Dear Bardian,

Greetings from a rather quiet spring break campus.

Started off last week with a visit to see the oldest known Bardian, Arnold Davis '44. He'll be celebrating his 80th reunion in May! Then I had a fascinating tour of the 'Massena Campus' (aka the Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown). The main building was built in the 1920s and is over 120,000 sq ft! My favorite features were the electric green velour chairs in the chapel, the vivid blue stained glass and the very pointy tower in the mansion. Paul Marienthal has already got his crew working on a fantastic trail that will run from Massena to Tivoli Bays.

We are happy to welcome back Chrys Margaritidis ’98 to Bard NYC. He will be overseeing the curriculum and teaching courses on applied ethics, ethics of AI, and civic engagement. Bard NYC offers our students and students from other colleges an opportunity to live in a totally cool building in the heart of Williamsburg while taking an internship and classes. We need your help—we are looking for alumni/ae who can offer internships to students in the city and for those Bardians who work at other colleges to spread the word about the program. Email [email protected] if you want to know more.

Thanks to the Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors Events Committee for two excellent alumni/ae events this month; a personal tour of the acclaimed MoMa exhibition Between Two Rivers/Giữa hai giòng sông/Entre deux rivières with the artist, An-My Lê—Bard's Charles Franklin Kellogg and Grace E. Ramsey Kellogg Professor in the Arts and the chance to see Illinoise at the Park Avenue Armory. The critically acclaimed dance theatre show Illinoise was first performed at Bard's Fisher Center in the summer of 2023. 

It's Admission season—good luck to everyone out there watching their kids endlessly refreshing on their portals! Bard decisions are coming out soon. Largest applicant pool ever! If you know anyone who got into Bard and is trying to decide where to go— if they need any more information, don't hesitate to email the Admission team.

I was excited to see so many of you signing up for Reunion on the first day! You've been waiting. Thank you! Register here if you haven’t already.

I really encourage you to come to the Bard College Awards Cocktail Reception and Ceremony this year. We have so many great Bardians getting awards—please come and show your support. See more info below.

Classes ending in 4s and 9s: Thank you to everyone who has made a gift to the Bard College Fund in honor of your reunion. As you know, all reunion gifts are matched 1:1 up to $84,000, and we are already at 71% towards meeting that goal. If you have not yet made a gift this year, I hope you will join your friends by making a contribution, which provides immediate financial support to undergraduates.

Be seeing you,
Jane Brien '89
Director of Alumni/ae Affairs

P.S. Bardians in DC and California, watch your email for upcoming events in April. I'm going on the road with Leon. Save the date: DC on April 15th, LA on April 17th and San Francisco on April 19th. 

Hudson Valley Pilot: “Local Spanish Language Publication La Voz Celebrates 20 Years As Community Expands”

What started as a Bard College Trustee Leader Scholar program is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. La Voz, founded by Mariel Fiori ’05 and Emily Schmall ’05 in 2004, was conceived to address a lack of quality Spanish-language publications in the Hudson Valley—a need it is still meeting in 2024. “Our goal has always been to share what’s available with these populations, to encourage them to have hope, and to ultimately uplift them,” said Fiori to Hudson Valley Pilot.

“I can draw through space, and it’s infinite”: Rita McBride ’82 Interviewed by Art Newspaper

Rita McBride ’82 spoke with Art Newspaper about her exhibition Particulates, which was on view at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition, which built on McBride’s past work Portal, was “composed of high-intensity laser beams, water molecules, and dust particles dancing mid-air.” “I was thinking about it as a corporate ruin: what things were important to keep and what things were important to get away from,” McBride said.

“From ‘Electricity Hunter’ to Bard Student”: Svitlana Kukharuk ’25 Wrote about Her Experience for the Daily Catch

After Russian missiles destroyed critical infrastructure 1.5 miles from her home, Svitlana Kukharuk ’25 and her family went without electricity for 10 hours per day. “I gave myself a new name: ‘electricity hunter,’” Kukharuk wrote for the Daily Catch. Reflecting on her experience leaving Ukraine and her studies at National University of Ostroh Academy, Kukharuk marked the third year of the Russian invasion by tracking her journey from electricity hunter to Bard student, and what she’s doing now to affect the situation in Ukraine.

Bard College Receives $69,300 Grant from New York State Department of Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program

Bard College has received a $69,300 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program. Bard’s grant is part of $1.8 million in total awards recently announced by Governor Hochul for 26 projects to help communities along the Hudson River Estuary improve water quality, enhance environmental education, and advance stewardship of natural resources. 

Student and Staff Volunteers Clear New Path from Red Hook to Bard College

“Hacking through logs, thorns, and invasive species, nearly 20 volunteers kicked off the expansion of the Saw Kill Trails in the Town of Red Hook Saturday afternoon, making headway on a project that will eventually connect the trails to Bard College,” writes Andrew Checchia for the Daily Catch. Among those volunteers were Bard students and staff, who helped to speed the construction of 1,700 feet of new trails.