The Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is a

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The museum is associated with the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, and is located on its campus. The Institute is one of the country's leading museums dedicated to exhibiting the innovative art of our time. Robert Chaney is its director of curatorial affairs.

History

Since its founding in 1963 by Holmes Perkins, the ICA has established a reputation for identifying artists of promise who later emerge in the international spotlight. The ICA has exhibited the first museum shows of

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

Laurie Anderson Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work encompasses performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting,Amirkhanian, Cha ...

Agnes Martin Agnes Bernice Martin (March 22, 1912 – December 16, 2004) was an American abstract painter known for her minimalist style and abstract expressionism. Born in Canada, she moved to the United States in 1931, where she pursued higher education ...

, and Robert Indiana. The ICA does not have a permanent collection, but new exhibits are shown three times a year, with approximately twelve shows annually. ICA offers educational programs, artist talks, lectures, films and tours. Early shows included works by

Richard Artschwager Richard Ernst Artschwager (December 26, 1923 – February 9, 2013) was an American painter, illustrator and sculptor. His work has associations with Pop Art, Conceptual art and Minimalism. Early life and art Artschwager was born in Washington, D. ...

, Vija Celmins, Karen Kilimnik, Charles LeDray, Barry Le Va, Glenn Ligon,

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...

, Pepon Osorio, Tavares Strachan, and Cy Twombly. Other featured artists have included Gillian Wearing, Yoshitomo Nara, John Armleder,

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American artist who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American c ...

, Kate Gilmore, and Odili Donald Odita. Roberta Smith of the ''New York Times'' wrote in 2007 that the ICA is "among the most adventuresome showcases in the country where art since 1970 is concerned. It chooses its subject well, keeps things accessible through the judicious use of well-written labels and brochures, and takes risks that prove that the curatorial discipline is alive and kicking". In 2009, Smith also observed, "On a surprisingly regular basis, the tiny Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania here mounts exhibitions that make the contemporary-art adventures of many larger museums look blinkered, timid and hidebound." The ICA was previously headquartered in

Meyerson Hall Meyerson Hall is a building in West Philadelphia, and the site of the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design. The building, designed by the architecture firm of Martin, Stewart, ...

. The current modern gallery building was built in 1990 and designed by Adèle Naudé Santos, who later became the dean of architecture at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

References

External links

ICA Website
{{authority control Art museums and galleries in Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania campus University museums in Pennsylvania Contemporary art galleries in the United States Art museums and galleries established in 1963 1963 establishments in Pennsylvania University City, Philadelphia