About

The Vernon Pratt Project is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the artistic legacy of notable North Carolina minimalist/modernist artist Vernon Pratt. Through efforts to expose his work and ideas to new audiences and facilitating the gift of many of his works to major museums and institutions, it is our hope that Vernon Pratt will one day be universally recognized as the true modernist master and genius that he undoubtedly was.

Since taking on this responsibility in December of 2016, the project has helped to facilitate gifts (on behalf of the Pratt family) to various museums and institutions including but not limited to: the Weatherspoon Art Museum, UNC Greensboro, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, North Carolina State University, the Western Carolina Fine Art Museum, the Asheville Art Museum and Duke University.

BIOGRAPHY

Vernon Pratt: (b. 1940 - d. 2000)

Durham, NC native

Duke University Associate Professor of Art (1964-2000)

Founder/Director - Duke in New York Arts Program

Accomplished Jazz Saxophonist (toured internationally)

Vernon_sitting.jpg

 

EDUCATION

Duke University

Undergraduate Coursework (1958-1960)

San Francisco Art Institute

B.F.A. (1962)

M.F.A. (1964) *Richard Diebenkorn, Advisor

Notable accomplishments include being the subject of a major solo exhibition at NCMA (1985-86), exhibiting in numerous high-profile shows nationally and internationally including The NY Times reviewed "Tit for Tatlin" exhibit at the Alternative Museum in NY (1984). Recent exhibitions include major solo shows at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design (October, 2018 - February, 2019) and the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum (August - November, 2018).

Pratt's work can be found in the permanent collections of several major U.S. museums and institutions including but not limited to: the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), the Nasher Museum of Art, the Weatherspoon Art Museum, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, the Asheville Art Museum, Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Duke University, the Durham Arts Council, Rochester Institute of Technology, North Carolina Artworks for State Buildings - a program of the North Carolina Arts Council, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the City of Raleigh, NCSSM and the San Francisco Art Institute. 

*This website is a living document and is in its beginning stages of development. It will continue to be updated regularly.

**Follow us on Instagram @the_vernon_pratt_project and #vernonpratt