Two New York colleges are teaming up to put the "art" in culinary arts. Future food industry leaders from The Culinary Institute of America and future professional designers from Pratt Institute are taking a class together this fall that calls upon the special talents of these students.
The collaboration—Food and Design: Hudson River—is a semester-long, three-credit class with 12 students each from the CIA and Pratt. The Hudson River was selected as the theme for this exploration of food and design as it has been vital to the region's food, art, and commerce for centuries and is familiar to students from both colleges. During the semester, students will visit art museums and food producers as well as agricultural, artistic, and historic sites.
"We are delighted to collaborate with Pratt Institute to create an experiential learning experience inspired by the history, culture, geography, ecology, and beauty of the Hudson River," says Dr. Denise Bauer, dean of the CIA's School of Liberal Arts and Food Studies. "Coming from specialized colleges, CIA and Pratt students share the same kind of focus and passion for their chosen fields; bringing them together to create a collaborative food design project promises a unique outcome."
During the semester, students will visit each other's college twice in addition to meeting weekly on their own campus and connecting via video conference. The course will wrap up with a culminating event in which teams of students from both colleges work together to create a project for public exhibit inspired by the culture of the Hudson River.
At the CIA, the course is a bachelor's-level elective open to juniors and seniors majoring in Applied Food Studies or Food Business Management. It is being co-taught by CIA Associate Professor Antonella Piemontese and Pratt Assistant Professor Dr. Karol Murlak.
The CIA and Pratt worked together in the past, on an exchange program that saw baking and pastry arts majors from the CIA and design students from Pratt visit each other's campus to share and compare their differing approaches to the creative process. For example, design projects at Pratt could take weeks or months to develop, while artistic desserts at the CIA must be prepared, plated, and served within a matter of hours or even minutes. The exchange brought new perspectives to all students involved.
The CIA and Pratt worked together in the past, on an exchange program that saw baking and pastry arts majors from the CIA and design students from Pratt visit each other's campus to share and compare their differing approaches to the creative process. For example, design projects at Pratt could take weeks or months to develop, while artistic desserts at the CIA must be prepared, plated, and served within a matter of hours or even minutes. The exchange brought new perspectives to all students involved.
