Open Studios, Countless Prospects – Pratt Institute

Sunlight streamed into the artwork studios, illuminating work, ceramics, sculptures, pictures, and lots of works-in-progress, as college students, professionals, and the general public lately converged for a bustling day of artwork, inspiration, and actions at Pratt’s services at Dock 72. The event? Pratt’s annual Fine Arts MFA Open Studios, Photography MFA Open Studios, in addition to a first-of-its-kind artist useful resource honest, Open Fields. Organized by the Fine Arts Department, Open Fields was developed to nurture town’s arts ecosystem by constructing group between artists, artwork lovers, advocacy teams, and the nonprofit organizations that assist assist and maintain inventive practices. Together, these occasions made for a uniquely energetic day, as guests navigated art-filled studios and exhibition areas and gathered for panel talks with acclaimed artists and business consultants. 

For the second 12 months in a row, Open Studios was held at Pratt’s Dock 72 services, following final 12 months’s debut of the MFA program’s expansive gallery and studio areas.

Open Fields: An Artist Resource Fair

Between chatting with artists and attending panel discussions, college students and guests additionally had the possibility to speak with nonprofit organizations and advocacy teams collaborating in Open Fields: An Artist Resource Fair, which was created to facilitate dialog between artists, organizations, and the general public. The occasion introduced collectively a dynamic cross-section of organizations—starting from artist residencies and grant-giving foundations to maker areas, advocacy teams, and various exhibition venues—making a platform for connection, visibility, and assist for artists.

Participating organizations included Artadia, Center for Urban Pedagogy, Dieu Donné, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, The Fortune Society, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, The Laundromat Project, NARS Foundation, Project for Empty Space, Recess, Residency Unlimited, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, Silver Art Projects, Socrates Sculpture Park, and Wassaic Project.

“The idea to align Open Studios with our first ever Open Fields artist resource fair came about when I was at a convening organized by MoMA’s Department of Public Engagement,” mentioned Fine Arts Chair Jane South. “In times like these, it makes sense for organizations that support artists to do so collectively whenever possible. Bringing everyone together created an environment where new connections and potential collaborations could emerge.” South added, “We are incredibly grateful to Leonardo Bravo, director of MoMA public engagement, and to all the participating organizations for their collaboration and support of this inaugural Open Fields event.”

Public Programming

Attendees had been invited to take a seat in on intimate panel discussions, the place they might interact immediately with consultants within the subject on how artists construct and maintain their practices via studio work, group engagement, useful resource networks, and various fashions of assist.

Kicking off the programming, Fine Arts Chair Jane South moderated Residencies & Resources: Building Your Practice Through Supportive Structures with Shaun Leonardo, co-director of Socrates Sculpture Park; Alexandra Unthank, director of EFA Studios; and Jasmine Wahi, founder and co-director of Project for Empty Space.

In Funding Your Practice: Grants, Alternatives, and Insider Advice, Fine Arts Department Coordinator Jennie Tang facilitated a dialog between Arantxa Araujo, program supervisor of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts; Bora Kim, program director for Artadia; and Ayesha Williams, government director for The Laundromat Project.

The programming concluded with a dialog organized by MoMA’s Public Engagement Department and moderated by Leonardo Bravo, director of public engagement at MoMA. The panel, titled Big Idea: How do artists maintain community-engaged practices?, introduced collectively celebrated artists DonChristian Jones and Pratt alumna Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, MFA Communications Design ’15, for a considerate dialog on their artwork practices and dealing in group. (Open Studios / Open Fields was organized in collaboration and with assist from MoMA’s Public Engagement Department.)

Fine Arts MFA Open Studios

Artists welcomed guests into their studios with smiles, snacks, and interactive artwork. Pratt’s annual Open Studios occasion welcomes the general public into the graduate studios, providing a chance for the artists to share their processes, meet new potential collectors or collaborators, and have a good time their inventive accomplishments. MFA artists work throughout portray, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, set up, social apply, and interdisciplinary kinds, guided by a various college of training artists, students, and curators.

On this specific Saturday, one studio was coated in filth as a part of a conceptual set up mission; one other overflowed with half-made sculptures of wire and foam, reference supplies, and ceramic experiments; nonetheless others supplied pristine white partitions dotted with work.  

“Open Studios is a really great opportunity to have people into your studio that are unfamiliar with your work, and you get to have conversations that refresh your perspective with the work… Getting to talk about it forces you to reckon with the things you’re thinking about but maybe haven’t communicated out loud yet,” mentioned Jessi Olarsch, MFA Fine Arts (Painting and Drawing) ’26. “And now that we have Open Fields also, having all these artist resources here is really amazing, and I’ve gotten to learn more about opportunities postgrad and meet really interesting people.” 

Photography MFA Open Studios

Visitors flowed simply between the Fine Arts Open Studios and the Photography Open Studios, taking place concurrently within the house, that includes a various array of photographic works displayed in distinctive configurations. In every studio, guests had energetic conversations with the artist or quietly contemplated the work. “It felt very community driven,” mentioned Nyree Sylvia, MFA Photography ’27. “The crowd was curious, and conversation flowed organically.” Jaylen Scott Brannon, MFA Photography ’26, agreed, including, “Visitors seem to feel comfortable starting conversations. The turnout was great!”

By noon, the Photo Gallery was filled with folks for The Photography Commons, a panel that includes displays by nonprofit images and photography-adjacent organizations, together with Baxter St. Camera Club, Penumbra Foundation, Soft Network, and Wendy’s Subway.

Visitors additionally celebrated the opening reception of Something Like Meaning, a second-year scholar exhibition curated by Adjust Professor – CCE of Photography Allen Frame, that includes works by Sara Marie Adriani, Jaylen Scott Brannon, Austin Taylor Hall, Chen Kan, Graham Gabriel Littell, Mario de la Ossa, and Catherine M Rodriguez. “The gift of a group show,” defined Frame within the curatorial assertion, “is that patterns felt in individual bodies of work can intensify through the exhibition, bringing further depth and complexity to the viewer’s understanding.”

This 12 months additionally marks Associate Professor of Photography Katherine Hubbard’s first 12 months because the MFA program college director. “In collaboration with Fine Arts’ Open Fields, MFA Photography was excited to bring together a range of New York nonprofit organizations who focus on lens-based work and photography. The panel presentations were excellent, and the energy at Open Studios was festive all around,” mentioned Hubbard. “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing community of artists who share a passion, criticality, and engagement with photography in all its forms. We had a strong show of alumni and prospective students, which is a testament to the vitality of our growing community.”

See extra photographs from the 2025 Fine Arts Open Studios / Open Fields and Photography MFA Open Studios beneath.