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).

Photo by Liz Ligon.

Another momentous achievement for Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen was announced in late May— this time, for the exhibition’s catalogue. The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) honored the catalogue accompanying the exhibition with a 2023 Award of Excellence in publication.

The AAMC’s Awards of Excellence are the only accolades by which curators directly honor their colleagues. This year, there were nearly one hundred and seventy five nominations submitted and vetted by the curator jurors from around the world. BGC’s Threads of Power catalogue was among eleven projects that were honored for original curatorial content that addresses issues of social justice, access, diversity, and inclusion.

Curators of Threads of Power, Emma Cormack, Michele Majer, the catalogue’s editors attended the announcement party. Cormack reflected, “Michele and I were truly honored by the recognition Threads of Power received at this year’s AAMC conference and we were proud to be named alongside other awardees for publications, exhibitions, and digital projects. Celebrating Threads of Power again with our talented publications team of Laura Grey, Alexis Mucha, Kat Atkins, and Helen Polson as well as other current and former BGC colleagues was wonderful. The timing of this award was especially nice—we just sent the book off for a second print run!”