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).

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Students took a break from writing their end-of-semester papers and studying for finals to attend a tapestry weaving workshop at the Textile Arts Center on 28 West 8th Street on December 3, as part of Bard Graduate Center’s “Materials Day” program. Co-Executive Director Isa Rodrigues, a textile conservator and artist, provided a fascinating overview of looms and practical instruction about tapestry weaving techniques and materials.

During the three-hour workshop, we worked on small weaving frames to each make our own tapestry. From the Center’s collection of materials, we choose cottons, wools, velvets, and acrylics, with textures that ranged from smooth to fuzzy to sumptuous to sparkly, and colors from electric pink and green to natural cream and rust. We experimented with weaving structures (basic, twining, twill, and basket), color joining techniques (slit, dovetail, and interlocking), and knots (symmetric and asymmetric), and created our own design motifs (blocks of color, zig-zags, and even a pizza). All the while, we discussed how this hands-on experience greatly improved our understanding of woven fabrics and textiles. At the end of a very enjoyable and instructive (and even therapeutic) day, the Center gave us our frames and additional samples of materials to complete our day’s experiments and to begin new ones.

~ Meredith B. Linn, Assistant Professor