Interim Executive Director Doug Yeiser emailed employees on Saturday, Oct. 24, directing them to stop working. More than 150 staff and faculty were affected, and Yeiser confirmed that no staff, including himself, was working at the organization. The board of directors was scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 26 and 27, to discuss what comes next.

Students received a brief notice saying all classes and events were canceled. The abrupt shutdown has also left artists unsure when they can retrieve work and materials from the facility. Development manager Olivia Hara said some students have artwork and thesis projects there, and employees had not been told whether or when they could return.

The closure follows years of financial strain and labor tensions. Faculty and staff formed a union, The Dedicated Cru, affiliated with AFSCME Council 57. In a Monday statement, unionized employees said they had proposed changes intended to improve the organization’s finances, including reductions in staffing at every level and in reliance on outside contractors, as well as more efficient use of the warehouse. They said management and the board had rejected or ignored those proposals.

The union also cited more than $1.5 million in grants it said The Crucible had recently received from philanthropic organizations. The center was among Bay Area arts organizations grappling with budget cuts and staffing concerns in recent years. A state filing delinquency reported in 2024 was later resolved, but employees had continued to raise concerns about the nonprofit’s finances and working conditions.

Hara said the latest closure places the burden on the artists and students who depend on the facility. The Crucible has operated for 27 years, offering access to specialized tools, workshops and instruction that can be difficult to find elsewhere. Its staff also confirmed that Nopal, the organization’s shop cat, would go home with an employee.