April 19, 2025

Dear Alumni,

I hope this message finds you well!

In New York, we haven’t had much spring weather yet, even though the city’s parks are studded with flowering trees in full bloom. Recently, I walked across Central Park to see said flowering trees in full bloom, though the cold rain made the experience less springlike than I had anticipated. Luckily, my destination was the friends and family reopening of the Frick Collection—thanks to my dear friend and fellow BGC alum Samuel Snodgrass (MA ’22), who works in the Frick’s education department, for the invitation! Visiting the new and improved museum with such an excellent tour guide as Samuel quickly remedied the effects of my chilly April stroll.

As I noted last time, BGC would like to host a career development roundtable later this semester. It would take the form of a conversation on life after BGC among current students and alumni in any field. If you’re interested in participating (or learning more), there’s still time to reach out to Julia Cullen, senior manager of academic programs and student affairs, who is organizing the event. I’ll share more information in the coming weeks!

As always, you can share news via our online form! I look forward to hearing your updates.

All best,
Julia Carabatsos (MA ’22)
alumni@bgc.bard.edu

Alumni Spotlight

On April 8, Andrew Gardner (MA ’15) and Bridget Bartal (MA ’22) both spoke at “Building Blocks: Designers Shaped by the Art Students League,” a moderated talk hosted by the Art Students League. Congratulations, Bridget and Andrew!

Mabel Taylor (MA ’24) and Madeline Porsella (MA ’23), the founders of Mandylion Press, have released two new titles: One or Two and The Morgesons. Well done, Mabel and Madeline!

Daria Murphy (BGC MA ’21) co-organized Context and Meaning, the 24th annual graduate student conference hosted by the Graduate Visual Culture Association at Queen’s University on March 1, 2025. Two current BGC MA students, Tenesha Carter-Johnson and Jacqueline Mack spoke on a panel chaired by Antonia Behan (BGC PhD ’20). Well done, all!

Select Career Opportunities

The Birmingham Museum of Art, located in Birmingham, Alabama, seeks a full-time, grant-funded Curatorial Assistant to hold a two-year assignment. The Curatorial Assistant will provide administrative, logistical, and research support to produce an upcoming exhibition opening in the spring of 2027 on southern foodways in art. Reporting to The William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art and participating as a member of the Curatorial team, the Curatorial Assistant provides support for all day-to-day aspects of the production of a large-scale traveling exhibition. The Curatorial Assistant will also handle a portion of the exhibition’s administrative duties, in conjunction with a part-time Administrative Assistant for the project, including assisting with purchases and budgets, meetings and scheduling, correspondence, and general departmental support. The candidate should be prepared to think broadly about exhibition making and museum spaces, and be excited to contribute their knowledge and experience as part of the exhibition and curatorial teams. The Curatorial Assistant will be provided mentorship and guidance in preparation for a future curatorial career.

The American Art department at LACMA is hiring a part-time Research Assistant. Reporting to the Associate Curator, American Art, the Research Assistant will support the forthcoming reinstallation of the Arts of the United States in LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries (opening April 2026). The Research Assistant will conduct research on the permanent collection, compile bibliographies and exhibition histories, and write interpretative materials. The successful candidate will have expertise in 18th- to early 20th-century American art, excellent writing skills, familiarity with local libraries and archives, and the ability to work independently. The Research Assistant will assist with installation planning, researching new acquisitions, and supporting curatorial projects. This position is projected to end on December 31, 2025.  

For more opportunities please visit the BGC job board.

username: career.services@bgc.bard.edu
password: CareersBGC2024-5*=*

Select Events at BGC

Select External Events

Activism and Archaeology: Present Realities and Future Possibilities
The Columbia Center for Archaeology and Zoom
Friday, April 18
5:10 pm

This talk by Kelly M. Britt addresses how the passage of many historic preservation laws and the development of the field of Cultural Resources Management in the mid-20th century enabled archaeological groups, individual archaeologists, and those working with historic sites to be diligent advocates for heritage, particularly in urban centers as the fast-paced nature of urbanization threatened historical resources and a sense of place. Today, as more social issues, such as climate change, inequality, neoliberal development, and contestation of historical memory, intersect with archaeology and historical sites, we see archaeologists and others continuing to advocate not only for historic resources but also for the larger social justice challenges that threaten the communities in which these resources reside. This talk will be a conversation between the intersection of archaeology and activism and what it means to conduct activist archaeology. The many challenges that this work may entail will be highlighted, including the physical and ethical lines between activist and archaeologist and where we, as a discipline, can collectively imagine what a future activist archaeology may look like.

Shop the BGC Store!

Visit our online store at store.bgc.bard.edu for 40% off all items. Enter code ALUMNI at checkout to receive the discount.

Sign up for Gaggle!

Gaggle.mail is an opt-in list-serv that serves as a place to share job openings, conference attendance, published books/articles, and exhibition openings directly with fellow alums. It’s a communication forum for alumni, by alumni. To circulate your news in the Gaggle group, send an email to bgcalumni@gaggle.email.