125TH ANNIVERSARY CULMINATES IN SHOW OF ICONIC WORKS BY PRATT DESIGNERS

What do the Chrysler Building, Big Bird, and OXO Good Grips have in common? They were all designed by Pratt alumni or faculty. Pratt Manhattan Gallery will commemorate Pratt Institute’s milestone 125th anniversary with the November 30 opening of 125 Icons: A Celebration of Works by Pratt Alumni and Faculty 1887–2012. The 125 works in 125 Icons were selected by alumni, faculty, students, and staff from over 300 works by alumni and faculty that compose Pratt’s online “Icons Gallery.”

“This exhibition is the grand finale of Pratt’s 16-month 125th anniversary celebration,” said Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte. “We’re excited to bring together these iconic works at Pratt Manhattan Gallery and to commemorate the achievements of alumni and faculty who have helped make the Institute what it is today,” he added.

“These works of art, design, and architecture comprise all facets of our lives including the spaces we inhabit, the products we use, the media we consume, and the art that inspires us,” said Todd Galitz, vice president for Institutional Advancement at Pratt Institute, who has spearheaded an effort over the last three years to identify many of these iconic works.

Iconic works include New York’s landmark Chrysler Building (designed by alumnus and architect William van Alen), groundbreaking covers of Esquire magazine (designed by alumnus and master communicator George Lois), Sesame Street’s beloved Big Bird (created by Jim Henson and brought to life by faculty member and master puppet builder Kermit Love), Scrabble (conceived by alumnus and out-of-work architect Alfred Mosher Butts during the Depression), the sleek Corvette C5 (redesigned by alumnus and industrial designer John Cafaro), OXO Good Grips (co-launched by alumnus and industrial designer Tucker Viemeister), and the Dunkin’ Donuts logo (colors and typeface selected by alumna, faculty member, and industrial designer Lucia DeRespinis). To view these iconic works and more by Pratt alumni and faculty, please visit Pratt’s Icons Gallery.

The specific works to be included in the exhibition were announced on October 15 at Pratt’s 125th Anniversary Gala at the Waldorf=Astoria. Designed in 1929 by Pratt architecture alumnus Lloyd Morgan, this famed hotel is yet another example of Pratt’s iconic cultural legacy.

November 30, 2012–January 19, 2013
Pratt Manhattan Gallery
144 West 14th Street, Second Floor
Gallery Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 AM–6 PM; Thursdays, 11 AM–8 PM

Pratt Manhattan Gallery will be closed December 22, 2012 through January 1, 2013.

Pratt's celebratory 125th Anniversary year comes to a close on December 31, 2012. In honor of this momentous occasion in Pratt's history, all members of the Pratt community are encouraged to follow @PrattInstitute on Twitter. Help us achieve 12,500 followers before January 1, 2013 by spreading the word online!

Text: Bay Brown
Photos: Courtesy of participating artists and designers