Note: Some sessions have limited capacity. Registered participants will receive a link to sign up beginning Friday, October 6, at noon.
Jewelry: Pierced Medallion
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Participants will saw, pierce, texture, and hand finish copper to create a wearable medallion pendant.
Jewelry: Enameled Pendant / Earrings
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Incorporating powdered glass and a 1500-degree kiln, participants will create colorful designs on copper to make a pendant or a pair of earrings.
Color 101
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Explore the color spectrum in this workshop. You will explore a range of color harmonies by mixing with tints, tones, and shades. We will explore the meaning and emotional qualities of color combined with the principles of design.
Patternmaking a Skirt in Miniature
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Learn creative patternmaking applied in miniature. Create a scaled-down skirt pattern for fashion designs that are perfectly reduced to duplicate full-sized clothing. The same techniques can be applied to adult clothing. Once the patterns are created, they can be used to make samples and would be perfect for couture dolls clothing.
Embodied Making
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Embodied Making integrates creativity and self-awareness through the body’s wisdom in a distinct and enriching offering through a fusion of somatic psychology practices with the intuitive art of collage-making. Using carefully curated breathing techniques, body scans, resourcing, and visualization exercises, you’ll cultivate a deeper connection with your environment, the tools and materials available, and the collage creations realized.
Whether you’re an experienced artist, designer, or simply curious about the transformative potential of somatic practices and creativity, Embodied Making is designed for anyone seeking a holistic approach to making in a supportive and enriching environment.
Fashion Design by Collage
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
This fashion design workshop will utilize the mixed-media technique of collage to communicate design ideas. Process, composition, and the elements of design will be discussed and drawn upon to create original works. Each participant will produce an original design using paper, fabric, and found objects.
Indigo Dyeing
10:30 AM–12 PM
Participants will work with traditional resist techniques to create patterned fabric swatches using our Indigo Vat.
Lake Pigments and Paintmaking with Natural Dyes
3–4:30 PM
Participants will learn about the various processes of paintmaking using flowers from the 2023 growing season. Paints will be available to paint on postcards.
Designing Fabric Objects
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM
Families will come together in designing a new piece of wearable or fabric object using pre-loved garments. They will learn basic sewing and altering techniques to reimagine an existing clothing to something new. These creations can encompass a diverse range, from fashionable garments/collages to functional home goods like coasters, plant pot covers, and aprons, as well as purely decorative pieces. Thematically, this workshop will reflect on our cultural and global concerns of creating excess waste, fast fashion trends, and unethical labor practices. At the end, the participants will take home what they have made.
Art Cafe
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM
We’ll explore practices that help artists open up their creative process and projects by participating in a two-minute meditation session to start the day, free writing with a few prompts and morning pages, sketching, and drawing. We will also be doing plein-air (in open air) drawing with oil pastels of the Pratt landscape and art sculptures. The purpose of this workshop is to reinforce the idea that anyone can be creative and is an artist.
Understanding Life Cycles of Things
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Artists and designers wield more power than they think! In this workshop, you’ll find out where the things we make can come from, where they will go, and what we can do to make it better for our communities and the world.
God for a Day – Creating a World
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
In this workshop, participants will experience the art of creating their own original character in the genre of their choice. Who knows? Someone could come up with the next Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Sailor Moon, Walking Dead, The Simpsons, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
The course will begin with a 15-minute talk, then a 1-hour work session, followed by 15 minutes of presentations by willing creators. The instructor will be there for consultation throughout the entire session. Unleash your inner Stan Lee or Neil Gaiman!
Writing Children’s Books
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
PowerPoint Presentation showing the inspiration and creative process for creating children’s books with writing activities for participants.
Introduction to Fashion Illustration
1–2:30 PM
In this workshop, you will learn about the markets for fashion Illustrators and designers, the major fashion weeks, and different fashion illustration styles. Each participant will illustrate several fashion outfits using markers, color pencils, textile patterns, and fabric swatches.
How to Create a Strong Personal Brand in the Current Professional Environment
3–4:30 PM
What is a brand? What are the five elements of successful branding? Should we put effort into strengthening or changing our brand to adapt to the current environment? How important is it to project a brand that’s ready to succeed with today’s challenges?
Smartstorming
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Smartstorming is a collaborative and creative problem-solving technique that encourages individuals or teams to generate a wide range of ideas and solutions for a specific problem or project. It typically involves a free-flowing and open discussion where participants share their thoughts, suggestions, and innovative concepts without criticism or judgment. The primary goal of brainstorming is to foster creativity, stimulate fresh perspectives, and explore unconventional approaches to tackle challenges. During a smartstorming [brainstorming] session, participants are encouraged to build upon each other’s ideas, leading to the development of novel and innovative solutions that may not have emerged through conventional thinking.
One effective smartstorming activity for a creative 1.5-hour workshop is “mind mapping.” This activity encourages participants to explore associations, generate new ideas, and visualize the relationships between different aspects of the topic. Mind mapping is crucial in idea development because it encourages nonlinear thinking, helps participants see the bigger picture, and allows for the organic growth of creative solutions. Another engaging activity is “random word association.” Random word association is valuable for idea development because it breaks mental patterns and encourages participants to approach problems from unconventional angles, leading to fresh and imaginative solutions. Overall, these brainstorming activities serve as essential tools in developing ideas by promoting creativity, enhancing collaboration, and breaking down mental barriers that can hinder innovation.
The Photographer’s Eye
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Our eyes see the world one way; how the world is shown in a photograph is completely different. In order to make pictures that say something, a photographer needs to understand this key difference. This is the essential point of John Szarkowski’s The Photographer’s Eye. Through exercises based on the ideas in Szarkowski’s book, participants will dissect the elements of photographic grammar.
FOUNDATION
Drawing: Learning to See
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
One of the hardest things to do is to draw what you “see,” not what you “know.” This workshop will focus on introducing participants to the act of seeing and observational drawing. Through demonstration and practice, students will leave this 1.5-hour workshop knowing how to translate their observations into beautiful charcoal drawings. A version of this workshop is taught at the beginning of every introductory and advanced-level drawing class.
Drawing for Everyone
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
This workshop is a concentrated introduction into the basic premises of a first-year Foundation drawing class here at Pratt. Its intent is to give you a glimpse at the thought processes that underlie effective drawing. We will be drawing from a model dressed in leotards.
FRANKLIN FURNACE
Real Fake: The Arts and Science of Money
10:30 AM–12 PM, 1–2:30 PM, 3–4:30 PM
Harley J. Spiller’s Real Fake, an interactive performance, opens with a hands-on display and discussion of paper money from across the ages and around the world. The presentation continues with a demonstration of anti-counterfeiting techniques involving the use of special magnetic detectors and ultraviolet light. Learn dozens of ways to protect yourself against dishonesty. See the bright blue fluorescent strip hiding inside U.S. five dollar bills, learn the secrets behind the special pens used by cashiers, and discuss strategies used by the visually impaired.
By sharing his collection of international paper money, Harley, aka Inspector Collector, teaches families how to “read”’ visual images. See and handle “real fakes,” samples of actual counterfeit dollars, bills that have been specially marked by the police, the highest denominations ever printed, and altered bills created by contemporary artists like J.S.G. Boggs, Peggy Diggs, Nicolas Dumit Estevez, David Harth, and others. Participants will create their own paper money using high-quality linen paper and create customized anti-counterfeiting marks using an invisible pen.
Can’t make it in person? Get to know Pratt from anywhere in the world with our virtual campus tour. We’ll show you the dorms, dining halls, studios, and more in a journey that’s both immersive and informative.
