Hello Alumni,

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend! On Sunday I attended a family wedding on the banks of Lake Monona in Madison, WI. During the ceremony, a warm breeze rippled through everyone’s hair, mingling with the enthusiastic music of Brat Fest down the hill and across the street. Summer sounds (and smells!) seem to vary from state to state, and city to city–but I hope they have found you, wherever you may be this season.

Please don’t hesitate to keep me in the loop of your news, either by email or the online form! And in the meantime, Happy Pride! 

Best wishes,
Rachael Schwabe (MA ‘20)
alumni@bgc.bard.edu

Alumni Spotlight

Andrew Taggart (MA ‘16) was recently promoted to Specialist, American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts at Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Congratulations, Andrew!

Amanda Thompson (MA ‘16, PhD Candidate) was just awarded a research grant by the Decorative Arts Trust. Congratulations, Amanda! 

Sonya Abrego (PhD ‘15) was selected as one of three Center for Craft Curatorial Fellows. Her project “Crafting Denim” explains why and how jeans exist at the intersections of industry and craft, modernity and tradition. Congratulations, Sonya!

Sarah Rogers Morris (MA ‘13), who is completing her PhD in Art History at the University of Illinois Chicago, was named a Smithsonian Institution Postdoctoral Fellow for her project, “Photographic Infrastructures: The Framing of American architectural Photography, 1890-1940.” Her 12-month appointment begins this month. Congratulations, Sarah! 

The Graham Foundation recently announced that Freyja Hartzell (MA ‘04) is among the 56 recipients of individual grants in 2022, for her project Richard Riemerschmid’s Extraordinary Living Things. Congratulations, Freyja!

Select Career Opportunities

Select Events at BGC

Conserving Clothing, Preserving Memories
Wednesday, June 8
6 pm (In Person)
What is your most cherished piece of clothing? What stories does it hold, and how do you care for it? Artist and fashion scholar Kate Sekules (PhD Candidate) leads a few lucky patrons through a process of storytelling and visible mending, giving new life to beloved garments in need of repair. This interactive experience brings the themes of Conserving Active Matter to a human scale through storytelling, demonstration, and dialogue with Sarah Scaturro (PhD Candidate), chief conservator at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Reading with Objects: Seeking Synthesis of Eye, Mind, and Heart
Wednesday, June 15
6 pm (In Person)
Poet, author, and educator Anselm Berrigan has curated a reading list for Richard Tuttle: What Is the Object?, including poetry, prose, and cross-genre writing that meditates on our idiosyncratic experiences with objects. Join us for any (or all) of these reading group evenings, when we will engage with work by Renée Gladman, Francis Ponge, Clark Coolidge, and Tuttle himself, as well as read and listen to a selection of poems by artists that work in and from objects.

Select Virtual and In-Person Events Out in The World

Making Place Matter Symposium Presented by The Clay Studio
Saturday, June 4
9 am–5 pm ET (Virtual and In Person)
Join The Clay Studio to explore the art and ideas behind Making Place Matter, the inaugural exhibition in its newly built home, with the artists, community, and scholars in the field. Making Place Matter features Peruvian-born artist Kukuli Velarde, American-born, Massachusetts-based artist Molly Hatch, and Egyptian- born artist Ibrahim Said, now based in North Carolina. Each artist explores the idea of a place with regard to personal history, cultural heritage, and social justice.

Drop in on Design at Home: Pride Month Edition
Wednesday, June 8
4–5:30 pm ET
This intergenerational program is designed for children ages 5–12, but all are welcome to join. Participate as a family or kids can join on their own to learn more about the basic principles and elements of design. This is a beginner workshop facilitated by a museum educator. No prior experience in design is required to participate.

Disability, Visibility, and Justice Final Showcase
Wednesday, June 8
6:30 pm ET (In Person)
The work of students from the “Disability, Visibility, and Justice” elective at N.Y.C. Lab School for Collaborative Studies, in partnership with Voices of a People’s History, will culminate in a final showcase at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. Using the history and narratives they’ve explored this year, students will present artistic pieces covering topics within disability justice, from disabled representation in the arts to neurodivergent student self-advocacy. Students will be joined by comedian, actress, and disability activist Maysoon Zayid and other special guests who will demonstrate the importance and the beauty of disability pride.

NYC Audubon Conservation Program Update and Annual Meeting
Wednesday, June 8
6 pm ET
NYC Audubon conducts scientific research in New York City to understand how birds are using our urban environment and how this environment affects them, via signature conservation programs such as Project Safe Flight, Waterbirds of NY Harbor, and Green Roof Monitoring programs. Whether you’re a NYC Audubon member or just curious to learn more about our work, please join us virtually to hear from NYC Audubon Board President Karen Benfield, Executive Director Jessica Wilson, and Director of Conservation and Science Dr. Dustin Partridge about our accomplishments over the past year and our goals for the year ahead.

The Frame: NYC Pride Shorts
Thursday, June 9
7:30 pm ET (In Person)
Join Rooftop Films & Lululemon NYC as we celebrate Pride Month with some of our favorite queer shorts from the past couple of years. Featuring LGBTQIA+ subjects and filmmakers from around the globe, these films showcase the diversity and legacy of queer identity. They’ll make you laugh, cry–and ultimately feel seen, heard, and welcome.

The Architecture of Bryant Park
Saturday, June 11
10:30–11:30 am ET (In Person)
Before Bryant Park became New York’s “Living Room” and home to the New York Public Library, Bryant Park served the city as a potters’ field, as a receiving reservoir for the Croton Water System, and as the site of the Crystal Palace Exhibition building. A revised landscape plan executed during the Great Depression, but following a decline in the social and physical conditions of the area in the 1970s and 80s, the park underwent a major restoration, which was completed in 1990. Today, Bryant Park, one of the premier outdoor spaces of Manhattan, serves as a model for public and private revitalization. This walking tour will explore the architecture lining the perimeter of the park, which offers an interesting timeline of the development of Midtown. Keynote projects include the New York Public Library by Carrère and Hastings, the Radiator Building by Hood and Howells, One Bryant by COOKFOX, the Grace Building by SOM, and the Bryant Condominiums and Hotel by David Chipperfield. Urban and architectural issues will be discussed, including NYC zoning law, business improvements districts, and the evolution of skyscraper design.

Papi Juice Presents Brooklyn Pride
Saturday, June 11
7 pm–12 am ET (In Person)
Kick off Brooklyn Pride with Papi Juice, Brooklyn’s beloved art collective celebrating the lives of queer and trans people of color. Enjoy a dynamic lineup featuring co-founders Oscar Nñ and Adam R, as well as Joey LaBeija and Kilopatrah Jones, plus a special performance by Serena Tea. Open to all ages!

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.