#staff-layoffs

#staff-layoffs

On November 12, 2025, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) "gutted" Video Data Bank (VDB), the essential moving-image art distributor, archive and streaming platform. The elimination of 60% of its staff, including director Tom Colley, and announcement that it would as a result of this reduction no longer acquire new work, sent shock waves through the video art community, including the hundreds of artists represented by the distributor.

"Other structural and mission changes are happening as well," Colley wrote in an email that was posted to social media. "I have heard that there will be no acquisitions or programming." Colley said that the school had made these decisions "without the knowledge or input of VDB staff," and that the organization's future was "uncertain." Colley concluded his note by writing, "We sincerely want to find a way forward for the Video Data Bank."

This is difficult news to share... We face significant budget consequences from federal policy changes. The proposed tax could represent an estimated $750 million tax annually.

"We are closely reviewing Central Office positions to identify opportunities for savings while minimizing the impact on staff and maintaining our commitment to supporting schools and students."

The layoffs decimated the workforce that processes FOIA requests across FDA centers overseeing vaccines, drugs, tobacco, medical devices, and food, leading to significant operational disruptions.