Abbreviation | SJICA, ICA San Jose |
---|---|
Formation | 1980 |
Type | Nonprofit art center |
Purpose | support of emerging contemporary art and artists |
Location |
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Key people | James G. Leventhal, Executive Director Haley Kerrigan, Development Manager |
Website |
www |
The Institute of Contemporary Art San José (ICA) is a nonprofit art center and gallery founded in 1980, and located in the SoFA District of Downtown San Jose, California, U.S. [1] It supports contemporary artists working in painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, new media works and site-specific installations. [2] ICA San José is member and community supported. The art center offers rotating art exhibitions with free admission, along with public programs, education programs, and community events. [3] [4]
Established in 1980 as a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization, [5] ICA San José calls home to downtown San Jose. [3] [6] In the year 2000, ICA San José came under the leadership of executive director Cathy Kimball, a former curator at the San Jose Museum of Art. [6] Kimball helped ICA San José to become a better known cultural institution in the Bay Area by presenting the works of renowned artists from the United States and around the world.
After working for years toward their long-term goal of acquiring a permanent home, in 2006 ICA San José purchased a 7,500-square-foot building in the SoFA District (South First Area) of downtown San Jose. The 3,700-square-feet of gallery space within were divided into three different interchangeable gallery spaces that are in cohesive relation to one another. [7] With the increase of gallery space, it allowed for a more continuous and long term exhibition space for site specific, solo, and group installations, a first in ICA San José's history. [8]
In 2011, the art space attracted 20,000 visitors a year. [6] Attendance reportedly continued to increase through 2019. [6]
The Institute of Contemporary Art San José exhibited a series of metal sculpture by California artist Charles Ginnever in 2013. [9]
In 2014, the art center supported a solo exhibition by the painter Amy Ellingson. [7]
An exhibition held in 2019 featured the work of Alan Rath, a pioneer in electronic, kinetic, and robotic artwork. [4]
In June 2020, it was announced that Cathy Kimball would be succeeded by Alison Gass as director of ICA San José. [10] [11]