Here you can carry out art historical and design research; apply the theories and practice of information science; design and curate digital libraries, archives, and exhibitions; and communicate arts content and design effectively across diverse cultures and societies.
Pratt students at the Morgan Library Reading Room (courtesy Polly Cancro, History of Art and Design / Library and Information Science '18)
History of Art and Design / Library and Information Science at Pratt
The MSLIS/MA History of Art and Design dual-degree program prepares you for careers in art and design, museum, and academic libraries. In this program, you will become an expert on the intersection of art and design and information, going deep into art, design, and historical archives, art and design collections, and more. With fellowship opportunities at NYC’s leading museums, libraries, and archives, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Frick Art Reference Library, and MoMA, the dual-degree program offers unique experiential learning opportunities.
Students in the dual-degree MSLIS/MA History of Art and Design program get to experience all Pratt has to offer by taking half of their program (30 credits) at the School of Information based in Manhattan, and the other half in the Department of History of Art and Design on the Brooklyn campus (30 credits). The first two years students take courses in both departments, with much of the thesis work taking place in the third year. With class sizes of just 8-12, you’ll collaborate closely with your cohort and faculty and be learning at the nexus of NYC arts and culture communities.
Internships
Internships at museums, libraries, nonprofit art organizations, and galleries provide professional opportunities in your area of interest and prepare you for future careers. Recent students have interned at prestigious institutions such as the New York Public Library, Franklin Furnace, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Study Abroad
We are pleased to offer study abroad options for dual-degree students, including a new course offered for the first time during spring break 2024: “Artist Archives: Rome/New York”. We also recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of Pratt in Venice, which is a 6-week program that occurs each June and July. For more information on Study Abroad, see where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learning resources.
Our Faculty
Pratt’s distinguished faculty of outstanding creative professionals and scholars share a common desire to develop each student’s potential and creativity to the fullest. Bringing different views, methods, and perspectives, they provide a rigorous educational model in which students make and learn. See all History of Art and Design faculty and administrators and School of Information faculty and administrators.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world.
Where They Work
Librarian, Photographs and Prints Division, New York Public Library
Archivist, Center for Brooklyn History at Brooklyn Public Library
IT Project Manager, J. Paul Getty Trust
Head, Reference & Reader Services, Teachers College, Columbia University
Web Collection Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
As the Spring 2025 semester draws to a close, we celebrate the insight, creativity, and dedication of our History of Art and Design community. From in-depth research to critical discussions and final presentations, your work continues to shape the understanding of art, design, and their histories.
Wishing all our students, faculty, and staff a restorative and inspiring summer! 🌿
#EndOfSemester #PrattInstitute #Spring2025 #HistoryOfArtAndDesign #ArtHistory #DesignHistory #CreativeCommunity
Design History Spotlight: The Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen
Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955, the Tulip Chair is a hallmark of mid-century modern design, combining sleek elegance with functional innovation. Saarinen, known for his ability to blend form and function, created this iconic chair as part of his Pedestal Collection for Knoll.
Key Features:
The chair’s single pedestal base was revolutionary for its time, eliminating the traditional four legs and offering a smooth, clean silhouette that made it visually striking and highly functional.
Made from fiberglass and vinyl, the Tulip Chair was designed to be lightweight yet durable, perfectly suited for the modern living environment of the 1950s.
Its organic, fluid shape was inspired by the natural forms of flowers, making it an ideal fusion of biomorphic design with contemporary materials.
Fun Fact: Saarinen’s aim was to eliminate the “slum of legs” that often cluttered furniture designs, creating a chair that was both elegant and practical. The Tulip Chair has since become an enduring symbol of mid-century modern style.
#EeroSaarinen #TulipChair #MidCenturyModern #DesignHistory #FurnitureDesign #Modernism
Art History 101: Unt 5 - Modernism and Abstract Art
The Modernist Movement
The early 20th century saw the rise of Modernism, characterized by a break from tradition and exploration of new artistic expressions.
Example: "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí (1931)
Cubism Revolutionizes Art
Pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Cubism shattered conventional perspectives by depicting subjects from multiple viewpoints simultaneously.
Example: "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" by Pablo Picasso (1907)
Abstract Expressionism Emerges
Artists like Mark Rothko emphasized emotional expression through abstract forms and colors, focusing on viewer experience rather than representational accuracy.
Example: "No. 61 (Rust and Blue)" by Mark Rothko (1953)
Op Art Phenomenon
Op Art emerged in the mid-20th century, using optical illusions to create dynamic visual effects that challenged perception—Bridget Riley was a key figure here.
Example: "Movement in Squares" by Bridget Riley (1961)
Weekly Art Spotlight: The Hall of the Kings, Alhambra – Muqarnas Ceiling
The Hall of the Kings in the Alhambra, Granada, is known for its stunning muqarnas ceiling, an extraordinary example of Islamic architecture. This intricate ceiling design combines geometric elegance with spiritual symbolism.
Key Features of the Muqarnas Ceiling:
The muqarnas are a form of stalactite-like ornamentation that creates a visually striking 3D pattern. These small, niche-like structures are arranged in tiers, creating a honeycomb or star-shaped appearance.
The ceiling’s layered structure gives the illusion of depth and complexity, symbolizing the infinite nature of the universe. It reflects the Islamic belief that the divine cannot be fully understood but is hinted at through beauty and complexity in nature.
In the Hall of the Kings, the muqarnas design is more than just decoration; it serves as an architectural and symbolic link between earth and heaven, offering a celestial, ethereal effect. The play of light and shadow in the recesses of the muqarnas emphasizes a spiritual connection.
Fun Fact: The muqarnas ceiling not only enhances the aesthetics of the space but also serves practical purposes, improving acoustics in the hall.
#IslamicArt #Muqarnas #Alhambra #ArtHistory #Architecture #GeometricArt #WeeklyArtSpotlight
Time melts away in Salvador Dalí’s surreal masterpiece, The Persistence of Memory (1931)
This iconic painting challenges our perception of time, reality, and the subconscious. What do you think the melting clocks symbolize?
#Surrealism #SalvadorDali #ArtAnalysis #IconicArt #ThePersistenceOfMemory #ArtHistory
Did You Know?
The Impressionist Movement was named after a single painting!
In 1874, Claude Monet exhibited a work titled Impression, Sunrise (Impression, Soleil Levant) in Paris. While critics mocked the loose brushwork and "unfinished" look, the term "Impressionism" was coined from this very painting, originally as an insult!
Far from a failure, Impressionism went on to revolutionize the art world with its focus on light, color, and capturing the fleeting beauty of everyday life.
Congratulations to Award Winners at InfoShow25 last Friday night! They were:
Best Individual Project – $500
School shootings and the manosphere: spatially correlated or moral panic?
Jocelyn Fung
Best Group Project – $1,000 divided evenly
Internet of Things (IoT) Class project demos
Jeffrey Delacruz, Chieh Lei, Qasim Malik, Yuri Minami, Indrani Thool and Pete Wise
Best Poster – $500
Beyond the Western Gaze
Simran Kaur
People’s Choice Award – $500
Visualizing Cognitive Health: Data Viz in Healthcare
Shreedhar Verma
For more information on their projects, please see the link in our bio.
InfoShow25 program is now live--see you this Friday at 5pm--and Graduation is next week! This news and more in the School of Information May '25 newsletter - link available in our bio.
We are pleased to invite you to InfoShow25, the annual showcase of School of Information student work, on Friday May 16th at Pratt Manhattan Center (144 W. 14th St.). Click link in bio to RSVP or visit pratt.edu/prattshows.
Update: Program is now live! #InfoShow25 @prattinstitute
The MSLIS/MA History of Art and Design dual-degree program prepares students for careers in art, museum, and academic libraries. With fellowship opportunities taking place at NYC’s leading museums, libraries, and archives, such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the dual-degree program offers unique opportunities for experiential learning.
This program consists of 30 credits at the School of Information and 30 credits at the Department of History of Art and Design for a total of 60 credits, which must be completed with a B average or higher. Students in the dual-degree program generally take one or two classes in each program per semester (3–4 courses, 9–12 credits).
Students in the dual-degree MSLIS/MA History of Art and Design satisfy the learning outcomes of each of the respective degrees.
MS Library and Information Science
Throughout the LIS program, students will create a digital portfolio to highlight the work they have completed and demonstrate they have met the program’s five student learning outcomes:
Foundations of Library and Information studies – Apply core concepts and theories to information collection, organization and access in multiple environments.
User-centered services – Students can meet information needs of diverse user communities across multiple communication formats (e.g. oral, written, visual, interactive).
Technology – Students can select and apply tools and technologies used in the field to improve information functions.
Research – Investigate information environments and users’ needs, behaviors, and experiences through appropriate research methods and analysis.
Ethical/Creative/Critical practice – Apply core ethical principles to professional practice and understand the broad impact of information on society. Students can raise critical questions about information, its production, dissemination, storage and preservation.
MA History of Art and Design
Graduates are able to articulate the mutually constitutive nature of historical changes in social, political and economic conditions in the fields of art, design, and cultural production.
Graduates are able to describe, research and analyze the forms of cultural artifacts and monuments.
Graduates demonstrate a critical engagement with the discipline’s tools and methods.
Graduates have the skills to craft lines of inquiry and perform in-depth research, including the use of relevant languages, that results in original analysis and interpretation.
