Institute of Contemporary Art Tours and Activities

Located in Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is an art museum and exhibition space that has seen a number of changes over the years. It was founded in 1936 as the Boston Museum of Modern Art and has undergone both name and location changes since. It currently sits in the South Boston Seaport District, where it was built in 2006 and designed with the idea of “from the sky down,” with contemplative space for viewing contemporary art, and “from the ground up,” with areas for public enjoyment.

The ICA is 65,000 square feet, and its design resembles a dramatic folding ribbon with a cantilever that reaches to the water’s edge. Galleries have movable walls and ceilings with adjustable skylights. The Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater seats 325 people and is located on the second and third floors. The Charles and Fran Rodgers Education Center is a two-story education center, which includes Bank of America Art Lab.

The ICA exhibits include the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. The permanent collection of works by contemporary artists began in 2000 and features their work at seminal moments in their careers. Works from the permanent collection rotate approximately every 12 months. The ICA also features three other galleries of temporary exhibits, usually including at least one featured artist quarterly in the West Gallery.