School of Visual Arts Closes Curatorial Practice MA Program

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan is set to discontinue its 14-year-old master of arts degree in curatorial practice, announced to coincide with the retirement of program founder and chair Steven Henry Madoff in May 2027. Effective immediately, the program will no longer accept new applicants. This decision follows Madoff’s announcement to retire and discussions with SVA President David Rhodes, who opted to phase out the degree program amid ongoing financial challenges faced by the institution. The financial strains had previously led to the layoff of 30 faculty members.

The implications for current program faculty remain uncertain, particularly for those teaching first-year courses. Most educators at SVA are contracted adjunct workers who have recently unionized, though an initial contract has yet to be negotiated. A union proposal aims to allow faculty impacted by program closures to seek similar teaching opportunities within other departments.

Established in 2013, the curatorial practice program was originally founded by Madoff and supported by prominent figures from the art world, including David A. Ross, who left his role earlier this year due to unrelated controversies. This closure follows a broader trend of educational restructuring and resource reallocation across arts institutions nationwide, with other notable closures including SVA’s art writing MFA in 2020.

The economic pressures mirror those experienced by other prominent arts institutions, which have similarly implemented layoffs and program closures to address significant budget deficits and declining enrollments.