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Eva Zeisel at 100: A Lifetime of Masterwork in Design

October 4, 2006- November 18, 2006

Reception: October 3, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Eva Zeisel

Pratt Manhattan Gallery

144 W 14th St



“Eva Zeisel at 100: A Lifetime of Masterwork in Design” at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery presents nearly 100 original ceramic works by the renowned designer and celebrates her contributions to Pratt Institute, where she taught for 15 years. The exhibition runs from October 4 through November 18, 2006.

A reception on October 3 from 6-9 p.m. will formally open the exhibition. The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. The reception will include an object and book signing by Eva Zeisel and Lucie Young, author of the book Eva Zeisel, at 7:30 p.m.

Featuring nearly 100 original pieces of innovative design, including current works-in-progress, and rare examples of ceramics, furniture, glassware, metal and textile designs from Zeisel’s personal collection, “Eva Zeisel at 100: A Lifetime of Masterwork in Design” chronicles her career leading up to her 100th birthday on November 13, 2006.

“This exhibition, a survey of her long and varied career, features two important, yet often overlooked aspects of her work: her use of color and the impact of her work as an instructor in Pratt Institute’s Department of Industrial Design,” says Karen Kettering, Curator of Russian and Eastern European Art, Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C., and guest curator of “Eva Zeisel at 100: A Lifetime of Masterwork in Design.”

The exhibition is part of the Pratt Institute President’s Exhibition Series, a series founded by current President Thomas F. Schutte to specifically celebrate the work of its faculty, alumni, and students.

“We are delighted to host an exhibition celebrating Eva Zeisel’s exceptional career and to bring her back to Pratt for this very special occasion,” says Schutte. “Eva was extremely influential in shaping Pratt’s Department of Industrial Design, and inspired hundreds of students as a professor at Pratt.”

Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1906, Zeisel began her ceramic career as an apprentice to a local potter. Her skills and experience led to jobs in various ceramic factories, and after traveling to the Soviet Union in 1932, she became the Artistic Director for the Porcelain and Glass Industries.

In 1936, Zeisel was falsely accused of plotting against Joseph Stalin, and was imprisoned for over a year, most of which in solitary confinement. After her release, she traveled to England and on to New York in 1938 with her husband. A year later, Zeisel created the first course in the United States to teach ceramics arts in the Department of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute, where she taught until 1953.

“Eva set about quite emphatically steering us, leading us and often enticing us into new fields of thinking and shape development,” says Douglas Kelley, a former student of Zeisel’s at Pratt.

Zeisel’s designs are present in the collections of Crate and Barrel, Nambé, Chantal, and numerous others. Last year she received the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and in 2002 she received a Pratt Legends Award. Her work has appeared in the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art.

“My new designs reflect, as always, my playful search for beauty,” says Zeisel, who continues to produce works regularly.

The public is invited to attend two lectures in conjunction with the exhibition.

Thursday, October 26, 6 p.m.: “Eva Zeisel & Co.: The Female Condition in Modern Design” by Katarina V. Posch, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History of Art and Design, Pratt Institute.

Wednesday, November 1, 6 p.m.: “Pleasure and Mass Production: Eva Zeisel’s Work in the Soviet Union and the United States, 1932-1954” by Karen Kettering, Curator, Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C.

Both lectures will take place at the Pratt Manhattan campus, Room 213, and are free and open to the public. For more information on the lectures, call (212) 647-7778 or email exhibits@pratt.edu.

Pratt Institute President Thomas F. Schutte also will host a private birthday party for Eva Zeisel at Pratt Manhattan Gallery on her actual birthday for her close friends and family. The private birthday party will be a by-invitation-only event.

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location map  Address 144 W 14th St, 2nd Fl New York (Chelsea) NY, 10011 United States Phone 212-647-7778 Hours Tue-Fri 10:30-5:30, Sat 12-5 Add To Tour

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