California College of the Arts (CCA) announced it will close in 2027, shocking students and the art world. Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly had "no clue" and received "no heads up" about the closure, according to text messages reported by the San Francisco Standard. CCA president David Howse disputed this, stating Newsom was notified the Monday before the announcement. A meeting between CCA leadership and the governor's office is scheduled. The school, founded in 1907, is the last nonprofit standalone art school in San Francisco and plans to sell its campus to Vanderbilt University.
The closure matters because it marks the end of a historic institution and raises questions about state support for arts education. Newsom had allocated $20 million to CCA in the previous state budget, a controversial move given the tight budget year, and the school had received major donations including $22.5 million from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and his wife. The sale to Vanderbilt highlights the pressures facing small private art schools amid financial struggles and shifting priorities in higher education.