FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FINAL 4.10.15
KRAVIS CENTER AND PRATT INSTITUTE HONOR STUDENT SCULPTURE DESIGN WINNERS
Awards dinner showcases potential designs for Helen K. Persson Society donor monument
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla – The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts hosted nearly 350
guests for dinner on Tuesday, April 7 to culminate a sculpture competition for Pratt Institute design
students. Eight students, under the tutelage of Associate Industrial Design Professor Robert Langhorn,
each designed a sculpture to honor Kravis Center Helen K. Persson Society members and their
contributions to the Permanently Restricted Endowment Fund. Awards were presented to all eight
students by Pratt Institute President, Thomas F. Schutte.
Robin Oglesbee-Venghaus was chosen to receive the first place $3,000 prize award for his winning
design, “The Embrace.” The other awards presented were:
• Second Place, $2,000: “Jeté” by Pachara Kanġchirdsri
• Third Place, $1,000: “Halo” by Jesse Loosbrock
• Five honorable mention awards of $500 each: “Flama” by Jonathan Cortes, “Rise” by Sukyung
Lee, “Aerate” by Keshav Ramaswami, “Swell” by Yangyang Wang and “Realm” by Kevin Yoo
The Sculpture Competition was a collaboration between Pratt Institute, a renowned New York Citybased college that educates creative thinkers from around the world, and the Kravis Center, South
Florida’s premier not-for-profit performing arts center dedicated to improving quality of life in Palm
Beach County through presenting artists and companies of the highest quality and providing a
comprehensive arts education program to the entire community.
Pratt Trustee Emeritus/Alumnus and Kravis Center Founder member Bruce M. Newman conceived the
initial collaboration to bring a real-world creative challenge to students for a site-specific work to honor
Kravis Center donors. Mr. Newman provided most of the funding for the project including the monetary
awards for all eight students.
“The partnership between the Kravis Center and Pratt Institute was a unique opportunity for Pratt’s
talented students to channel their creativity into designs for a site-specific piece of art,” said Newman. “I
am impressed with the quality and sophistication of the designs, and am proud of all of our finalists for
their excellent work and dedication to this project.”
Earlier in the day the students presented their designs to a jury of local design and arts leaders and one
elected official all who were in attendance at the awards dinner - Hope Alswang, Director and Chief
Executive Officer, Norton Museum of Art; Rena Blades, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cultural
Council of Palm Beach County; John Loring, Design Director Emeritus, Tiffany & Co.; Mario Nievera,
Founder and President, Nievera Williams Landscape Architecture; Joseph Sanches, Executive Vice
President, D. Stephenson Construction, Inc.; Scott Snyder, National and International Interior Designer
and Mayor Jeri Muoio, City of West Palm Beach.
Among the guests attending were: Jane M. Mitchell, Kravis Center Board Chair; Bruce J. Gitlin, Pratt
Institute Board Chair; Peter Barna, Pratt Institute Provost, Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen, Kravis Center’s
Helen K. Persson Society members, Kravis Center Board Members, Life Trustees and supporters, elected
officials as well as Pratt Institute alumni and supporters.
-more-
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“At the Kravis Center, we recognize the importance of mentoring and cultivating the next generation of
artists from all disciplines, whether sculpture, architecture, or the visual and performing arts,” said
Kravis Center CEO Judith A. Mitchell. “Partnering with Pratt Institute for the sculpture competition
underscores our commitment to supporting the world of art beyond live performance, and showcases
our mission to provide arts education to our community.”
Centrally located in West Palm Beach, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is one of the
premier performing arts centers in the Southeast with a growing national and international reputation.
The Center is a leading force in the social fabric of the community, providing outreach programs as
broad and varied as the community itself. For general information about Kravis Center performances,
please visit the Center’s official website at www.kravis.org or call the box office at 561-832-7469 (561832-SHOW). For information about the Kravis Center’s special events, contact the Development Office at
(561) 651-4320.
Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700
undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and
library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with historic campuses in
Brooklyn and Manhattan, Pratt is a living lab of craft and creativity with an esteemed faculty of
accomplished professionals and scholars who challenge their talented students to transform their
passion into meaningful expression.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
For Pratt Institute
 Roberta Lee or Miranda Barbot 212-576-2700 or [email protected]
For Kravis Center
 Kelly Husak, Slatkow & Husak, 561.278.0850 or [email protected]