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P R AT TFOLIO
Giving News
David and Sondra Mack Gift to Transform Pratt Manhattan Trustee David Mack knew of Pratt’s reputation for excellence well before he joined the Institute’s Board in 2004. To help extend that reputation in the heart of Manhattan’s gallery district, he and his wife, Sondra, have made a significant gift to create the Sondra and David S. Mack Pratt Manhattan Center. Their generosity will allow the Institute to transform its landmark 14th Street building into a world-class campus that attracts students, faculty, and creative industry leaders from across the country and around the world. “The atmosphere of the campus speaks directly to how much the Institute cares about its students and wants them to succeed,” said Mack. “I want everyone who visits or walks by Pratt Manhattan to know that it is home to one of the world’s greatest centers for creative exploration and learning.” To that end, the Mack gift will allow Pratt to create a new streetlevel gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows to replace the current second-floor gallery. This magnificent gallery will allow Pratt to showcase an innovative exhibition program of national and international scope. The gallery will also provide opportunities to highlight the work of Pratt’s extraordinarily talented students in the professional context they deserve, thereby positioning graduating students for even greater creative and career success. In addition, the gift will allow the Institute to create a student commons adjacent to the gallery, thereby highlighting Pratt’s educational mission and commitment to providing a level of student service commensurate with the quality of its graduate and undergraduate populations. Together, these changes will greatly increase visibility and help the Institute continue to attract higher-caliber students, faculty, and creative leaders who will build on Pratt’s longstanding reputation for excellence and increasing status in the worlds of art and design. “The Macks’ commitment is truly a transformative gift that will usher in a new era for Pratt Manhattan and the Institute at large,” said Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte. “By helping Pratt to create these new facilities, David has set a wonderful example for everyone in the extended Pratt community. We are indeed fortunate to count him among the Institute’s most dedicated trustees and supporters.” A senior partner and vice president of the Mack Company, a real estate development firm, and a director of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, Mack was inspired to name the Pratt Manhattan
David S. Mack and Sondra Mack.
gallery and conference center in part by his family’s tradition of philanthropy. The Institute’s current leadership also played a pivotal role in Mack’s commitment. “President Schutte has done wonders for Pratt Institute. I am delighted to support his vision for this truly remarkable school,” said Mack. By providing an attractive and highly visible space in which to showcase professionally curated exhibitions and the work of the Institute’s alumni and faculty, Mack also hopes that the new gallery will inspire locals and visitors to apply to and take an interest in the Institute. “Pratt alumni have truly made a name for themselves. As a trustee, I’m tremendously proud of the Institute’s graduates and hope that the new face of Pratt Manhattan will encourage others to aspire to such heights by pursuing an education at Pratt.” Mack, who has served on the Board of Trustees development committee since 2007, hopes his pledge will be an inspiration to others in the Pratt community, particularly his fellow trustees, whom he believes have a responsibility to support the Institute. “I am proud to be able to leave a legacy to the Institute through this gift to Pratt Manhattan and hope that others will join me in making their mark at Pratt,” he said. The new Sondra and David S. Mack Pratt Manhattan Center is being designed by Selldorf Architects. The founding principal of the firm is internationally renowned architect and Pratt alumna Annabelle M. Selldorf (B.Arch. ’85), whose cultural and landmark projects include the Neue Galerie New York, Brown University’s John Hay Library, and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.