Dear Prospective Students,

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and are doing well. Many of you have received my previous email or seen me at one of the open houses. For those who haven’t, my name is Nishtha Dani and I am the student Admissions Ambassador here at Bard Graduate Center. My research is focused on early medieval Islamic art, especially ideas around magic and the occult concerning portable objects.

As an MA student, I have taken classes with a number of professors during my time at BGC which have expanded my knowledge across time periods, methods, and areas of study. However, learning from my classmates and friends has been equally as important! In one my classes this fall, Craftscapes in Action with Prof. Caspar Meyer, we have been studying crafting techniques and communities of practices within the Ancient Greco-Roman worlds. A fascinating seminar has been made more valuable through the diverse personal and professional backgrounds of my classmates. Discussions about glassblowing, weaving, and pottery techniques within Hellenistic and Roman times have benefitted from having a glassblower, lace maker, and ceramicists in the class. Their knowledge of making practices, inherited rituals, and intricacies adds something that theoretical study can never reveal completely.

I want to thank all of you who attended our fall open houses. We’re planning a spring admissions event around interview week for those of you applying this year. It will be open to all however, so stay tuned. Please feel free to email me directly if you have any questions about being a student at BGC or the application process.

Best Regards,

Nishtha Dani
Admissions Ambassador, MA ’25
nishtha.dani@bgc.bard.edu