Pratt Institute explored on PBS

June 13, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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Watch Treasures of New York: Pratt Institute on PBS. See more from THIRTEEN Previews.


By Eric Goldschein

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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One of Brooklyn's educational treasures is getting the Treasures treatment.

An upcoming episode of Treasures of New York — which will premiere Wednesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. on WLIW21 and re-air Thursday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN — details the 125-year history of Pratt Institute, a private art college in Clinton Hill.

The show will examine Pratt through the eyes of two men in particular: Charles Pratt, who founded the school in 1887; and Dr. Thomas F. Schutte, who became the school's president in 1993 and has helped lead the Clinton Hill-area renaissance ever since. Indeed, Dr. Schutte's Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project is also discussed, as the area's renewal plays an important role in Pratt's good standing today.

Pratt is one of the most renowned design colleges in the country, if not the world. The school's interior design, industrial design and architecture programs are usually ranked in the top 10 in the nation. And the school has produced some notable alumni, from William Van Alen, designer of the Chysler Building, to Paul Rand, creator of the iconic IBM logo. Other innovators that got their start at Pratt include Donald Genaro, Barbara Segel, Robert Redford and Rob Zombie.
The documentary also sits down with heavyweights in the artistic world to discuss the influence Pratt and its students have had on the design scene, including Paola Antonelli, curator at the Museum of Modern Art and Margaret Russel, Editor in Chief of Architectural Digest.

But alongside discovering the school's cultural heritage, viewers will also see how Pratt is training its current students for their futures as both artists and entrepreneurs.

Watch Treasures of New York: Pratt Design Incubator on PBS. See more from THIRTEEN Specials.

From Pratt's rich artistic history and its impact on American culture and architecture, to the innovations it has pioneered in both education and business, this show promises an in-depth look at touchstone in Brooklyn's cultural landscape.


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