I is for Institute

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania will investigate the idea of "institutionality" to determine how to dynamically plan for the future and increase audience engagement with the institution and its programs. During a year-long discovery process, ICA will question its past, present, and future, including the Institute's evolution vis-a-vis local, national, and international organizations and artistic practitioners. The multi-part discovery process will include archival research on the founding mission of ICA and its peer institutions, followed by a public survey and interviews with art historians, curators, and artists about the meaning, boundaries, and opportunities inscribed in the word "institute." Collaborations with international consultants will result in pilot residencies at ICA in spring 2017. The findings will be shared through a series of public programs, inviting audience input on how to bring diverse groups into productive engagement with ICA. 

Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.