Pratt Institute’s MFA in Fine Arts and MFA in Photography facilities will move from the Pfizer Building on Flushing Avenue to the new Dock 72 building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY), enabling access to a burgeoning creative community on the edge of Pratt’s Brooklyn campus. Dock 72 features floor-to-ceiling windows, with abundant natural light and expansive views of the Manhattan skyline. The space is expected to be complete and occupied by the fall term, starting in August 2024.
Pratt’s graduate facilities in Fine Arts and Photography will occupy 62,570 square feet across the entire third floor of Dock 72. The new location will include 100 individual artist studios, seminar and critique spaces, gallery spaces, a computer lab, fabrication shops, and a black box for performances and projections. The news was covered by Bloomberg, New York Post, Hyperallergic, and broadcast on Spectrum News 1.
“Expanding Pratt Institute’s footprint in the Brooklyn Navy Yard provides our graduate Fine Arts and Photography students with exceptional studios and access to a powerful community of diverse creatives and professionals,” Pratt President Frances Bronet said. “There is a long-standing connection between manufacturing and art, much of which is steeped in the practice of making and creating. The corridor that connects Pratt and the Brooklyn Navy Yard brings together emerging artists with Navy Yard designers, fabricators, inventors, and business owners. We look forward to the exchange between Pratt’s painters, sculptors, photographers, researchers, and new media graduate students and the incredible production facilities at the BNY.”
Having deep synergies, Pratt and the BNY share a history of and commitment to expanding the ranks of local working professionals, from Pratt Institute founder Charles Pratt’s dedication to increasing access to education and training to the BNY’s robust workforce powering decades of manufacturing and production. Also, there is a symbiotic relationship in which manufacturing has been influenced, inspired, and transformed by continued engagement with artists.
Pratt students and faculty will have easy access between Pratt’s existing footprint and Dock 72, allowing them to coordinate studio visits, exhibitions, conversations, and shop work. The new location also ushers in a permanent space for students to host their thesis shows.
“Moving our facilities into Dock 72 will prove to be a game changer,” said School of Art Dean Jorge Oliver. “In addition to offering ample space and amenities, the building presents our students with incredible views that will inspire them in their artistic endeavors, as well as opportunities to engage with other creatives in the Navy Yard.”
Dock 72 is nestled in a hub of technological, entrepreneurial, and artistic activity. The BNY is an engine for local economic development and a magnet for working professionals and creative innovators through its vast manufacturing and commercial spaces. These house more than 450 businesses, including pioneers in metal fabrication, glass production, and robotics, as well as the Research Yard, a 20,000 square foot facility led by Pratt that opened on site in 2023 to unify the Institute’s research activities.
Situated on the East River waterfront, Dock 72 serves as a visual reminder of New York’s position as an urban archipelago, an issue being explored in interdisciplinary ways across Pratt, particularly through its role as a core partner of The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island. The BNY is also served by a wide array of transportation options, including the NYC Ferry, onsite parking, CitiBike access, bus service, and WiFi-equipped shuttle service to major subway lines, affording easy access to New York City’s contemporary art scene and opportunities beyond studio confines.
The Dock 72 building has been optimized for energy efficiency and features a robust food hall, lounge areas, outdoor terraces, and rooftop gardens.