Developing a scholarship fund at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY

As a graduate of Pratt Institute, I would like to give back to the institution that helped model my own career path. As a single mother, raising two small children, I was unable to fund my continuing education without the help of those who create scholarships and grants for individuals in need. Pratt Institute was instrumental in helping me to turn my career dreams into reality. This year, I would like to start the process of creating an ongoing grant program at Pratt Institute that will serve underprivileged women and girls.

The goal would be to do outreach in underprivileged communities and homes by developing a talent search. We would be focusing on those arts which have the ability of creating sustainable income. Studies in such areas as Architecture, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Illustration, Animation, and Film all help to develop successful careers.

Dorian DeHaan, ASID

NYCID, NJCID, NCRID, CKD, Assoc AIA

Artisan Discovery Foundation, Founder

Extended Member & Past Chairwoman: NYS Department of Education, Interior Design Board

Empowering Women in the Hudson Valley

Having adopted a mother and two small children for the 2021 Christmas holiday, it became apparent that there are many ways for ADF to help right here at home in our local Hudson Valley communities. We will begin the process of developing empowerment programs for “at risk” women and girls. The mission, as always, will be to create avenues by which sustainable income can be realized.

Empowering Women Everywhere

On July 27, 2015 I was honored to be a guest of Nan Gill-Wilson on her "Empowering Women Everywhere" show, cable channel #23. It was humbling to be able to talk about the birth of the Artisan Discovery Foundation and our upcoming projects in the Highlands of Peru.  We were so grateful to be offered the opportunity to share our story.  Please visit https://vimeo.com/136529152 to see the interview.

Our first in-country journey took place on August 14th through August 29th, 2015 and my hope is to share that experience.  It took 3 years to raise the funding needed to begin our first on-the-ground "in the trenches" field work and we were able to film x3 mini documentaries of our work while we were there.  Stay tuned while our films are still in editing stage.  We can't wait to share them with you!