Whitney Museum Suspends Independent Study Program After Cancelling Pro-Palestinian Performance

The Whitney Museum of American Art has suspended its Independent Study Program (ISP) for the 2025–26 academic year following controversy over the cancellation of a performance addressing Palestinian mourning. The performance, titled 'No Aesthetic Outside My Freedom: Mourning, Militancy, and Performance,' was canceled due to concerns that an introduction by artist Fargo Tbakhi, which urged those supporting Israel or certain political actions to leave, violated the museum's anti-harassment policies. The museum cited a 'gap in leadership' and the need to reassess the relationship between the ISP and the institution as reasons for the suspension, with plans to resume the program in 2026–27. This decision has drawn significant backlash from current students, alumni, and notable artists who signed an open letter condemning the museum for censorship and questioning its commitment to its stated values of dissent and activism. The ISP, founded in 1968, has been instrumental in nurturing influential artists, curators, and critics over decades, making the suspension a major moment in the contemporary art community. The museum also confirmed that the ISP associate director position will be discontinued as part of these changes.