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).

Graduate Internship:
New York City Archaeological Repository. This internship experience challenged my research skills and pushed my research to consider all possible aspects of an object and the story it can tell.

Other Experience:
Before completing my master’s degree at Bard Graduate Center, I completed a bachelor’s degree at Mount Holyoke College where I majored in ancient studies, with a focus in art history and archaeology. At Mount Holyoke College, Pompeii and its material culture became a main academic area of inquiry for me. Throughout my undergraduate career, I worked at two archives—the college’s Archives & Special Collections and the American Antiquarian Society—where I gained strong knowledge of object handling practices and took advantage of opportunities to curate my own exhibitions around objects and paper materials contained within the respective archival collections.

Digital Project Requirement:
My digital project helped me better understand the effort museums and other academic institutions put into creating accessible and readable sites that will allow their audiences to learn.

Describe a class or a relationship with a particular professor that shaped your research or your career goals:
My relationship with multiple Bard Graduate Center professors—specifically Caspar Meyer, Freyja Hartzell, and Jennifer Mass—helped shape my research. For example, Jennifer Mass taught “The Science Behind the Sparkle” which helped shape an interest in glass I hadn’t previously addressed. Now, even after graduating from BGC, I’m taking a course through the Corning Museum of Glass to further my research.

Qualifying Paper:
Imitating the Flower: Nineteenth-Century Artificial Plants and Gendered Botanical Education

Describe one surprising discovery during your QP research:
I was surprised to discover the practice of making flowers from wax was initially a male activity and that it turned into a female activity as better suited materials for academics began to be used.

Next Steps:
My dream job would be a curator or collections manager (maybe one day director!) at a major museum or institution in Washington, DC, Boston, or New York City. I would like to work directly with objects. I’m interested in working with ancient collections, 18th and 19th century US collections, or at a natural history institution. I am applying mainly in the Northeast!