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Welcome to the Institute for Contemporary Art
The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University is a non-collecting institution that showcases a changing slate of exhibitions, performances, and programs. With a mission to listen, create, and make art public, the ICA is a place to explore new ideas, providing an open forum for dialogue and collaboration across the region and the world. Opened in 2018 in the LEED Gold–certified, Steven Holl–designed Markel Center, the ICA is a part of VCU’s School of the Arts, linking the campus and the city of Richmond to an international network of contemporary artists and organizations, and encouraging working partnerships with VCU departments, faculty, students, and the broader community. ICA admission is free and open to all.
About VCU and VCUarts
VCU is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 222 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities.
One of the nation’s leading schools of arts and design, VCU School of the Arts offers 15 undergraduate and 10 graduate degree programs in fine arts, design, performing arts, historical research, and pedagogical practice. Distinguished faculty members are internationally recognized in their respective fields, contribute significantly to the stature of VCU, and are committed to mentoring the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, scholars, and engaged citizens of diverse communities around the world. Its campus in Qatar provides students and faculty with a direct tie to the Middle East, and underscores the school and university’s commitment to global education and experience.
Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Health System acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional lands of the Powhatan Chiefdom and the Monacan Nation, their ancestors, and future generations.
The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University presents the art of our time, which can often confront difficult themes and raise sensitive subject matter that may be troubling for some audiences. A core value of the ICA’s 2020 Strategic Plan is to promote opportunities for public dialogue around the art and ideas the artists produce so that their work becomes part of national and international conversations. The ICA does not assume the position or opinions expressed by the artists we support.