The Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) is distinguished by its tripartite resources: the Hessel Museum of Art, a 25,000 square foot building dedicated to critical and experimental approaches to curating; the CCS Bard Library, one of the leading contemporary art research collections in the US focusing on post-1960s contemporary art; and the CCS Bard Archives, which contain archives and manuscripts of preeminent contemporary art curators, innovative commercial art galleries, artist-run spaces, artists’ initiatives, and the archives of contemporary artists.
The two-year graduate program at CCS Bard offers seminars in art and exhibition history, cultural and social theory, and curatorial practice, with an intensive focus on Black studies, decolonial theory and history, queer and feminist studies, ecology and infrastructure, media theory and technology, and embodiment and performance studies, among other areas.
The graduate program culminates in individually curated thesis exhibitions at the Hessel Museum. Students are also offered multiple opportunities to realize other public presentations, curatorial projects, and exhibitions at CCS Bard and in collaboration with partnering institutions. Additionally, CCS Bard supports student scholarships, including Lowery Stokes Sims Diversity Scholarships, a sponsored annual international research trip, and paid summer mentorship placements at institutions around the world.
Faculty teaching at CCS Bard during the 2020–21 academic year include Susan Aberth, Marcia Acita, Nana Adusei-Poku, Vic Brooks, Ann Butler, Dawn Chan, Nyssa Chow, Lauren Cornell, Christian Ayne Crouch, Tom Eccles, Ed Halter, Ruba Katrib, Alex Kitnick, Jordan Lord, Cori Olinghouse, Dina Ramadan, Ali Rosa-Salas, Ian Sullivan, Drew Thompson, Olga Touloumi, Evan Calder Williams, and Amy Zion.
Interested students must apply online to the master of arts in curatorial studies program by the February 1, 2021 deadline.
For more information about the program, the application process, or applying for scholarships, visit our website at ccs.bard.edu.
Call (845) 758-7588 or email ccsadmissions@bard.edu with inquires or questions.
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