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 center to house BGC’s Study Collection is planned for 8 West 86th Street.

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).

From Left to Right: Debaleena Bagchi, Sophie Kerwin, Sarah Egan, Daniela Díaz Blancarte.

Since its founding, Bard Graduate Center has offered scholarships and fellowship packages to its students. Thanks to the generous support from a dedicated community of individuals, foundations, and corporations, Bard Graduate Center was able to support 38 master’s students and 20 PhD students with more that $1.8 million in tuition assistance, stipends, and awards. The true value of these scholarships is reflected in the words of the students themselves.

Debaleena Bagchi, Sybil Brenner Bernstein Endowed Scholarship
Growing up in a small town in India, institutes such as BGC, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, were so distant that they seemed almost unreal. While I had dreamt of studying here in New York City, and gaining access to art, mentorship, and resources, I had never anticipated it becoming a reality until your generosity made it possible. And for that, I shall always be grateful.

Sophie Kerwin, Marilyn M. Simpson Scholarship
I have benefited tremendously from taking courses both within and outside my specialty, and am grateful to have learned from BGC’s interdisciplinary faculty—whether in the wide-ranging Objects in Context or focused seminars like Art and Ecology in the Pre-Modern World and The Social Lives of Things. I’ve been lucky to study objects in person at museums like the Met, the Morgan, NYPL, and the Wallach, and to take a Columbia class through BGC’s consortium.

Sarah Egan, Lenore G Tawney Endowed Scholarship
This year at Bard Graduate Center, I’ve had the opportunity to explore my interest in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American textiles. Hands-on study visits with Gina Bianco have transformed how I understand textiles—as both material and a tool for furnishing domestic space. Thanks to scholarship support, I’ve been able to fully focus on my studies, and I’m especially excited to travel to Paris this spring with professor Mei Mei Rado to continue learning about textiles.

Daniela Díaz Blancarte, Cowles Fellowship
The Cowles Fellowship was not just financial support—it was a vote of confidence that encouraged me to work harder and dream bigger. That commitment bore fruit: I was accepted into the PhD program in History of Science at Harvard University, where I will continue pursuing a career as a professor and researcher.