In the News: DDB Presents an Exhibition of Digital Prints by Pratt Alumni (Part 2)

Last week, designers and Pratt alumni celebrated an exhibition featuring 60 digital prints from Pratt Institute's digital arts, photography and illustration programs. Charles S. Cohen, President and Owner of the Decoration & Design Building, along with co-collaborator and Pratt Institute President, Dr. Thomas Schutte, welcomed visitors to the two-year exhibition of the prints at a public reception in the DDB’s Astra Café.

The exhibition was curated by Jen Osborne, assistant director of Exhibitions at Pratt Institute, along with Helen Varola, Cohen Design Center Curatorial Advisor, and exhibits the work from 15 Pratt alumni artists.

"I've been working on this exhibit for over a year now and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see it in the finished stage," said Jen. "All of the artists are now alumni, but some were still students when the process started last Spring. Working with them one-on-one with their art was such an honor. I'm really proud of them and of their art!"

Helen wandered around the 18 floors of artwork with us and told us about her role in the process and what she loved most about seeing the finished product.

"When you start something this big with something as basic as redesigning the stairwell, it really is amazing to see how fantastic it all looks now," said Helen. "Working with Charles to pick the paint colors and design in the stairwells was a fun process. We had a fantastic team headed by Daniel Faust, who we were really happy to work with."

"We had some very clear things in mind when we went over the layout and design of the exhibit, as well. The text on the walls was one of my favorite aspects of the exhibit because I wanted it to be reminiscent of what you see and experience at museums such as the MoMA."

We ran into one of the young artists’ proud family members. "This isn't the first time that we've seen Tory's [Novika] work on display, but this is the biggest venue we've seen her in,”
 said the couple.  ”We can't explain how thrilled and proud we are to see her living out her passion and pursuing it so successfully."

Originally from Moscow, Tory has grown up in Manhattan and has always been dedicated to creating art. "It's been no surprise to us that she is still making art and pursuing a career in it. Now if we could just find her to congratulate her!"

The prints will be on display in the common space between the DDB's 120 showrooms. Editioned, signed and archival copies of the displayed works will be made available for purchase by Pratt Institute's Department of Exhibitions. The work will be on display Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through June 2013.

In the News: DDB Presents an Exhibition of Digital Prints by Pratt Alumni (Part 1 of 2)

The DDB is now home to 60 digital prints by 15 alumni artists from Pratt Institute's renowned digital arts, photography and illustration programs. Last Tuesday, Charles S. Cohen, President and Owner of the Decoration & Design Building, unveiled a two-year exhibition of the prints at an elegant reception for designers and Pratt alumni in the Astra Café.

The exhibition was a collaboration headed by Cohen and Pratt Institute President Dr. Thomas Schutte. We talked to Mr. Cohen and Mr. Schutte about the exciting collaboration and what it means for the building.

"This is an exciting and young exhibit and it's a not only 'a first' for the D&D Building, it's a first for Manhattan and the world.” said Cohen. “This is the first vertical art exhibit in the world where art is on display and while you're viewing it, you're also exercising!"

"It's fabulous to see this fantastic exhibit in all of its presentation and beauty," Schutte said. "The people that this exhibit will bring in and the younger crowd whose work is shown in this prestigious establishment is an exciting step in a very positive direction!"

Cohen and Schutte agreed that the increase of young people the building was seeing at the opening reception was just a glimpse of what was to come in terms of a more youthful audience visiting the D&D Building.

"This is where it all starts," said Cohen. "The young Design Center-goers have shown up; their work is being showcased and they have more reason than ever to come by and bring others with them."

Bobby Contini, VP Marketing of Cohen Design Centers, added: “It's really fitting for this exhibit to be here at the D&D Building, as so many of our industry’s most highly-regarded professionals are Pratt Alumni.”

The prints will be on display in the common space between the DDB's 120 showrooms. Editioned, signed and archival copies of the displayed works will be made available for purchase by Pratt Institute's Department of Exhibitions. The work will be on display Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through June 2013.

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo for more on the DDB's opening presentation of Pratt Institute's digital prints exhibit.

In the News: Eddie Ross at Lenox Hill Spring Gala

This year's Spring Gala at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, themed You're the Top! featured tabletops created by top designers and honored Elizabeth Rohatyn, long-time Board Member and Honorary Chair. The evening included a cocktail hour, dinner and dancing and benefited Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a widely recognized nonprofit organization providing an extensive array of human services on the East Side of Manhattan.

Lifestyle expert and former Martha Stewart Living Editor, Eddie Ross and partner Jaithan Kochar, who were included in the roster of tabletop designers who collaborated with Carleton V to create their interpretation for the evening.

"Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar created a fabulous tablecloth using our Growing Wild pattern," said Carleton V Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Brittany Bean. "The pattern is a colorful hand-screened print from 1975 that was just reissued for Spring 2011.

Jaithan explained that the handmade matchbooks at each place setting were from his and Eddie's friend Susan Schneider of Shandell's in Millerton, New York. The perfectly matching matchbooks were centered at each place setting and couldn't have been a better pair with the Carleton V tablecloth.

The design committee also included Scott Snyder, Harry Heissman, Lyndsey Coral Harper among other notables.  Clo and Charles S. Cohen were also among the A-list attendees.