An evening of objects, ideas, cocktails, and dancing at Bard Graduate Center—where THINGS matter.
Come curious. Stay late.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
7–11 pm
Bard Graduate Center
38 West 86th Street, New York City
Join us after dark for Material World, a new BGC celebration bringing together artists, designers, collectors, scholars, and the culturally curious.
Creatively directed by internationally acclaimed artist Richard Tuttle, the evening will transform BGC’s academic building into an immersive world inspired by Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film.
Expect cocktails, light bites, dancing, a fantastical photo booth, playful encounters with objects, unexpected connections, and special after-hours access to the BGC Gallery.
Tunes by DJ Holly T.
Silver-screen sparkle, shine, and goddess-inspired glamour encouraged.
TICKETS
Individual — $125
Patron — $250
Includes special recognition
MW Council — $500
Includes two tickets and recognition on the event webpage and materials
MATERIAL WORLD COUNCIL
Emma CormackMichelle Finamore
Keli Goff
Laura Microulis
Zesty Meyers
Jennifer Olshin
Eliza Rubin
Emma Scully
Evan Snyderman
Richard Tuttle
*in formation
To join, contact [email protected]
Subject line: Material World Council 2026
Help us bring a new generation of artists, designers, collectors, scholars, and friends into BGC’s orbit.
Material World Council members receive two tickets and special recognition on the event webpage and materials.
ABOUT MATERIAL WORLD
Material World brings BGC’s exploration of objects and material culture into a more social and immersive setting. Conceived as an annual celebration, the evening invites guests to encounter BGC, and one another, in an entirely new way.
Proceeds support Bard Graduate Center’s exhibitions, scholarship, research, and public programs as the annual fundraiser for the BGC Design Circle.
DISCOVER THE DESIGN CIRCLE
Material World is also an invitation to discover the BGC Design Circle, a community for people who share a curiosity about objects, design, and the ideas that shape the material world.
Design Circle members enjoy opportunities to experience BGC more deeply through exhibition previews, curator-led conversations, visits to private collections and studios, and gatherings with artists, designers, scholars, and fellow members.
Membership supports BGC’s exhibitions, research, teaching, and public programs while helping cultivate the next generation of people who care about objects and their histories.
Join the Design Circle!
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film explores the powerful relationship between fashion, film, and modern identity during the silent-screen era.
The exhibition is on view at the BGC Gallery, 18 West 86th Street, from September 18, 2026, through January 3, 2027.
