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).

After a recent Wednesdays@BGC event, several of my classmates and I visited the textile lab at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). The visit was organized by Andrew Kircher, director of Public Humanities + Research, professor Aaron Glass, and Hector Manuel Meneses Lozano, director of el Museo Textil de Oaxaca in Mexico.

Meneses Lozano was a guest speaker in the Wednesdays@BGC series, and the visit to AMNH was part of his engagement. During the visit, BGC students, fellows, and faculty were able to examine a selection of Mexican textiles. Meneses Lozano photographed these textiles to share them with weavers who frequently collaborate with el Museo Textil de Oaxaca, hoping they might recreate these unique pieces.

For me, it was amazing to see Hector in action, quickly identifying various textiles and the techniques used to create them. As a group, we interacted with ponchos, huipiles, rebozos, and servilletas. We were provided with magnifying glasses and gloves for a close examination. It was fascinating to observe Hector’s approach to engaging with the objects, and it was equally incredible to handle the textiles ourselves. Hector generously answered all our questions about recurring motifs, weave patterns, and the use of synthetic and natural dyes.

It was wonderful to connect so closely with one of our visiting scholars, and I am grateful we had the chance to experience the AMNH’s collection together.

By Gabby Valencia (she/her), MA ’26