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).

Samantha Baron is a native New Yorker who has been with BGC since December of 2012. Early in her career, she worked in the education department at Federation Employment and Guidance Service, a non-profit that worked to secure funding for the Board of Education. There, she was involved with grant writing for public high school attendance intervention drop-out prevention, career mentorship, and dress for success programs. She moved on to work at other academic institutions in admissions and career counseling. Since then, Baron has worked in human resources and benefits management for 17-plus years, in large international law firms, the corporate sector, and academic institutions, which led to her current role as Director of Administration at BGC. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, puppies, and friends and traveling the world.