Civic Engagement Series: 2024 – 2026

SPRING 2026

Studio in Social Practice Class Highlighted in Pratt News

Several plastic shopping bags are scattered on a surface. The bags are mostly crumpled and include a white bag, a clear bag, and a black bag with the text

When One Person’s Trash Is an Artist’s Treasure

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SPRING 2025 

A technical blueprint rendering of a mobile structure designed for plant cultivation, featuring dimensions and functional components. The design includes a removable pole for hanging garments, a closet pole socket, and features for redistribution of clothes. It is equipped with heavy-duty casters for easy movement along sidewalks. Dimensions labeled in feet and inches indicate the overall height of about 10 feet and width of about 3 feet, along with other specifications for construction.

Collective Mobilities

From February 3-March 9, the Dekalb Gallery at Pratt’s campus became a participatory exhibition, inviting the school community to consider homelessness and housing inequities across the city, while participating in mutual aid to support Pratt’s most vulnerable neighbors. At the core of this exhibition was a series of colorful mobile sculptures made from outdoor-grade plywood and rubber wheels, designed in collaboration with architect Ekin Bilal to ensure they are safe and functional. Fabricated by Yasu Izaki in Pratt Fine Arts’ woodshop, these sculptures served as containers to redistribute clean, lightly used clothing and essential items to nearby shelters. The entire Pratt community was encouraged to donate clothing in good condition as well as key supplies such as sanitary napkins, diapers, nonperishable food, masks, bike helmets, toys, and soap. Materials for the Arts was a confirmed partner on this initiative, providing additional items for redistribution throughout the exhibition. With the help of volunteers, these mobile sculptures were wheeled to public spaces outside the shelters near Pratt’s campus. All activities took place in public, with all participation happening in outdoor public spaces. This project was deeply connected to Strada’s role as the Public Artist in Residence with the NYC Department of Homeless Services and the Department of Cultural Affairs, where she has worked extensively in shelters across all five boroughs since 2022, leading art classes and initiating mutual aid efforts. Since becoming the Civic Engagement Fellow at Pratt, Strada established a partnership with the nearby Auburn Family Residence, a site she has worked with for years, where her Social Practice students collaborated on a community-centered project. This exhibition is a response to the overwhelming needs Strada’s practice is devoted to addressing, and invites the larger Pratt community to join this critical effort.

A brightly lit gallery featuring movable, color-blocked, modular sculptures on wheels. One dark blue features a door on the front and is connected with a lighter blue sculpture by a rod, from which clothes on hangers hang. The side of the lighter blue sculpture is reflective. There are plants resting atop these sculptures and elsewhere in the room.
Installation view of Collective Mobilities, February 3-March 9, 2025. Organized by Alex Strada, Fine Arts Civic Engagement Fellow 2024-26.
A map shows the locations of 311 calls regarding homelessness from 2024, marked by green dots. An accompanying sign explains the focus on areas with fewer shelters and discusses the issue of NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard). The map features outlined community districts, tract lines, and parks, with some sections labeled numerically. The overall context highlights a shared responsibility for addressing homelessness in New York City.
A group of people gather in an art gallery, listening to a speaker presenting detailed maps mounted on the wall. The maps show varying shades of brown and blue, indicating different areas or data. In the foreground, potted plants sit on a purple table. The audience appears engaged, some taking notes or looking closely at the maps while the speaker gestures toward them. The space has white walls and overhead lighting.
A group of seven people is moving colorful carts on a city street, with some carts featuring mirrors. They are dressed in winter clothing, including hats and jackets, and are situated near brick buildings. One cart has a reflective surface showing a nearby house, while others are solid colors (purple, green, and orange). The atmosphere appears casual and collaborative.

FALL 2024 

A walk-through of Joe Namy: Heavy with Love at the Brooklyn Public Library with Curator of Visual Arts Programming, Cora Fischer. This event focused on Namy’s site-specific installations throughout the library and Fischer’s curatorial focus on making art more accessible to the public. 

Strada facilitated an artist talk with Pablo Helguera, a renowned socially engaged artist, curator, and writer whose innovative practice spans pedagogy, performance, and conceptual art. Delving into social interaction issues and cultural institutions, Helguera will share approaches to creating artworks and experiences that foster dialogue and community engagement.

Photograph of an audience attending a presentation by Pablo Helguera, with a colorful lighting ambiance and a projected image of the speaker in the background.
Poster for "Pablo Helguera Artist Talk," hosted by Pratt Institute Civic Engagement Fellow Alex Strada, with details of the event on November 19, 2024, at Dock 72, Brooklyn Navy Yard, at 6:00-7:30 PM.
Promotional poster for "Open Office Hours with Art.coop," hosted by Pratt Fine Arts Civic Engagement Fellow Alex Strada. The session introduces the Solidarity Economy for artists and provides tools to strengthen communities. Event scheduled for November 19, 2024, 11:00 AM–12:15 PM at Creative Time Headquarters, 59 E 4th St, Floor 7, New York, NY 10003. Registration is required via Eventbrite (5 people cap).

An outing to Creative Time Headquarters (59 E 4th St, Floor 7, Manhattan) for Open Office Hours with Art.coop, a network of artists and organizers committed to “building the art worlds we want.” This session will introduce participants to the Solidarity Economy for artists and provide tools to strengthen communities.

Alex Strada moderated a conversation with Eve Baron, Chair of Pratt’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment between Pratt BFA Alum Fern Tiger of Fern Tiger and Associates and Yazmany Arboledo, NYC’s Inaugural People’s Artist at the Civic Engagement Commission, about Tiger’s book, Creative Instigation: The Art and Strategy of Authentic Community Engagement, and the power of the arts to democratize local decision-making. 

Promotional image for "Creative Instigation: The Art & Strategy of Authentic Community Engagement," a book talk with author Fern Tiger and NYC's inaugural People's Artist Yazmany Arboleda. The event is scheduled for November 11, 3:00-4:30 PM, at Pratt Brooklyn Campus, ARC E-02 TEC Lecture Hall, moderated by Alex Strada and Eve Baron.

The Art of Politics: Voting Basics and Creative Approaches to Civic Engagement 

Civic Engagement Fellow Alex Strada and Jan Dutkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Social Science & Cultural Studies hosted an event to help demystify the political process leading up to the 2024 election.

Poster for "The Art of Politics," focusing on civic engagement and art, with details for the event at the Alumni Reading Room on October 10, from 2:00-3:00 PM, organized by Pratt Student Involvement.