Program areas at MWPAI
Museum of art - the 2022-23 fiscal year was full of exciting exhibitions, dynamic acquisitions and thousands of new visitors to our galleries. Museum exhibitions explored various subjects, periods and materials with an emphasis on 20th century american works of art. The summer season opened with norman rockwell, composed of over 50 works on loan from the norman rockwell museum in stockbridge, Massachusetts. This exhibition, which featured work from the artist's earliest illustrations for the saturday evening post to his later material for look, also included his intriguing portraits of political and social thinkers of the day. Norman rockwell turned out to be the highest attended summer exhibition in recent memory. An intriguing show of the work of brooklyn-based artist lesley dill called lesley dill/light sizzles around me followed rockwell in the fall and the annual victorian yuletide attracted further guests to fountain elms, the home of the founding family throughout the holiday season. The spring saw the presentation of two exhibitions drawn from the permanent collection: a show of recent acquisitions in photography called insight and another looking at contemporary acquisitions in painting and sculpture call no place like home. Additional exhibitions of contemporary art were featured in the pratt museum gallery within the museum. The rich array of programs offered by the museum education department reached 11,690 visitors in this fiscal year 22/23. The education department has four full-time professional staff and 30 volunteer docents. The department produced an array of programs that enhanced the visitors' understanding and appreciation of exhibitions and the museaum's collection. The varied events included art in bloom, art and yoga, art alive family days, art story (a reading and looking storytime for preschoolers), lectures, workshops, artist demonstrations, films and meet me at muson, a program that serves individuals with memory loss.numerous gifts and several purchases were added to the museum of art'Arts's permanent collection, including an important new work by philadelphia based ceramist roberto lugo, enriching the museum's collection of works by african americans by adding a work in ceramic sculpture.
Performing Arts - during the 2022-2023 season, the performing Arts programming returned to its pre-pandemic level of programming since restrictions for public gatherings were removed by the nys department of health. The schedule of events included the met: live in hd and concerts by sons of mystro and the adam ezra group. Wisconsin poet laureate dasha kelly hamilton performed makin' cake, a multimedia performance about racial disparity. Family entertainment was provided by harpist deborah conant and science fun with dr kaboom. The film series continued to offer independent and foreign film screenings twice a week.
School of art - the nasad accredited school of art is comprised of three main programs: the prattmwp college of art and design program, the community Arts education program and the artist in residence program. The prattmwp program functions as an extension center of pratt Institute in brooklyn, ny in which students pursuing a bachelors of fine Arts, communication design, photography or art education degree can elect to spend their freshman and sophomore years at our utica campus, and complete their degree by doing their junior and senior years at the pratt campus in brooklyn. The affiliation is in its fourteenth year.in the 2022-23 academic year, prattmwp's enrollment consisted of 106 freshman and 113 sophomore full time students. Of the 219 students, 196 students were living in the residential halls. Our freshman class has 20 international students representing 7 countries and domestic students representing 24 states. There are an additional 29 international sophomore students representing 11 countries. The total number of international students number 53.the community Arts program enrolls approximately 1100 students over three semesters annually of all ages in 150 classes and workshops. The artist-in-residence program houses 1 artists for a 10 month period who work and teach in both the community and credit programs.
In addition, the Institute operates an art & design research library which is open year-round and serves the Institute's staff, students, faculty, and members; the general public; and outside scholars. In 2022, the library served 6,812 patrons, and circulated 2,754 items. The library provides reference, research, and circulation services, class and individualized instruction, computer and database access and training, interlibrary loans, special events, tours, and extended hours. Its collections include 30,472 books, 20 periodical subscriptions, 3,351 music compact discs, 2,661 films on dvd and vhs, and 2,987 artists files. The catalog of collection holdings is searchable on-site and through the Institute's web page. Through its affiliation with the pratt Institute libraries, patrons have access to 182 online article, ebook, image, and streaming video databases. Services are offered in person and by email. Contactless curbside pickup and return services offered year round. An outdoor return box is available at the academic center entrance.