Bard Graduate Center is devoted to the study of decorative arts, design history, and material culture through research, advanced degrees, exhibitions, publications, and events.

Bard Graduate Center advances the study of decorative arts, design history, and material culture through its object-centered approach to teaching, research, exhibitions, publications, and events.

At BGC, we study the human past and present through their material expressions. We focus on objects and other material forms—from those valued for their aesthetic elements to the ordinary things used in everyday life.

Our accomplished interdisciplinary faculty inspires and prepares students in our MA and PhD programs for successful careers in academia, museums, and the private sector. We bring equal intellectual rigor to our acclaimed exhibitions, award-winning catalogues and scholarly publications, and innovative public programs, and we view all of these integrated elements as vital to our curriculum.

BGC’s campus comprises a state-of-the-art academic programs building at 38 West 86th Street, a gallery at 18 West 86th Street, and a residence hall at 410 West 58th Street. A new collection study center will open at 8 West 86th Street in 2026.

Founded by Dr. Susan Weber in 1993, Bard Graduate Center has become the preeminent institute for academic research and exhibition of decorative arts, design history, and material culture. BGC is an accredited unit of Bard College and a member of the Association of Research Institutes in Art History (ARIAH).

There is no more thoughtful investment in Bard Graduate Center’s future than a planned gift. These gifts have far-reaching effects that benefit both present and future scholars at Bard Graduate Center.

Join The Iris Legacy Society for the Decorative Arts at Bard

The Iris Legacy Society for the Decorative Arts at Bard has been established to recognize loyal alumni/ae and friends of Bard Graduate Center and Bard College who have made provisions in their estate plans designated to support graduate-level study in decorative arts, design history, and material culture at Bard Graduate Center, an independent program of Bard College. Bard Graduate Center and its mission can be supported through a donor’s will; a Charitable Gift Annuity or Trust; or an investment in Bard’s pooled income fund.

A bequest, the most common way for donors to provide for the future of Bard Graduate Center, offers several advantages, including the following:

A donor may be able to make a larger gift than otherwise possible, the estate may save on estate taxes, and the arrangement is revocable, allowing for changes as needed.
You can make a bequest supporting the Bard Graduate Center by preparing a new will or revising an existing one.

Making Bard Graduate Center a beneficiary of retirement accounts, investment accounts, or insurance policies may provide benefits to the donor and their heirs.

Other ways to support Bard Graduate Center include:

Appreciated stock
IRA distributions
Gifts and partial gifts of real estate or other property
In-kind donations: Bard Graduate Center has a world-class academic research library and an object lab where students can gain first-hand experience learning from objects. Both the library and the object lab welcome inquiries about in-kind donations.

Gifts via wire transfers or stock:

Bard Graduate Center welcomes donations via wire transfer. For account numbers and instructions, please contact Lindsay Smilow, Chief Advancement Officer, at lindsay.smilow@bgc.bard.edu, or 212.501.3072.