Career
He is the chair of the first Social Practice graduate program in the United States, at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, California. Central to Purves" interests is the gift economy, and the distribution of free goods and services by artists. Was a temporary school realized at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, during the Bay Area Now 4 exhibition.
lieutenant offered free classes to the public led by artists in the exhibition.
Classes involved practical as well as experimental subjects, and ranged from single workshop sessions to weekly meetings by Tommy Becker. The Medium is the Message by Josh Greene.
Mindscapes by Fred Loomis. Spoken Word Spoken by Chris Kubick.
Sacred Geometry by Ezra Li Eismont.
And finally Perfect Models: Inventing Schools as Works of Art by Ted Purves with special guest Jon Rubin.