Just Checking In

I’ve been a slacker of late – sorry for the lack of posts. Lots of things going on – lots of met and unmet deadlines flying by. Right now I’m writing a paper – well right now I’m at work blogging – right now in the gestalt I’m writing a paper on the ritual of pilgrimage in western and non-western culture with specific emphasis on architectural expression as manifested in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella in Spain and Ise Shrine in Japan. It’s a fascinating topic – but it’s taking a long time to write.

In other news – referring to my last post on Pratt Foundry, there was an article is yesterday’s NYTimes about the foundries in India who make NYC manholes. Not surprisingly, it’s cheaper to do this is in India than it is here. Our foundry workers get $25 an hour whereas the factory workers in India get paid a few dollars a day.

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Lecture: Design for the Other 90%

Tonight Cynthia Smith, curator at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum will be speaking at Pratt’s Brooklyn Campus.

Thursday, November 15 2007

6:30 PM

Main Building (Brooklyn) Room 230

Bronze Casting at Pratt

On Tuesday November 13 from 10am to 5pm Prof. Licio Isolani’s class will be casting bronze, in the Pratt’s Metal Shop. Art conservators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including Ancient Metal conservator Debora Schorsch and her class from NYU Conservation Center will be attending as well as several other conservation scientists. I will be also bringing my Chemistry and Art students to observe the class.

The process of bronze casting has not changed much since the ancient Greek times and for that reason it is interesting from an art conservation perspective. Please feel free to go see the process it is very interesting.
If you need directions, please e-mail edelfede@pratt.edu and/or Prof. Isolani : lisolani@pratt.edu

Guggenheim Internship Applications Due November 1st.

Internship Application

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers a variety of internships for undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students in art history, administration, conservation, education, and related fields.

Contact the Internship Coordinator, Michelle Jubin, at mjubin@guggenheim.org if you have questions.

Art History Requirements

Required

(3) Art History Theory & Methodology

(3) Materials, Techniques & Conservation

(3) Thesis

Distribution Electives

(2/3) Film/Design

(3) Architecture

(3) Non- Western

(3) Pre-Renaissance

(3) Renaissance/Baroque

(2/3) 19th or 20th century

French or German language requirements

CUNY Language Reading Program

Deutsches Haus

Not sure about this one – but they have interesting programs

French Institute Alliance Francais