Peppy Downer Exhibition: Gallery Hours

Pratt Photo MFA Gallery
Pratt Institute at Dock 72, Brooklyn Navy Yard
February 4 - March 12, 2026

Opening Reception Wednesday February 4, 2026 6-8pm
Public Dialogue with Pratt Photo MFA Alumni moderated by Lucas Blalock 7pm

Closing Reception and Conversation with Whitney Hubbs and Lucas Blalock
Wednesday March 11, 6-8 pm

All other times by appointment.

Following Photography Commons, a public panel of NYC based non- profit arts spaces in 2025, Pratt Photo MFA presents Peppy Downer, a new iteration of a group exhibition curated by Lucas Blalock originally on view at Light Work’s Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery in Syracuse, NY.

Collaboration and commitment to the expanded field of photography, its sites of engagement, creation and its practitioners is central to the Pratt Photo MFA program. This inter- organizational project is representative of Pratt Photo MFA’s ongoing development as an internationally recognized program committed to connecting its students with the larger contemporary arts community.

About the Exhibition

Peppy Downer brings together more than twenty photographers whose works span a range of styles, moments, and emotional registers — from surreal whimsy to documentary grit, conceptual play to poetic reflection. Featuring artists including Vikky Alexander, David Broda, Lucinda Devlin, Jon Reis, Aaron Siskind, James Welling, and others, the exhibition constructs what Blalock describes as “a picture of our common plot” — a constellation of images that whistle “a song about time, history, and experience.”

Blalock named the exhibition Peppy Downer as a nod to a particular affective register that rings out in the contemporary: “a feeling of disappointment that is somehow still ringed in giddiness — an optimism that is cruel to the believer, or an overly caffeinated doldrum.”

The presentation is built of unexpected juxtapositions — a paper bag on the ground, a marching band in the woods, a man vacuuming his dog, Cinderella’s Castle, an electric chair— inviting viewers to consider the heterogeneous conditions of the world pictured and to experience photography’s capacity to reflect, confirm, imagine or even constitute that relationship.

About Pratt Photo MFA

Pratt Institute’s MFA in Photography is a two-year (four-semester) terminal degree program. We welcome advanced applicants with interests in contemporary art practices – of all varieties – that rely heavily on the role of photographic imagery and imaging. This can include artists who use lens-based cameras; photosensitive materials and/or sensors; re-photography, aggregation, and quotation; and all approaches that fall under the umbrella of the photographic—including research and critical positions with relation to the histories and practices of photography, both still and moving.

Our pedagogy encompasses both lens- and print-based technologies alongside the history and context for the making of photographic images, objects, and installations in the 21st century. Fluency in the language and currency of images in our cultural and media landscapes is a core value of our program. In addition to courses in photographic and interdisciplinary practice, each student in the program works independently in their own studio and in shared production facilities. Each student mounts a capstone thesis exhibition during their final semester in the program.

For inquiries or to schedule an appointment for viewing please contact Stephanie Espinoza, Assistant Chair of the MFA Photography Program [email protected]

About Light Work

Light Work was founded as an artist-run, non-profit organization in 1973 in Syracuse, NY. Its mission is to provide direct support through residencies, publications, exhibitions, a community-access digital lab facility, and other related projects to emerging and under-represented artists working in the media of photography and moving image.

The Light Work Collection serves as an important document of Light Work’s history of support for artists and their creative process. The collection consists primarily of work made by artists who have participated in the residency, exhibition, and Light Work grant recipients. The collection is an extensive and diverse archive that maps the trends and developments in contemporary photography. There are currently over 4,000 works of art in Light Work’s permanent collection that is accessible to view on their online database.

FINDING DOCK 72

Dock72 is here: 1 Dock 72 Wy, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Here is more information on how to get to Dock72:

By Foot: The easiest way is going through Building 77 (141 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205) Use your QR code to access the Navy Yard at the gates located at the end of the building's hall (past the food vendors).
By Taxi/Rideshare: Enter Building 77, 141 Flushing Ave as your drop-off location.
By Car: There is no parking at Dock 72. You must park outside the Navy Yard and walk in.
By Ferry: Dock 72 is located adjacent to the NYC Brooklyn Navy Yard Ferry stop.

When you arrive at Dock 72, enter the Lobby and then use your pass at ELEVATOR BANK A to go straight to the Photography section, which is the SECOND elevator bank in the lobby (to the left of the lobby cafe and right in front of the security desk).

At the elevator bank, select Floor 3 on the digital pad which will then indicate which elevator to take.

IMPORTANT ACCESS INFORMATION

Access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Dock 72 is strictly limited to those with a visitor pass. All RSVPs will receive an email with instructions on how to obtain a Visitor QR Code Pass, which will be issued on the morning of the event.

You will receive a digital QR pass from DOCK 72 Visitor Check-in ([email protected]) valid only for the event date.

Please register each attendee with their email to ensure they receive their unique QR pass.

NOTE: On-site parking is unavailable; however, taxi/ride share drop-offs are allowed. The building is conveniently located next to the NYC Ferry, Citibike stations, and shuttle services to/from nearby MTA subway stops. For additional details, please visit Dock 72 Getting There.

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Host or Publisher Pratt Institute Photography Department