Thomas Henrickson
Margery Quackenbush
Ashley Benson, B.F.A. Film ’06, Phoenix, Arizona
B.F.A. Painting ’65, Ontario, Canada
B.F.A. Fashion Design ’60, New York
One year, I worked on the committee welcoming new students. It so happened that the filming of The Good Shepherd,
When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Novem-
I enjoyed the neighborhoods around Pratt. There was
featuring Robert De Niro as the director and Matt Damon as one of the actors, was happening just outside campus.
ber 1963, someone rushed into the painting studio and
lots of great Italian food and neighborhood bars and
While resting with some of the other students on the welcoming committee, we had the pleasure of meeting Matt
announced what had happened, which stunned
movie theaters—though there was one that we nick-
Damon and, without realizing it, found ourselves sitting on the curb directly in front of Robert De Niro‘s trailer. It was
everyone. The instructor, who always seemed to know
named “the itch” because it wasn’t all that clean—but
also De Niro’s birthday and he was spending the evening celebrating with his children.
exactly what to say to inspire creativity and make
it was cheap.
We found out he had ordered a massive strawberry shortcake for his crew, and we snuck on to the set pretending to be
constructive criticisms, encouraged the class to “Just
I also worked at the Sears Restaurant on Church Street
part of it and stole some of Robert De Niro’s birthday cake. I don’t condone stealing, but it was the best cake I’ve ever
keep painting. There is nothing else that one can
and kept myself and a number of other students eating
had. Afterward, we felt bad and gathered up our pennies and dollars and bought him a Pratt cap. We all signed our
respond to that would be meaningful.”
well on the food I brought from the restaurant.
names in silver marker and presented it to the bodyguard to give to Robert De Niro with our thanks and best wishes.
We asked.
Every Pratt student is, or once was, part of the fabric of Brooklyn. So we asked: What are your memories of
your time spent at Pratt and in Brooklyn? What stands out in your mind about your years here?
Maybe you loved Brooklyn so much you decided to stay? We wanted to know your favorite things about
Brooklyn, and why the borough continues to inspire you. Here’s what you told us.
Gary Hattem
Richard Poulin
Phil Heidelberger
Tucker Viemeister
M.S. City Planning ’75, Pratt Trustee, New York
B.I.D. ’77, New York
B.F.A. Communications Design ’65, Fort Worth, Texas
B.I.D. ’74, New York
First arriving on the Pratt Campus back in the mid-
living in Greenwich Village. With Pratt as the heart of
I remember Myrtle Avenue when the El still rumbled
Brooklyn from Germany and opened three bars by the
1970s was really the beginning of a love affair with
the neighborhood, the area was filled with artists,
above and left the street in a permanent state of
time he was 26.
Brooklyn that has survived until this day. I came to
writers, architects, dancers, and other creative and
semi-darkness. In a small storefront was the Romulo E
My grandfather, August Viemeister, grew up in the
Pratt to become a city planner and Brooklyn enabled
free-spirited individuals. Evenings and weekends
Remo Social Club with its windows heavily covered
neighborhood of Pratt and became an architect.
me to understand that “place” is of essential impor-
were filled with my studies and with the sharing of
with curtains. Lord! How I tried to get a glimpse of what
(Working with Emory Roth, he designed the Ritz Tower
new ideas and concepts with many free thinkers.
went on in there.
on 59th Street and the Beresford on 81st Street.)
tance to individual identity, and is also a motivator for people to organize themselves to bring about collective change, trumping the usual boundaries of class,
During the 1970s, living in Clinton Hill was similar to
I remember that on the corner of Willoughby right
Kurt Andersen
across from Pratt were the two art supply stores, Jake’s,
Pratt Trustee, New York
and Charlie's right around the corner.
community development, philanthropy, and banking
Living in Brooklyn for the last 20 years hasn’t exactly
If you walked about four blocks down Willoughby
for more than 35 years.
inspired my work as much as enabled it. I love living in
Avenue you could get a brew or two…or six at our
New York City, but I also need a certain amount of
favorite watering hole, Erik's Bar and Grill. I forget their
small-townish peace and quiet in order to write
names but the two bartenders were fraternal twins who
productively. Thus, Brooklyn.
looked like ex-prizefighters...no bouncers needed.
race, ethnicity, and sexual identity. It’s a great lesson to have been taught early, guiding my work in
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You answered.
p ratt folio
My great-grandfather Ludwig Viemeister moved to
My dad commuted to Pratt from Long Island (Class of ’43)—his first job was with two of his teachers: Donald Dohner and Gordon Lippincott. When I went to Pratt, I felt all this history—especially when I carried my wire problems to class with some of the same ID teachers my dad had!
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