Citation Needed is an experimental publishing initiative, dedicated to fostering the creation of artist books created by 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. After many months of creation and production, the authors are thrilled to share their work with the public. This launch party serves as an opportunity for intergenerational conversation and to celebrate the authors' detailed, hilarious, and chaotic new books!

A meditative group-walk through the northern end of Prospect Park that is designed around thinking through ecologies of resilience. Following an infinity-loop pathway, participants will begin making quiet observations about sites in the park both spectacular and mundane. As the walk continues, the group will focus more on radical collaboration and the creation of new liberatory communities. Touchpoints will include utopian urban planning, histories of queer cruising, and ways of seeing Prospect Park as a radically resilient public sphere.

What is social practice, and how does it affect the ways we navigate our lives and make change in the world? Join faculty, staff, and students from Social Practice CUNY for a fun evening hosted by Catherine LaSota, as we celebrate the launch of Part of the Practice, our new podcast about the role of socially-engaged art in our communities and the current moment. Enjoy food, music, special giveaways, and more — and meet some of the guests from our inaugural season. Let’s revel in the end of the summer together. This is a party you don’t want to miss!

(POSTPONED, NEW DATE TBA) Open House for the Dark Laboratory, a climate research lab at Hunter College led by SPCUNY Faculty Fellow Tao Leigh Goffe. RSVP required. Learn about new initiatives related to racial and climate justice.

Save the date 9/21 (rain date 9/28) for a one night only showing of CABARET CHISPAS, a cosmic urban parable about South American Indigenous leaders + activists + organizers from NYC gathering in 2023 at CASA MISTICA (Alicia’s house in the Bronx) for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Come join us as we occupy third-space and put on a guerilla outdoor production with a live fire, shadow puppets, live music, DJ, and so much more.

The myth of the artist working alone in the studio overlooks the contributions of many uncredited workers involved in the production, circulation, display, and maintenance of artworks. To highlight their contributions, participants—including academics, practitioners, and art workers—will share their experiences and explore historical practices across various facets and geographies of the art world. SPCUNY Co-Director Gregory Sholette is among the speakers.

Join Gregory Sholette, Ph.D. and Jennifer Jones for a discussion about the role of art in political and social movements and how art can function as a site of resistance and a tool for societal change. This conversation will explore some of the themes of his most recent book, "The Art of Activism and the Activism of Art," such as the concept of "dark matter" in the art world, the dynamics between institutionalized art and grassroots activism, and the evolving role of artists in contemporary social struggles.

Join Social Practice CUNY Co-Director Chloë Bass, James Lowry (Professor and Chair, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies), and Daniel Pravit Fethke (Co-Producer, we turn to time) for a special single-channel screening of Bass’ film project we turn to time. The screening will be followed by a talk-back between Bass, Lowry, and Fethke about artists working in archival processes.

Three Asian American-led East Coast hardcore punk bands—No Model, Material Support, and Dog Breath—join forces for an epic showcase. Lyrically, these groups create music that addresses generational trauma, racism, war, social justice, and liberation in service of opening a conversation about the state of the punk scene and the use of the genre to assert fully empowered Asian American narratives rooted in anti-colonial resistance. Their work embraces the struggle of every person raging against oppression and inequality, both at home and abroad.