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).

Bard Graduate Center Gallery is pleased to announce that it has extended free admission from 11 am to 8 pm every Wednesday, in addition to its current free hours from 5 pm to 8 pm on Thursdays. The suggested admission is now $7 general and $5 students and seniors (65+) with free admission on Wednesdays from 11 am to 8 pm, and Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm. The Gallery is closed Mondays.

“The success of our free Thursday evenings,” says Gallery Director, Nina Stritzler-Levine, “fosters our willingness to ensure our exhibitions are accessible to all.” Wednesday free admission starts immediately.

Bard Graduate Center Gallery is located in New York City at 18 West 86th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Throughout the summer, Bard Graduate Center is offering an array of public programs, including walking tours, family-friendly open houses, and a monthly poetry series hosted in the Wendy’s Subway Reading Room. A full list of programs is at bgc.bard.edu/events/.