Let’s welcome 2021 with something sweet and a bit of sparkle! The elaborate sterling silver sugar casters pictured above were used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to dispense sugar. These beautiful works of silver remind us of the sweetness of the season.

Brandy Culp (BGC MA’04), the Richard Koopman Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut, is helping the Wadsworth reinstall its extensive collection of silver to tell its long, diverse story, from ore to object, and to illustrate the material’s role as a catalyst for and an indicator of major societal changes from the sixteenth century until today. We’re grateful to Brandy for bringing these lovely sugar casters to our attention.

The history of objects invites us to understand the past, engage with the present, and imagine a brighter future. Here’s hoping that life is a little sweeter for us all in 2021!

At BGC we depend on the generosity of our friends and community to give what they can to support scholarships, research, exhibitions, public programs and more. If you have not made a gift to support BGC this year or if you would like to make an additional gift before December 31, there is still time. Donations in any amount are welcome. You can give securely online HERE or mail your check to Bard Graduate Center, P.O. Box 490, New York, NY 10024-9998. If you would like to support BGC through your estate or with a gift of appreciated securities, please contact Benjamin Krevolin at benjamin.krevolin@bgc.bard.edu or 212.501.3072.

Thank you and happy new year!