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).

Samrudha Dixit’s research examines everyday objects in India during the Cold War. His dissertation incorporates technology- and economy-focused discourses that complement the institution-centric narrative of the country’s design history.

Before delving into design studies, Samrudha trained as an industrial designer and worked alongside Indian architects and engineers on projects employing diverse materials from bamboo to tensile fabric. This hands-on experience in material innovation became integral to his work on the “Vernacular Furniture of North-West India” project at CEPT University. During the project, he was awarded the Charles Wallace India Trust Fellowship and Simon Digby Memorial Charity Grant to study the furniture construction at the South Asia Collection in Norwich, UK. Samrudha co-authored the project’s findings in Sahaj (2020) and Anaikya (2021) while contributing to various catalogs, drawing portfolios, exhibitions, and websites.