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
O
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