After five years of dedicated work in fostering community and interdisciplinary approaches to art and social justice, the Social Practice CUNY initiative is scheduled to conclude in February 2027. Co-directors Chloë Bass and Greg Sholette shared that this decision, though carefully considered, was not part of an initial long-term plan, nor was the program ever expected to become a permanent institution. The program's final cohort of fellows will be for the 2025–26 academic year. Throughout its existence, Social Practice CUNY, housed at the CUNY Graduate Center, has been instrumental in providing fellowships and cultivating a strong network among graduate students and faculty across all 25 campuses of the City University of New York.
The winding down of the program is partly influenced by personal transitions in the lives of its co-directors. Chloë Bass is stepping back from her full-time teaching position at Queens College to devote more time to her artistic endeavors, and Greg Sholette, also an artist and professor at Queens College, is approaching retirement from teaching. Bass emphasized that despite operating like an institution, Social Practice CUNY has always been fundamentally an artist-led project. The initiative evolved from Social Practice Queens (SPQ), which Sholette co-founded. Bass and Sholette collaborated on the book, "Art as Social Action: An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Teaching Social Practice Art," aiming to provide a practical guide for teaching social practice. They sought to explore how social practice extends beyond academic settings, challenging the limitations often imposed by the art world's conventional definitions.
Expanding the scope of SPQ to encompass all CUNY campuses was a strategic move to unite individuals engaged in art and social justice, bridging various academic backgrounds and departments. This inclusive approach allowed fellows from diverse fields such as social work, nursing, public health, and performance studies to collaborate, forging a community that would not have materialized in traditional classroom environments. Sholette noted that this initiative successfully connected people and established networks among those already committed to this type of work, with Bass highlighting the widespread enthusiasm for such interdisciplinary engagement. Social Practice CUNY, launched in 2021 with initial seed funding of $530,000 from the Mellon Foundation, and an additional $600,000 in 2023, has directly supported 129 fellows with $535,000. These funds allowed recipients flexibility in their work. Beyond financial aid, the program organized workshops on artist survival and produced a podcast, "Part of the Practice," featuring its fellows.
As the Mellon Foundation funding concludes, the program faces the challenge of securing new financial support, especially difficult during a leadership transition. While formal institutionalization within CUNY did not materialize, the co-directors believe Social Practice CUNY offers a valuable model for interdisciplinary social practice in higher education and beyond. Its legacy lies in demonstrating how a nimble, cross-disciplinary, and supportive project can connect individuals and generate impactful work, highlighting the urgent need for such communicative and engaging spaces in contemporary society. The groundwork laid, the resources developed, and the networks established by Social Practice CUNY are seen as crucial potential assets for future generations or collectives to build upon, ensuring that the spirit of this successful experiment continues to inspire and evolve.