Pratt Fine Arts Center

Pratt Fine Arts Center is a non-profit arts education and resource center in the Squire Park area of Seattle's Central District. The center employs 155 teaching artists and conducts more than 600 classes annually.[1]

Printmaking shop at Pratt

Hot glass (glassblowing) facility at Pratt

Pratt was founded in 1976 by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation[2] and named in honor of slain civil rights leader Edwin T. Pratt.[3] In 1982 it was turned over to a newly created 501(c)(3) non-profit, City Art Works.[2] Since then, Pratt has grown into a nearly $3 million annual budget. With an average class size of 6.5 students, the school had 4,335 total class registrations in 2019.[1]

Pratt includes facilities for glassblowing, lampworking, glass beadmaking, flameworked glass, metal sculpture, bronze casting, stone carving, jewelry and metalsmithing, woodworking, printmaking, painting and drawing.[2] The Center has 14 studios across three buildings: the main building in Pratt Park (also named after Edwin Pratt) and two additional buildings in the block immediately south of the park.[4] The latter two were originally part of the adjacent now empty Wonder Bread bakery.[5]

Programs include adult and youth education (including free Saturday programs for youth), master artist intensives and visiting artist programs, and studio access programs for working artists.[6] In 2019, Pratt served 960 youth and teens through education programs and granted 139 new independent artists with access to its studios.[1]