2023 Iris Foundation Awards Celebrate Excellence in the Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture

The Iris Foundation Awards were created in 1997 to recognize scholars, patrons, and professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the study and appreciation of the decorative arts and thereby help to sustain the cultural heritage of our world. The awards are named for Bard Graduate Center founder and director Susan Weber’s mother, Iris Weber. Proceeds from the Iris Foundation Awards Luncheon help support scholarships and tuition assistance programs for BGC students.

The 26th annual Iris Foundation Awards were held on April 26, 2023, at the Cosmopolitan Club. The event recognized Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu (outstanding patrons), Meredith Chilton, C.M. (outstanding lifetime achievement), Elizabeth E. Guffey (outstanding mid-career scholar), and Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman, R & Company (outstanding dealers), and it raised more than $200,000 to support BGC student scholarships.