Institute of Contemporary Art
Founded in 1963, The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) has developed an international reputation as a preeminent venue for contemporary art and culture. Admission to the ICA is free for all to engage and connect with the art of our time.
The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania believes in the power of art and artists to inform and inspire. The ICA is free for all to engage and connect with the art of our time. Founded in 1963 by the visionary dean of the school of architecture, Holmes Perkins, who wanted to expose students to what was “new and happening” in art and culture, ICA has developed an international reputation as a preeminent venue for contemporary art and culture. A non-collecting museum, ICA is also one of the only kunsthalles in America. As part of the University of Pennsylvania, ICA’s artist-centric program is complemented by the intellectual rigor of a premier academic institution.
The original location for ICA was in the central galleries of Meyerson Hall, the current home to Penn’s Weitzman School of Design. ICA moved to its current building (designed for ICA by Adèle Naudé Santos) in 1990. Since its founding, ICA exhibitions have aimed to bring under-recognized artists to the attention of the broader world. This was true in 1965 when they organized Andy Warhol’s first ever solo museum show and it remains true today.
118 S. 36th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
between Chestnut and Sansom Streets
Phone: 215-898-7108
Email: hello@ica.upenn.edu