Beloved CUNY Social Practice Art Program to Shut Down
Social Practice City University of New York (SPCUNY), an artist-led network founded in 2021 by Chloë Bass and Gregory Sholette, announced on Tuesday, April 14 that it will close in February 2027. The five-year-old project provided unrestricted fellowships and support for social justice-oriented art across CUNY’s 25 campuses with backing from the Mellon Foundation. SPCUNY reports that it supported 129 fellows and distributed $535,000 in project awards before deciding to shutter as Bass and Sholette depart their academic roles (Bass left Queens College last year and Sholette is retiring). Bass said the program was never formally absorbed by CUNY, leaving no clear mechanism to transfer leadership despite available funding.
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This story was covered in Restitution Wins, Biennale Battles, and Art World Fallout