Leadership Society Donors Treated to Private Tour at The Met

Leadership Society donors gathered at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the evening of May 20 for a private tour through Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective.

Two years ago, the renowned sculptor was awarded a doctoral degree in fine arts at Pratt’s Commencement. This first retrospective of Serra’s drawings traces the last 40 years of his activity with this medium—both as an independent art form and as an element of his sculptural practice. The exhibition is on view through August 28.

The exhibition’s curator, Magdalena Dabrowski, gave a private gallery talk for Leadership Society supporters, sharing stories about the complex installation process and the decisions that determined which works to showcase.

Dabrowski, who is special consultant to the museum’s Department of Nineteenth Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art, spoke in detail about what went on behind the scenes, from the building of the exhibition walls to Serra’s creation of a site-specific large-scale drawing conceived specifically for the exhibition.

The group was very impressed to learn details about Serra’s process of working with paintsticks, and enjoyed getting a close look at the work and seeing the complex texture of the drawings. Dabrowski also shared her insights regarding how each piece in the show has a critical relationship with the walls and the space of the room itself, which seemed to be of particular interest to the architects in the group.

“It was a very special evening,” said alumnus Martin E. Rich, AIA, LEED AP (B. Arch ’63). “The group was small, the curator was very engaging and knowledgeable, and the exhibition was a treat to see. I was not familiar with this aspect of Serra’s work so it was especially interesting.”

Pratt’s Leadership Societies recognize the Institute’s most generous and loyal supporters. To learn more, visit www.pratt.edu/leadershipsocieties or call Ashley Berger at 718-399-4295.