Professor Joseph Kopta and students on the island of Torcello in the Venetian Lagoon

This summer, Pratt students are traveling the world to engage with international cultures and global perspectives in their disciplines. Pratt’s news page is featuring these experiences in a series of dispatches from around the world. 

Pratt in Venice is celebrating its 35th year of immersing students in studio art and art history in the Floating City. The annual six-week program — started in 1984 and organized in collaboration with the Università Internazionale dell’Arte and the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, with classes taught by Pratt faculty — involves painting, drawing and printing, and investigations into the history, materials, and techniques of Venetian art.

Undergraduate and graduate students from across departments joined this year in exploring the maze of bridges and alleys that cross Venice, as well as its institutions such as the lavish Doge’s Palace and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia filled with work by pivotal artists like Tintoretto, Titian, and Bellini. They also journeyed around the area on field trips to destinations including Ravenna and Padua to further their knowledge of Italian visual culture. 

Students in the painting studio at the Università Internazionale dell’Arte

As with the previous generations of participants, this year’s students are gaining a unique, hands-on experience with the dynamic heritage of Venice through their indoor and outdoor studio work, critiques, and extensive sketching. These activities are complemented by on-site lectures and access to resources like the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica print shop and the historic Marciana Library, contributing to a rich understanding of Venetian art and architecture. 

Professor Joseph Kopta at the Piazza San Marco in Venice with the Pratt students

In conjunction with its 35th anniversary, Pratt in Venice is hosting a series of celebratory events. These kicked off with the Infinite Jest exhibition at the Società Dante Alighieri — Comitato di Venezia featuring Pratt in Venice alumnae Monique Rollins and Hahn Hyewon, and painting faculty member Michael Brennan. 

More images are being shared on the Pratt in Venice Instagram and the official Pratt in Venice site. Work from the summer 2019 participants will be presented at this fall’s Pratt in Venice exhibition at the Pratt Brooklyn campus.

Pratt students tour the Doge’s Palace in Venice

Pratt students tour the Doge’s Palace in Venice (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk)

Printmaking students at work in the studio at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice

Printmaking students at work in the studio at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice (photo by Angela Conant)

Painting Professor Michael Brennan, Professor Diana Gisolfi, Pratt in Venice alumna Monique Rollins, and curator Martina Cavallarin in a panel discussion at the Infinite Jest exhibition

Painting Professor Michael Brennan, Professor Diana Gisolfi, Pratt in Venice alumna Monique Rollins, and curator Martina Cavallarin in a panel discussion at the Infinite Jest exhibition (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk)

Pratt students visiting the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia

Pratt students visiting the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk)

Pratt students on a field trip to Ravenna, Italy

Pratt students on a field trip to Ravenna, Italy (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk)

Read additional Dispatch articles: Pratt Summer Abroad: Dispatch From Tokyo & KyotoPratt Summer Abroad: Dispatch From Rome; Pratt Summer Abroad: Dispatch from Tokyo; Pratt Summer Abroad: Dispatch from Tokyo II; and Pratt Summer Abroad: Dispatch from Copenhagen.

Images: Professor Joseph Kopta and students on the island of Torcello in the Venetian Lagoon (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk); Students in the painting studio at the Università Internazionale dell’Arte (photo by Michael Brennan); Professor Joseph Kopta at the Piazza San Marco in Venice with the Pratt students (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk); Pratt students tour the Doge’s Palace in Venice (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk); Printmaking students at work in the studio at Scuola Grafica in Venice (photo by Angela Conant); Painting Professor Michael Brennan, Professor Diana Gisolfi, Pratt in Venice alumna Monique Rollins, and curator Martina Cavallarin in a panel discussion at the Infinite Jest exhibition (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk); Pratt students visiting the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk); Pratt students on a field trip to Ravenna (photo by Safiye Rose Senturk)