Kelly Xi, an artist and lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), was placed under investigation and administrative leave after using a school photocopier to produce materials for a pro-Palestine student exhibition and sharing an email list for a faculty union petition. The exhibition advocated for divestment from Israel and criticized the school's handling of a protest encampment that led to dozens of arrests in May 2024. The actions were organized by Students for the Liberation of Palestine (SLP), targeting trustee A. Steven Crown, whose family owns a stake in defense contractor General Dynamics and donated to pro-Israel groups.
This matters because the case highlights escalating tensions between student activists, faculty unions, and administration over academic freedom and political speech at art schools. SAIC now faces potential sanctions from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and the situation reflects a broader trend of Gaza-related protests at U.S. art schools including RISD, Cooper Union, Bard, and the School of Visual Arts. The outcome could set precedents for how institutions balance free expression, labor rights, and donor relationships amid ongoing geopolitical conflict.