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).

Courtney A. Stewart is a gemologist (G.G.), researcher, and lecturer in Islamic art history with a focus on the history of jewelry and gemstones. She has worked on a number of curatorial projects in the department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2010 and has also served as a consultant at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. Courtney holds an PhD from Bard Graduate Center, an MA in museum studies from the University of Toronto, and a BA (Hons) in comparative literature from Western University in London, Canada. Her work has been cited in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR. Courtney has taught Islamic art history at the University of Toronto as well as New York University.