Pratt Institute Brooklyn Campus
your gifts help Pratt provide. On behalf of the thousands of Pratt alumni who have
For information, visit www.pratt.edu/125
benefitted from your generosity, thank you! Sincerely,
10.15 .12
125th ANNIVERSARY Gala Waldorf=Astoria Hotel
Thomas F. Schutte President
301 Park Avenue, New York, NY For information, visit www.pratt.edu/125gala
Planned Giving Planned Gift Will Support Future Space Designers
M a k ing a b equest to Pr at t i s a wond e rf ul way to per p et uat e M y parents’ l eg acy of supp ort. — David Saylor
Jonathan Weitz
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avid Saylor (M.I.D. ’69) has had a flair for arranging space for as long as he can remember. “As an only child, I was very good at entertaining myself,” recalled Saylor. “I spent hours conceiving buildings and drawing house plans.” When Saylor was in high school, his father, well aware of Saylor’s passion for design, gave him a T-square, several triangles, and a drafting board. That was the beginning of his parents’ lifetime interest in and support of Saylor’s design aspirations and career. To help give other young people the encouragement and financial support that Saylor felt so fortunate to have had from his parents, he established the David Saylor Scholarship for Design at Pratt Institute on June 9, 2011, which also coincided with his parents’ wedding anniversary. Saylor recently made an additional commitment in the form of a bequest to Pratt that will create an endowment for the scholarship, ensuring that it will benefit Pratt industrial and interior design students in perpetuity.
David Scholarship Saylor donor (M.I.D. David ’69) Saylor (M.I.D. ’69)
“I had to stretch a bit to establish the scholarship, but it was important for me that the awards have a significant impact on students’ lives,” said Saylor. “It’s particularly gratifying that it will be endowed through the planned gift.” By supporting students in both industrial and interior design studies, the David Saylor Scholarship for Design reflects Saylor’s natural design abilities and love of space, which he has combined in his interior design career. The scholarship also extends Saylor’s work as a design professor in the University of Wisconsin system, where he began teaching after graduating from Pratt. In 1977, Saylor launched his own firm, David Saylor Designer Inc., which has provided design and space planning services for com-
mercial and residential clients across the United States. The business expanded dramatically and, in 1982, Saylor left academia to focus full-time on his design work. Yet he’s never lost sight of the role that higher education plays in young people’s lives. “My parents were intent on ensuring I had the best possible education,” said Saylor. “Making a bequest to Pratt is a wonderful way to perpetuate their legacy of support.”
To learn how you can create a legacy at Pratt that provides for the future of the Institute and its students, contact Drew Babitts at 718-399-4296 or plannedgiving@pratt.edu, or visit www.pratt.edu/planned_giving.