Plan to Close DePaul Art Museum Faces Community Backlash

"The move has prompted outrage from faculty and staff, including an open letter penned by art history and philosophy faculty members and signed by more than 2,000 community members that criticized the school's decision as 'short-sighted, wrong-headed, and grounded in some deeply disappointing principles of prioritization.' In the letter, the signatories asked the administration to reconsider its decision based on the museum's educational and reputational value."

"A decision to shutter the museum, which was founded in 1985, comes just over two months after the university laid off nearly eight percent of its full-time workforce as part of a push to cut $27.4 million in spending. In a statement last year, the university said that international enrollment has fallen and student demand for financial aid has increased."

"In a phone call with Hyperallergic, the museum's director, Laura-Caroline de Lara, described the forthcoming closure as a 'devastating loss' for the campus, Chicago, and its staff and student workers. 'What made us so special is that being a university art museum, we could really push the envelope in different ways, particularly in regard to social justice and current'"

DePaul University in Chicago announced the closure of its campus art museum effective June 30, citing major budget deficits projected for 2026. University President Robert L. Manuel announced the shutdown in a letter addressing long-term financial sustainability concerns. The decision sparked significant opposition, with over 2,000 community members, including art history and philosophy faculty, signing an open letter criticizing the closure as short-sighted and questioning the university's prioritization principles. The museum, established in 1985, served important educational and reputational functions. The closure follows layoffs of nearly eight percent of full-time staff and efforts to cut $27.4 million in spending, attributed to declining international enrollment and increased student financial aid demands.

Read at Hyperallergic