Interior designer David Easton, Architectural Digest editor-in-chief Margaret Russell, journalist and author Pete Hamill, and contemporary artist James Turrell will be honored on November 11 at the Pratt Institute’s Legends 2013, an annual scholarship benefit honoring icons of art and design.
Clockwise from top: David Easton, Margaret Russell, Pete Hamill, James Turell
Ted Allen, the host of the primetime Food Network series Chopped, will emcee the gala, which takes place at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.
The event raises funds for merit and need-based scholarships, as 80% of Pratt students receive financial aid to pursue their education.
David Easton (B.F.A. Interior Design '63), principal, David Easton Inc., is being recognized for creating inspired environments that reflect the mastery of his craft and set standards for excellence in design. He has been named to Architectural Digest’s list of the “Top 100 Designers in the World” a record 10 times.
Margaret Russell is being recognized as one of the world’s leading design authorities and media innovators. Prior to joining Architectural Digest, she served as vice president and editor-in-chief of Elle Decor, a publication that she helped launch in 1989.
Pete Hamill, who studied illustration and communications design at Pratt in the 1950s, is being recognized as an award-winning American literary icon whose work captures the stories that shape the human experience. A prolific author of numerous articles, essays, short stories, and eleven novels, Hamill’s work often features his New York City hometown.
James Turrell, whose innovative explorations with light and space were featured in three blockbuster exhibitions across the United States in 2013, is being recognized as a role model for visionaries in all fields.
The Legends awards were conceived in 1999 by the Board of Trustees to celebrate distinguished individuals and companies in the world of art and design, whose accomplishments and values resonate with those of Pratt Institute.
Past Legends awards recipients include Laurie Anderson, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Marc Jacobs, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Meier, Beverly Pepper, David Rockwell, Patti Smith, Julie Taymor, Bruce Weber, William Wegman, Robert Wilson, and Eva Zeisel.
