Pratt Fellows in Research Collections and Graphic Design

In the past two years, the departments of research collections and marketing, communications, and design have established fellowships in collaboration with Pratt Institute. The fellowships seek to promote diversity and inclusion in their respective fields and to provide mentorship to emerging professionals.

Vic Panata was Bard Graduate Center’s first library fellow in the Department of Research Collections. From fall 2021 through spring 2023, while they were earning their master’s degree in library and information science at Pratt, Vic worked closely with Heather Topcik, director of research collections, and Anna Helgeson, associate director of BGC’s library, immersing themselves in the daily practices of the department.

They processed periodicals and subscriptions and contributed to the maintenance of shifting collections. Vic also worked with Barb Elam, digital collections metadata librarian and Study Collection manager, gaining hands-on experience cataloging and identifying objects that were gifted to BGC and taking photographs of different textiles and other unconventional materials. Engaging with these objects created opportunities for them to speak and ask questions about where these objects came from and how they were being processed and labeled.

Jacklyn Wang, senior communications design major at Pratt, was selected as the pioneer of the design fellowship program. The one-year fellowship ran from September 2022 until August 2023. Wang was always curious about the relationship between curators and designers and their collaborative work executing an exhibition and producing the visual materials to support its ideas. This interest led her to apply for the position. BGC’s art director Laura Grey stated that “Wang’s refined design sensibility, interest in the museum world, and facility with motion design made her stand out” among an impressive pool of applicants.

Wang left her mark at BGC with the many printed pieces she designed to promote the Wednesdays @ BGC and Tuesday Lunches. She worked closely with designer Jocelyn Lau to create materials and graphics that are used on BGC’s campus and online—from event posters to gallery takeaway cards to social media posts. The fellowship gave her an understanding of designing for an institution with an existing design identity, learning best typesetting practices, adhering to style guides, and honing her technical skills with programs in the Adobe Suite.