This year, participants were 22 students, both Graduate and Undergraduate from a range of departments at Pratt: Architecture, Photography and Communication Design and well as Fine Arts and Art History. The group was further enriched by two students from other institutions: Princeton and NYU!

This was a packed and productive program! After arrivals, first supper, orientation walk and first meetings of classes, our first Sunday was spent at the Biennale viewing, listening and discussing with NYT critic Aruna d’Souza and Fine Arts Chairperson Jane South.

During the next week we welcomed Provost Donna Heiland. She and her husband Barry attended Joe Kopta’s lecture in Piazza San Marco and within the basilica; Donna visited San Giorgio Maggiore and the Cini Foundation Library and lunched with art historians. On the following day, the Provost joined our Materials visit and lesson with Maestro Franco Favaro in the Laboratorio dei Mosaici in San Marco. Of course, she also visited the UIA facilities and painting studios and the Scuola Grafica; she chatted with students at these events and dined with all the faculty. A lot in two days!

It's important to note that two alumnae (Venice ’22) visited and joined our annual trip to Padua (Taylor Bielecki and Amy Ungricht). Another special aspect of 2024 was that two participants are “second generation” Pratt in Venice participants: Aiden Pigott, son of Rachel Olderman (PiV1989); Sofia Rodriquez, daughter of Edel Rodriguez and Jenifer Roth (both PiV 1992)! 

Joe Kopta led the trip to study architecture and mosaics in Ravenna on the second Saturday. In early July the group enjoyed our traditional visit to Padua instructed by Architetto Antonio Stevan on the condition and conservation of Giotto’s Arena Chapel before we visited the Church of the Santo with Donatello’s altar and early Titian frescoes in the Scuola nearby. After Paolo Spezzani’s lecture on technical examinations of paintings in early July, the group enjoyed the full day visit via hired pullman to Giorgione’s town of Castelfranco, two frescoed Palladian villas, and the traditional “pranzo al fresco” provided by Luisa in the hills above Bassano.

In Venice, Painters were especially ambitious, as will be seen on the exhibition that opens on Oct 21. Printmakers created books, drypoints drawn on copper plates, monotypes and collagraphs. Art History students learned at sites in Venice from the Doge’s Palace to the Scuole grandi to Scarpa producing papers and timelines, while Materials/techniques students learned on conservation sites, in laboratories and studios, enjoyed the Cini foundation Library, delivered presentations. These and the final crit showed the abundant productivity that will be displayed in our Pratt in Venice annual exhibition opening Oct 21 in the DeKalb Gallery, continuing until November 1.

Diana Gisolfi, Director, Pratt in Venice