We are excited to announce a full slate of spring research programming to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our seminar series. Seminars, lectures, and symposia organized by our faculty bring into our midst scholarly conversations on relevant subject matter or methodological debate, broadening our curricular vision and helping to further the institution’s goal of promoting research in the areas of decorative arts, design history, and material culture—what we call the “cultural history of the material world.” Over the past two decades we have hosted 740 events and welcomed 1,053 speakers to West 86th Street.

“The Seminar Series was created in order to bring to Bard Graduate Center interesting work done at the edges of our inter-disciplinary universe, but also interesting questions coming from beyond and yet applicable to it. … The constant parade of new voices and new questions was designed to make sure that our in-house conversation neither stagnated nor grew self-satisfied (these always being the peril of a small institution). It very quickly achieved these purposes. It also made new friends for the institution and helped establish our intellectual vision at the heart of the recent, wide interest in the advanced humanistic study of things. … When we did the numbers some years ago we discovered yet another plus: at that time a good one third of our graduate applications came with letters of recommendation from people who had spoken at the BGC.” - Dean Peter N. Miller

Download the poster.

Learn more and register for events!