Pratt Manhattan Campus
CURRENT EXHIBITION
Federico Savini
(1957-2025)
We are honored to present the work of Federico Savini, a beloved faculty and staff member whose passing earlier this year was felt deeply by the Pratt community. His life and teaching touched many, and his art continues to inspire. Federico spent the last 40 years working across departments as both a lecturer and lab technician and had a profound impact on the lives and work of students, faculty, and staff alike. Federico was preparing to retire from Pratt this past summer.
A skilled photographer, technician, and artist, Federico joined Pratt in 1985. Over the course of his long career at the Institute, he worked at the Pratt Graphics Center, a print workshop and gallery extension of Pratt Institute; ran the darkroom for the Department of Associate Degree Programs; taught photography courses for undergraduate, associate, continuing education, and precollege programs; and most recently worked as a lab technician and visiting instructor for the School of Art.
In addition to his work at Pratt, Federico also taught art classes at Licea Italiano Madrid, worked in the educational department at MacMillan Publishers, and exhibited his artwork extensively in galleries in Europe and the United States. Federico received his MFA at Facultad de Bellas Artes from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and his master’s in digital photography from the School of Visual Arts.
Federico’s generosity, warmth, and irreverent humor made a lasting impression on all who knew him, and he will be dearly missed.
Special thanks to Jorge Oliver, Dean, School of Art; and Jane South, Chair, Fine Arts, for their words about Federico; and to Susan Young, Chair, Associate Degree Programs; and Perry Han, Director of Enrollment Management, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, for their help in organizing this exhibition of Federico’s work.
Recent Exhibitions
Jamie Powell
Jamie Powell, a native of Fairmont, West Virginia, draws inspiration from her Appalachian heritage, rooted in the traditions of resourcefulness, patchwork, and repurposing. Growing up in a family of farmers and factory workers, she developed an early appreciation for the art of making do with what’s at hand. Powell’s art pushes conventional boundaries, pushing the limits of painting through her experimental techniques. She engages in a multifaceted process that involves dyeing, braiding, weaving, stitching, and staining raw canvas. What emerges are paintings that blur the line between art and craft.
Her canvases expand beyond their traditional confines, with oversized and unruly bows breaking free from the stretcher and braided canvas cascading to the floor. These creations evolve into three-dimensional objects, referencing the human form in their scale—akin to the dimensions of a head, torso, or outstretched arms. Influences range from Robert Rauschenberg to Jessica Stockholder, from Arte Povera to Pattern and Decoration movements, from Formalism to Feminism. Through her highly experimental approach, she invites viewers to explore the boundaries of what paintings can be, embracing the beauty of imperfection and transformation.
Jamie Powell has exhibited extensively over the last twenty years including: Soil Gallery in Seattle; David&Schweitzer and Fresh Window in Brooklyn; and Freight+Volume and Morgan Lehman in Manhattan. She has received grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, and Pratt Institute. She has upcoming solo and two-person shows in West Virginia, South Carolina, and New York City. She is a faculty member at Pratt Institute and a Teaching Artist for the Studio in a School Foundation of New York. She represented the Painting Center in New York City. Currently, she resides in a small country lakeside town 35 miles from New York City.
G. Davis Cathcart
This page series includes chapters from i0bject or a Dispute Concerning an Einstein Rosen Bridge and the Arbiters of Neverland, an upcoming Fantagraphics Books graphic novel. The page colors have been heavily altered to accommodate a four-color CMYK Risograph process, unlocking bright neon hues and grain-touch textures in each print. The Riso printing process embraces small inconsistencies and misregistrations, allowing for surprise in each page. The overall story is an investigation of how point of view and personal goals factor into argument styles, which in turn often lead to prioritizing victory over finding common ground.
G. Davis Cathcart is an illustrator and writer currently residing in Ridgewood, Queens, New York. He has studied art and illustration at the Cooper Union, Maryland Institute College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and the School of Visual Arts. He has worked for Maira Kalman, William Wegman, and The New Yorker’s Art Department. Davis has taught art in public schools all over New York City and currently teaches Illustration and Design at PI Art Center, Rutgers, and Pratt. Both RISD and the Society of Illustrators have given him awards for his illustration work. He likes telling cerebral stories that do not take themselves too seriously and tries to subvert the carefree aspects of his writing with the detail of his visuals. He has published work through the New Yorker Magazine and Fantagraphics Books.
Featuring a selection of works by Marian Christopher Zacharow, Adjunct Visiting Assistant Professor, Associate Degree Programs, Pratt Institute.
Bio
Marian Christopher Zacharow was born in Zamosc, Poland in 1954. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Art in Krakow where he graduated in 1979. In 1981, Christopher left Poland for the United States and took up permanent residence in New York City.
Christopher has established himself as a painter and notable illustrator. Among his many achievements, his illustrations have been featured in various well known magazines, including Time, The New York Times, Business Week, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, and Psychology Today. He has also created book cover art for publishers like Franklin Library, Viking Penguin, William Morrow, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Inc. Random House, among others.
Since 1997, Christopher has previously taught painting at The Cooper Union and currently teaches at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design.
Marian Christopher Zacharow has had 10 solo exhibitions in New York since 1983 and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has received many awards for his work including the Silver Medal from The Society of Illustrators of New York. His work is in the collection of Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC.