About the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard)
CCS Bard is distinguished by its singular resources: the Hessel Museum of Art, an institution dedicated to innovative and experimental approaches to curating with a rich permanent collection; the Library, one of the leading contemporary art research collections in the US focusing on post-1960s art; and the Archives, which contain archives and manuscripts from preeminent curators, inventive commercial art galleries, artist-run spaces, artists’ initiatives, and artists. Together, these resources support one of the world’s most forward-thinking teaching and learning environments for contemporary art research and the study of contemporary curatorial practices.
Curriculum: A Combination of Academics and Practice
The two-year graduate program at CCS Bard offers seminars in art and exhibition history and cultural and social theory with an intensive focus on the formation of museums, biennials, and alternative spaces; postcolonial and decolonial theory; Black studies; queer and feminist theory; ecology and infrastructure; media theory; aesthetics; and embodiment and performance studies, among other areas. The academic curriculum is balanced with an emphasis on curatorial practice and designed to deepen students’ understanding of the true tasks of curating in practice.
Thesis Project and Hands-on Curating
The program culminates in individually curated exhibitions and original research papers. Thesis exhibitions can include works from the Hessel Collection, temporary loans, new commissions, performance, combinations of the above, and more. While at CCS Bard, students are also offered opportunities to realize curatorial projects in collaboration with partnering institutions. And, during the summer between the first and second years, each student conducts an accredited professional development and work placement at an art institution with a curator, scholar, critic, or other arts professional.
Financial Aid
CCS Bard provides generous scholarship and fellowship support to international students and U.S. citizens alike on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Learn more about aid and scholarships.
Applications are due February 1, 2023. For further details or to apply, visit ccs.bard.edu.
With inquiries, please call (845) 758-7588 or email ccsadmissions@bard.edu.
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