en aarono29@pratt.edu Copyright 2013 2013-05-01T18:43:02+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/school_of_information_and_library_science_to_participate_in_digital_cultura http://www.pratt.edu/news/school_of_information_and_library_science_to_participate_in_digital_cultura#When:18:43:02Z Brooklyn Historical Society will host a one-day conference that will take place May 17, 2013 from 10 AM to 5 PM in the Othmer Library of the Brooklyn Historical Society at 128 Pierrepont Street. The conference—themed Digital Cultural Heritage and User Experience—will explore the value and impact of digital cultural heritage across museums, libraries, and archives with particular focus on the user experience in both the physical and digital worlds. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP to 718-222-4111 x224 or photos@brooklynhistory.org; seating is limited. Set in the midst of today's digital revolution, library and information science experts will discuss how digital collections and services transform our cultural institutions and change the way we experience and think about cultural heritage. The symposium represents the culminating event of Project CHART (Cultural Heritage, Access, Research, and Technology), a three-year collaborative project between Pratt Institute’s School of Information & Library Science (SILS), Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS), Brooklyn Museum (BM), and Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) to digitize historical photographs of Brooklyn and make them accessible to members of the public. The symposium will be divided into a morning and afternoon session. Tula Giannini, Dean, Pratt SILS, will provide welcome remarks and introduce morning key-note speaker Sebastian Chan, Director of Digital and Emerging Media, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Chan, an internationally recognized technology and digital strategy specialist, is working to elevate and expand the museum’s online user experience alongside its physical renovation. Aaron Straup Cope, Senior Engineer, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will lead a panel discussion to close out the morning session. Stephen Bury, Andrew W. Mellon Chief Librarian, Frick Art Reference Library, will deliver the afternoon keynote address. Bury, a renowned librarian and art historian, joined the Frick in 2010 after a decade at the British Library, the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest research institutions. His talk will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jonathan Bowen, Professor Emeritus, London South Bank University. Project CHART partners created the Brooklyn Visual Heritage (BVH) website to fully engage users with Brooklyn culture and community illuminated by the significant collections of BHS, BM, and BPL. Project CHART builds on earlier collaborations between Pratt-SILS and each of the cultural institution partners, whose historical photographic collections represent their rich holdings. The project was initiated by Pratt with funding through an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant sponsored by the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program. The full program schedule, including a full list of panelists, can be viewed at the Brooklyn Visual Heritage website. 2013-05-01T18:43:02+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_raises_350000_at_annual_art_of_packaging_award_gala http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_raises_350000_at_annual_art_of_packaging_award_gala#When:18:43:27Z More than 300 guests attended the annual Pratt Institute Art of Packaging Award Gala at a private club in Manhattan on April 30, 2013. The gala, which attracts the top-tier of New York City's multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry, supports the Marc Rosen Scholarship and Education Fund for Packaging by Design and raises scholarship funds for graduating package design students at Pratt. It is the only scholarship in the world available to college students looking to pursue careers in cosmetics and package design. The glamorous black-tie event raised $350,000 in 2013 and has raised more than $3.5 million over the last 24 years. The Art of Packaging Award, which is presented each year to a beauty/cosmetics company that has excelled in the art form, was awarded to the Aramis & Designer Fragrances division of The Estée Lauder Companies. Veronique Gabai Pinsky, global brand president of The Estée Lauder Companies' Aramis & Designer Fragrances, BeautyBank, and IdeaBank divisions, accepted the award from Trey Laird, chief executive and creative officer of Laird+Partners.         Gabai Pinsky accepted the award on behalf of the company and spoke about the inspiration of great design. She noted that the initial success of a product is "linked to the creative expression" of the brand through design. She encouraged Pratt communications and package design students to "stay hungry for the thrill of discovery and creative process." At Pratt, Rosen teaches a course on cosmetic and fragrance package design, which is the only one of its kind in the world. As part of the course, students select a floral, green, or Oriental fragrance. They name the fragrance and design a perfume bottle from sketch to clay form to prototype along with a scent card, box, shopping bag, and advertisement. This year's student scholarship winners include: —Kyle Calvert (Illinois): Calvert designed a modern, oval-shaped bottle using silver and pink for a calming floral scent that he named "Serene." —Vivi Feng (China): Feng's scent, which she named "Vertigo," was influenced by the mystery and allure of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name and Art Deco style; the bottle was a faceted design inspired by origami. —Alexandra Haime (Florida): Haime's work—for an Oriental scent she named "Kahlia"—was inspired by the idea of clarity and replicated the form of natural quartz crystal. —Kashfia Rahman (Bangladesh): Rahman chose a green scent, which she named "Belle Journee," and utilized a green leaf motif that translated the light scent into a graceful design. Each winner's fragrance package design work was on display in the lobby of the event venue. Special guests at the Art of Packaging Award Gala included Marc Rosen, award-winning designer and Pratt alumnus, Trustee, and faculty member; Arlene Dahl, actress; Catherine Malandrino, fashion designer; Carol Alt, supermodel and skin-care entrepreneur; Mark Ackermann, president and CEO, Lighthouse International; Ian Jarvis, actor; Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte and his wife, Tess; Bruce Gitlin, chair, Pratt Institute Board of Trustees; Juliana Terian, Pratt Trustee and Rallye Motors chairwoman; Peter Barna, provost, Pratt Institute; Donald Stannard, jewelry designer; Victor Luis, president, Coach; and Ian Bickley, president, Coach International.     Special guests from the cosmetics and package design industry included Elizabeth Musmanno, president, The Fragrance Foundation; Carlotta Jacobson, president, Cosmetic Executive Women; Jerry Vittoria, president of fragrances, Firmenich; Theo Spilka, vice president, Firmenich; Henry Renella, senior vice president, global packaging development, Estée Lauder; John Downey, vice president tech driven supplier innovation, Estée Lauder; Peter Acerra, president/CEO, SGD North America; Felix Mayr-Harting, executive vice president, Fine Fragrance Global, Givaudan; Nicholas Mirzayantz, group president, International Fragrance & Flavors; Robert Aldrich, president and CEO North America, Ermenegildo Zegna; Luc Malfait, president, Takasago Europe; Hisaya Fujiwara, president, Takasago USA; and Michael Mane, president, Michael Mane. The Pratt program in which Rosen teaches—Communications and Package Design—is ranked as one of the top graduate graphic design programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report and collegecrunch.org. Image (from left to right): Alexandra Haime, Kashfia Rahman, Marc Rosen, Veronique Gabai Pinsky, Vivi Feng, and Kyle Calvert at the annual Pratt Institute Art of Packaging Award Gala.  Image Credit: Clint Spaulding/Patrick McMullan Company.    MEDIA CONTACT:     Amy Aronoff at 718-636-3554 or press@pratt.edu 2013-04-30T18:43:27+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/thom_browne_honored_at_annual_fashion_show_and_cocktail_benefit http://www.pratt.edu/news/thom_browne_honored_at_annual_fashion_show_and_cocktail_benefit#When:13:33:40Z Pratt Institute’s senior fashion students presented their final collections to a sold out crowd at its 114th annual fashion show on April 25, 2013, where renowned American fashion designer Thom Browne received the 2013 Pratt Fashion Visionary Award from Vogue’s International Editor at Large Hamish Bowles. Browne, who was chosen by Pratt for his highly conceptual designs and impeccable craftsmanship, was celebrated immediately after the show at a cocktail benefit at The Top of The Standard. The event, which can be viewed on Pratt’s YouTube page, exceeded its fundraising goal, with proceeds benefiting student scholarships and Pratt’s Department of Fashion. The show provided 17 graduating students with a platform to design, produce, and present cohesive and progressive collections that were pre-selected by a panel of industry experts. Representing a myriad of designs with distinct voices, collections ranged from five to eleven looks; all textile prints, surface applications, and embellishments were designed and hand-applied by each student. Structured silhouettes, futuristic patterns, and unique fabrics appeared on the runway and displayed technical and creative strength. One outstanding graduating senior in the fashion program was recognized with the “Liz Claiborne Award – Concept to Product” at the end of the show. Presented to Madeline Gruen by Department of Fashion Chair Jennifer Minniti, this $25,000 award, funded by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, will support Gruen’s creative entrepreneurial activities and help cover the costs of developing a collection post graduation. Gruen also received the Pratt Fashion Entrepreneurship Award, a new recognition that will provide the student with a studio in the Pratt Design Incubator rent-free for one year with ongoing mentorship at the Incubator. As part of this award, Gruen will be able to attend classes, tuition free, at Pratt’s recently launched Design Entrepreneurship program. Gruen’s womens and menswear collection combined impeccable tailoring and imaginative patterns into classic formalwear. Standout pieces included an Elizabethan gown with exaggerated accordion pleating in organza, a hand-beaded all white three-piece suit, and a romantic floor-length navy tulle dress with a beaded white mock neck that dissolved into the dress. Pratt annually honors distinguished individuals in the industry at its fashion show. Past recipients include Fern Mallis (2012), Hamish Bowles (2011), Catherine Malandrino (2010), Ralph Rucci (2009), Carmen Marc Valvo (2008), Narcisco Rodriguez (2007), and Diane von Furstenberg (2006). Funding for the 2013 Pratt Fashion Show was awarded in part through a competitive grant presented to Pratt Institute by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and by Cotton Incorporated. 2013-04-29T13:33:40+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_to_honor_acclaimed_designer_thom_browne_with_pratt_institute_fashion http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_to_honor_acclaimed_designer_thom_browne_with_pratt_institute_fashion#When:22:23:30Z Pratt Institute's senior class of fashion designers will present their final thesis collections at the Pratt Institute Fashion Show on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 6 PM at Center548 at 548 West 22nd Street in Manhattan. Renowned American designer Thom Browne will be the guest of honor at two ticketed events on April 25th: he will receive the 2013 Pratt Institute Fashion Visionary Award at the 6 PM runway show at Center548 and will be celebrated at a cocktail benefit at 7:30 PM at The Top of The Standard at 848 Washington Street in Manhattan. Funding for the 2013 Pratt Fashion Show was awarded in part through a competitive grant presented to Pratt Institute by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and managed by Cotton Incorporated.               Tickets to the 6 PM fashion show and the 7:30 PM cocktail benefit honoring Browne are available for purchase at pratt.edu/fashionshow. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit student scholarships and Pratt's Department of Fashion. Members of the press should contact Amy Aronoff at 718-636-3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu to attend. Credentials will be required. The 2013 Pratt Fashion Show will feature exemplary work by graduating seniors from the Department of Fashion. The collections to be shown on the runway will be pre-selected by a panel of industry experts and press. One of the most prestigious colleges for art, design, and architecture in the world, Pratt is home to the first fashion-design program in the United States.   "No American sportswear designer better represents the aspirations of Pratt fashion than Thom Browne. His highly conceptual runway presentations and impeccable craftsmanship have set standards for excellence and originality that push forward and inspire our fashion students to do the same," said Jennifer Minniti, Chair of Pratt's Department of Fashion. "Browne revolutionized menswear, not only by changing the cut and silhouette, but by changing the conversation, and is now doing the same for womenswear. His ability to reconcile art and commerce is extraordinary and surely the key to the future vitality of American fashion," she added.      Past honorees include Fern Mallis, Hamish Bowles, Catherine Malandrino, Carmen Marc Valvo, Narciso Rodriguez, and Diane von Furstenberg. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 Pratt Institute Fashion Visionary Award Recipient: Thom Browne is founder and head of design of Thom Browne, an impeccably tailored menswear and womenswear brand based in New York City. Browne's traditionally-based handmade suits have evolved into designs that have drawn attention from the fashion and design industry worldwide. His work was most recently seen on an international stage when First Lady Michelle Obama donned an original navy bespoke coat and dress design at President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. Browne is no stranger to Washington: he was honored with the 2012 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for fashion at a White House luncheon hosted by Michelle Obama in July 2012. He was also honored with the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2006. Browne has lent his signature tailored look to outside fashion brands including a 2009 collaboration with Moncler to design a menswear line titled "Moncler Gamme Bleu" and two collaborations in 2008 including a collaboration with Brooks Brothers to design a capsule collection for men and women titled "Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers" and a collaboration with Harry Winston to design a men's collection of jewelry. Browne began his business with five suits and by appointment only in 2001 and introduced his ready-to-wear collection in 2003. The Thom Browne collection is available at luxury specialty stores around the world, including Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York, New York; Colette, Paris; Harrods and Dover Street Market, London; and Isetan, Restir, and United Arrows, Tokyo.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funding Provided By:      Funding for the 2013 Pratt Fashion Show was awarded in part through a competitive grant presented to Pratt by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and managed by Cotton Incorporated. Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. The program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton. Image: 2013 Pratt Institute Fashion Visionary Award Recipient Thom Browne. Image Credit: Circe.   MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Aronoff at 718-636-3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu 2013-04-15T22:23:30+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_partners_with_gagosian_gallery_to_present_a_special_drawing_and_paint http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_partners_with_gagosian_gallery_to_present_a_special_drawing_and_paint#When:01:49:28Z Pratt Institute announced today that a singular exhibition featuring the work of senior drawing and painting students, all of whom were affected to various degrees by the fire at Pratt earlier this year, will be on view at 375 Park Avenue. Aby Rosen of RFR Holding has generously made the 8th floor of the building available for this exhibition. The show, Flameproof, will display the works of 44 undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program. The exhibition is made possible, in part, by Larry Gagosian, who worked closely with Pratt Institute President Thomas F. Schutte and Aby Rosen to secure the exhibition space. Additionally, Gagosian Gallery will host the private opening reception, which will be held on May 8th at 375 Park Avenue. Trustee Emeritus and alumnus Bruce Newman provided funding to produce this year’s senior thesis show. “Having the senior Fine Arts exhibition in such a prime location in Manhattan is a dream come true for many of our students,” said President Schutte. “The caliber of work that will be on view at Flameproof illustrates their commitment to their work and the process. The Pratt community is grateful to Larry Gagosian, and we are very excited about the show.” The exhibition will feature 100 drawings and painting produced by students before and after the fire that occurred in Pratt’s historic Main Building on Friday, February 15, 2013. The Pratt recovery effort enabled students to begin creating new works using donated supplies and other necessary materials through gift cards provided by the administration and local art stores. Pratt also received a gift of tickets to the prestigious Frieze Art Fair in New York, for all of its undergraduate fine arts majors, through Trustee Gary Hattem at Deutsche Bank, which is the main sponsor of Frieze New York, and Amanda Sharp, co-director of Frieze New York. “It was important for me to get involved and help the Pratt students move forward,” said Gagosian. “I, too, have experienced loss due to a fire and was inspired by their perseverance to continue to create art.” The students chose the show’s title, Flameproof, as an expression of their determination that—even in the aftermath of a disaster—their creativity will thrive. Traditionally, graduating seniors mount individual exhibitions throughout spring semester as part of the Fine Arts degree program, however due to the fire, most of these exhibitions were not possible. The administration, in collaboration with faculty and students, decided to organize a special group thesis exhibition that would encapsulate the students’ collective experience at Pratt. The partnership with Gagosian made the senior drawing and painting show possible. Drawing on an array of historical and contemporary influences, the work presented in the exhibition is as varied as the students themselves. Their exploration, curiosity and experience has produced a diverse range of pieces ranging from modernist gestural and geometric abstraction to images from the Internet, mass media, magna, and hip hop and skateboard cultures. Flameproof will be curated by Eugenie Tsai, the John and Barbara Vogelstein Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum.   General Information: Exhibition Dates: Thursday, May 9- Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Gallery hours: 11AM-6PM, except on Tuesday, May 14 11AM-5PM Address: 375 Park Ave. (b/w 52nd and 53rd), 8th Floor, NY, NY 10152 Admissions: Free Media Contact: Amy Aronoff at press@pratt.edu 2013-04-11T01:49:28+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/world_renowned_hospitality_designer_adam_d._tihany_to_speak_at_pratt http://www.pratt.edu/news/world_renowned_hospitality_designer_adam_d._tihany_to_speak_at_pratt#When:20:28:29Z World-renowned hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany, founder of Tihany Design, will discuss his groundbreaking projects and global design perspective at Pratt Institute on 4/16. Tihany’s talk will emphasize his pioneering role in establishing the restaurant design profession as well as his collaborations with celebrity chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Wolfgang Puck in creating signature restaurants. A discussion and reception will follow. Adam D. Tihany will speak as part of the Anna and Joseph Syrop Annual Lecture Series, which highlights outstanding individuals in interior design and is endowed by the Selz Foundation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT:           World-renowned hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany, founder of Tihany Design, will talk about his groundbreaking projects and global design perspective. A discussion and reception will follow. WHEN:           Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 6 PM, Doors open at 5:30 PM WHERE:         Pratt Institute, Higgins Hall Auditorium, 61 St. James Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. COST:           Free; Attendees with Pratt IDs will receive seating priority. PRESS CONTACT: Amy Aronoff at 718.636.3554 or press@pratt.edu 2013-04-08T20:28:29+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_to_present_first_u.s._screening_of_documentary_film_on_fashion_design http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_to_present_first_u.s._screening_of_documentary_film_on_fashion_design#When:18:35:24Z Pratt Institute’s Departments of Fashion and Film/Video will present the first U.S. screening of “Call it a Balance in the Unbalance,” a documentary film by Regine Lettner about the tumultuous career and visionary work of avant garde fashion designer Miguel Adrover. In a rare appearance, Adrover will speak with Pratt Institute Fashion Chair Jennifer Minniti immediately following the premiere (on 4/17, see details below). The event is free and open to the public, with limited seating. The film depicts Adrover, a Marjorcan farmer’s son, and chronicles his meteoric rise to fame in the late 1990s and the unforeseen events that led to the loss of his financial backing in 2004. Adrover’s work will be included in an exhibition on punk fashion at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art this spring. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT:           Pratt Institute’s Departments of Fashion and Film/Video will present the first U.S. screening of “Call it a Balance in the Unbalance,” a documentary by Regine Lettner about the tumultuous career and visionary work of avant garde fashion designer Miguel Adrover. In a rare appearance, Adrover will speak with Pratt Institute Fashion Chair Jennifer Minniti immediately following the premiere. WHEN:           Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 6-8PM, Doors open at 5:30PM WHERE:         Pratt Institute, Higgins Hall Auditorium, 61 St. James Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. COST:           Free; Space is limited Follow Pratt on Facebook www.facebook.com/prattinstitute and Twitter www.twitter.com/prattinstitute   2013-03-25T18:35:24+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_and_national_book_foundation_to_present_inaugural_novel_to_screen_fil http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_and_national_book_foundation_to_present_inaugural_novel_to_screen_fil#When:23:55:01Z Pratt Institute and The National Book Foundation, the presenter of the National Book Awards, have partnered to present an inaugural film festival featuring the following three National Book Award-nominated books that were adapted to film: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (film of the same title directed by Stanley Kubrick); The Cool World by Warren Miller (film of the same title directed by Shirley Clarke); The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (film titled “Hugo” directed by Martin Scorsese). The festival will take place on April 4 and 5, 2013 at Pratt’s Manhattan campus in New York City (144 West 14th Street, Second Floor, Room 213). Following each screening there will be a panel discussion focusing on “faithfulness” in book-to-film adaptation that will include scholars, writers, filmmakers, critics, and actors. Harold Augenbraum, the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, will moderate the “Lolita” panel, Peter Patchen, Chairperson of Digital Arts at Pratt, will moderate the “Hugo” panel, and Ethan Spigland, Associate Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt, will moderate the “Cool World” panel. The goal of the first-time partnership between the National Book Foundation and Pratt Institute’s School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Art and Design is to highlight the intersection of literary, performing, and visual arts. This is the first time that the National Book Foundation will present a film festival based on the books that were nominated for the National Book Award. As of today, there have been over ninety National Book Award books adapted to film since 1950. "Adaptation to the screen is a form of homage, but it's also a form of critical interpretation, an attempt to find the key to the original book with a new grammar,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director Harold Augenbraum. “We look forward to exploring how these highly regarded literary works transfer to what amounts almost to another language." Pratt is a world-renowned college of art, design, architecture, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences dedicated to honoring creativity and innovation.“We are delighted to partner with the National Book Foundation to explore the rich connections between performance, film, and great literature,” said Tracie Morris, Professor of Performance and Performance Studies, Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt Institute. “This event exemplifies Pratt’s mission to provide cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and diverse educational programming that enable the Pratt community to better understand how different disciplines influence each other and elaborate upon the human condition,” she added. All screenings and discussions are free and open to the public, but seats are limited. To reserve your seat, send an email to syoung@nationalbook.org with “RSVP for Novel to Screen” in the subject line. An invitation-only reception to kick off the “Novel to Screen Film Festival” will take place on April 4 at Pratt Manhattan. Press interested in attending the reception should contact Amy Aronoff at aarono29@pratt.edu. Schedule of Screenings and Panel Discussions with Bios of Moderators “Lolita” - Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. (156 minutes) Panel discussion moderated by Harold Augenbraum, the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, the organization that presents the National Book Awards. He has published seven books on Latino literature of the United States, including Lengua Fresca (2006, with Ilan Stavans) and, with five colleagues, the Norton Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature (2010). Later this month, Penguin is publishing his edition of The Collected Poems of Marcel Proust. He has taught U.S. Latino literature at Amherst College and often writes on the future of literary reading and publishing. Lolita was written by Vladimir Nabokov and nominated for a National Book Award in Fiction in 1959. The film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1962. With a screenplay by Vladimir Nabokov, Stanley Kubrick (uncredited), and James Harris (uncredited), the film stars James Mason, Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon, and Peter Sellers. “Hugo” - Friday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. (126 minutes) Panel discussion moderated by Peter Patchen, Chairperson of Digital Arts at Pratt. He has exhibited at the Beecher Center for Technology in the Arts at the Butler Institute of American Art, Siggraph Art Exhibitions, Luco Film Festival (Rome), Kalisaar Computer Art Exhibition (Tel-Aviv), and various other solo and group exhibitions. The Invention of Hugo Cabret was written by Brian Selznick and nominated for a National Book Award in Young People’s Literature in 2007. The film “Hugo” was directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 2011. With a screenplay by John Logan, the film stars Asa Butterfield Grace Moretz, and Christopher Lee. The Cool World”  - Friday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. (105 minutes) Panel discussion moderated by Ethan Spigland, Associate Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt. He received a maitrise from the University of Paris VIII and has made numerous films and media works, including “Luminosity Porosity,” based on the work of architect Steven Holl, and “Elevator Moods,” featured in the Sundance Film Festival. The Cool World was written by Warren Miller and nominated for a National Book Award in Fiction in 1960. The film was directed by Shirley Clarke and released in 1964. With a screenplay by Shirley Clarke and Carl Lee, the film stars Hampton “Rony” Clanton, Carl Lee, Yolanda Rodriguez, and Clarence Williams III. 2013-03-18T23:55:01+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/update_pratt_fire_recovery_page http://www.pratt.edu/news/update_pratt_fire_recovery_page#When:22:41:09Z A four-alarm fire occurred in Pratt Institute's Main Building, on its Brooklyn campus, in the early hours of Friday, February 15. There were no injuries sustained, and the fire's cause is under investigation. The Institute, which has been working around the clock to ensure the integrity of its teaching and learning mission, will continue to keep the Pratt community informed of further updates. For official information and progress updates, please visit Pratt's Fire Recovery page. 2013-03-01T22:41:09+00:00 http://www.pratt.edu/news/view/pratt_center_report_recognizes_brooklyn_navy_yard_as_model_for_economic_dev http://www.pratt.edu/news/pratt_center_report_recognizes_brooklyn_navy_yard_as_model_for_economic_dev#When:21:08:04Z A report issued today by the Pratt Center for Community Development, a research and advocacy arm at Pratt Institute, identified successful strategies implemented at New York City’s Brooklyn Navy Yard to be used as a model for economic development in other U.S. cities. The report highlights “best practices” that transformed the declining 300-acre Navy Yard into one of the country’s fastest-growing green manufacturing centers. In 2011, the Navy Yard had an overall economic impact of $2 billion on the local economy, sustained 10,000 jobs, and had $350 million in earnings, a staggering improvement from ten years ago when the Navy Yard had an estimated economic impact of  $516 million, sustained 2,700 jobs and had approximately $100 million in earnings, an increase of nearly 400 percent. The report findings are based on a two-year study by the Pratt Center, Brooklyn Navy Yard: An Analysis of its Economic Impact and Opportunities for Replication. Pratt Center surveyed 187 Navy Yard tenants to calculate direct, indirect, and induced impacts. The report documented key elements of the Navy Yard’s success: ·       New York City’s strategy of retaining ownership of the Navy Yard after its purchase from the federal government in 1969; ·       Creating a mission-driven, nonprofit organization to provide on-site leadership and management; and ·       Investing a total of $250 million in city capital funds in the Navy Yard’s infrastructure since 1996. "Brooklyn Navy Yard's vision to provide critical infrastructure and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses serves as a national model for rebuilding struggling economies in major cities, particularly in the thriving fields of clean-tech and high-tech manufacturing" said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "Brooklyn Navy Yard’s success is something we should replicate in cities across New York and the country so our great manufacturing communities can carry out their innovative ideas to spark more growth in high-tech manufacturing sectors, jumpstart new businesses and create good-paying jobs right here in America.” “The Bloomberg Administration has made the modernization and revitalization of the Brooklyn Navy Yard a priority of its five-borough economic development strategy,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel. “With more than 300 businesses and nearly 6,000 jobs on site, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is now a national model for modern manufacturing in major American cities.” Executive Director of Pratt Center Adam Friedman, who serves on the board of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Economic Development Corporation said, “Fifteen years ago the Navy Yard was in a state of disrepair. Pratt Center documented its turnaround, so that cities could replicate the successes of this model and rebuild their local economies.” The study is a tool for cities with underutilized industrial space, such as Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago, to evaluate similar strategies and learn from the Navy Yard’s experience. Additional key elements in the model are: a commitment to sustainable operating and business practices, a clearly defined campus that provides full-time security conveying a sense of permanency and tenant protection, and a diverse range of occupants and spaces. “Pratt Center’s study has demonstrated that under the right conditions a new and sustainable kind of manufacturing can thrive in dense urban areas. The Brooklyn Navy Yard is proud to become a national model. Support from the public sector, particularly the Bloomberg Administration and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, has been critical to leveraging enormous private investment in manufacturing facilities,” said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Pratt Center’s report calls for new financing tools to support nonprofit industrial developers, similar to the Navy Yard Development Corporation. These approaches include the establishment of an Industrial Development Fund and the reformation of the current Industrial Revenue Bond to help developers acquire land and renovate older industrial buildings to appeal to today’s modern urban manufacturer. The Pratt Center study was made possible, in part, through funding by the Surdna Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. ### The Pratt Center for Community Development works for a more just, equitable, and sustainable city for all New Yorkers by empowering communities to plan for and realize their futures. As part of Pratt Institute, we leverage professional skills—especially planning, architecture, and public policy—to support community-based organizations in their efforts to improve neighborhood quality of life, attack the causes of poverty and inequality, and advance sustainable development. Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with an historic campus in Brooklyn and another location in Manhattan, Pratt is a living lab of craft and creativity with an esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars who challenge their talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression. 2013-03-01T21:08:04+00:00