Institute of Contemporary Art

Finally made a trip back in June after nagging my dude to go. He’s the type to make plans than just wanna stay local or «do it tomorrow». Nope!
Definitely very eccentric and eclectic, but, worth seeing if you can keep an open mind that the art within these walls can be constructed from mediums not much thought about. It was definitely my kind of place. Andy Warhol had his first solo exhibit here, FYI. And best of all it’s free and convenient from just about every point in the city being in West Philly.
Go soon… and even if it’s not your forte, you only lost some time.

Interesting and vastly different exhibits on the two floors. It’s free! Not crowded in the summer.

Two very different exhibits during our exhibit. Great use of the space. Definitely enjoyed the upstairs exhibit more. You will be warned of the difference in material of both exhibits. Heed their warnings.

the building is really cool. it’s free. location is great. they have a great exhibition right now, esp on the second level. julia feyrer and tamara henderson: consider the belvedere was my favorite.
my only issue is the bad attitudes of the front desk folk. what’s up with that?

ICA has been my home away from home since moving from London to Philadelphia four years ago. It’s a cultural hub of Philadelphia – I’ve made several friends at ICA events and programs, and always feel enriched, nourished, and challenged by the exhibitions.
You really can’t see shows like these – Nicole Eisenman, Moyra Davey, Jason Rhoades – outside of New York, except at ICA. They also have online art commissions that you can check out without leaving your house!
Best of all, the museum is always FREE, so you can dip in and out without feeling obliged to stay for three hours!

FREE MUSEUM with very. ODD but Interesting exhibits. it was a little difficult for me to grasp the purpose of certain exhibits but i did enjoy some of them!
the building is 2 stories and they had a video playing in a separate room downstairs BUT noises really do echo throughout this museum (it’s not big)
we got to type on an old school typewriter while we were here which was fun
NOTE: it smelled kind of weird inside the day we came but i’m going to attribute that to the bologna wall that was a part of one of the exhibits

The Institute of Contemporary Art right off of the Penn campus in University City is always worth stopping into. It reminds me of the MUSA Museum in Vienna. Both facilities showcase cutting-​edge artists and movements that might not be on everyone’s lips but deserve to have their creative voices heard and seen. This modern art museum encompasses two floors and a small mezzanine gallery so surely there will always be something to provoke new ways to look at or think about something. And did I mention that admission is free!?!

Great space (if small), interesting exhibits. Some interesting events from time to time.
In the past they have not rotated their exhibits fast enough, so we were not able to come often.
They are supposed to go on a 2.5 month rotation this Fall 2014, which sounds better.

A free museum that is in an easy location to get to. Every few months, they have a new gallery. As Dave H said, «Change is constant.» Not a place to bring someobody conservative to, but if you and your guest are open minded… this is an awesome place to spend an afternoon at.

This is a great museum with lots of abstract art and interesting displays. I especially love the one of the two girls doing ballerina that is symmetrical although the look different — I am sure there is a big artsy word for that, but my limited vocabulary obviously hinders me sometimes. Anyway, this is a great FREE little museum and it definitely has lots of cool things in it. It is dedicated to style and fashion, so it is interesting to see the different outfits. I recommend taking a smartphone with you so you can do a little background research on the outfits, although the staff is pretty welcoming and open to explaining the artwork more.
No photography. Also, it’s close to the (36?) trolley, which connects to City Hall Station for free (if you’re coming from another train) and it is only two blocks away from the 34^th St Market Frankford stop.

How can a free art gallery not get five stars when it is this good? The ICA also has regular programming where the artists and graduate students talk about the themes behind the art and related topics that are above me. It’s also easily accessible via SEPTA’s trolley system (not free though). But most important, Linda the Security Guard works there. She’s a hoot! Make sure to say hi to her and she will give you all of the low down about the current exhibit and tell you things about the artist or the exhibit that you may have missed.

This museum is a gem — first off it is free and it is close to a septa trolley.
Came here for the Sagmeister Happy show and I will look forward to the upcoming ones if i ever visit this town again.

I love the ICA, it’s one of my favorite places on Penn’s campus. It’s a pretty tiny museum-​only two floors and usually only 2 – 3 exhibits, but is in a great location if you’re visiting Penn (right behind the bookstore) or by a SEPTA station (hey-​lo Market Frankford).
I’m also going to shoutout for the public programs here-​most have been fantastic, in-​depth conversations about art. Most of the people attending are artists/​art students, and sometimes I haven’t understood more than 50% of what was being said, I usually come away with a new perspective. They also usually have coffee or soda for events at night.
I have to say though, the events with DJs attract the worst, most posturing people I’ve ever met, and the discussions that are promised at times like 8 pm might actually start more than an hour afterwards. Luckily, these events are few and far between, so definitely check out their event schedule!

Love this gallery.
It’s different, from its architecture, to its zen space and the content within. There’s truly thought-​provoking art here, in all kinds of media. (Don’t get me started on the trippy videos I saw.) Part of its appeal lies in that the art being exhibited never is the same. Change is constant, I suppose?
Recommended; admission is free. Find them on University of Pennsylvania’s campus.

ICA has a great space and interesting exhibits. I was lucky enough to end up there when they had an exhibit of Maira Kalman, who has put together some great books and fun illustrations. The space it’s self has great lighting and set up with two different floors.
Entry is free, and they do not sell much merchandise. They have agreements putting together other shows and publishing books about the exhibitions. Great for art neophytes to aficionados.

I was in the neighborhood, having just walked Stephen Powers’ murals up market. So I stopped in to find only one exhibition underway; Maira Kalman. The first floor was transitioning.
BUT, I dig that some fatcat’s endowment allows for free admission. As a result, I bought one of the Kalman-​related tshirts they sell at the counter.
Hopefully next time i’m in Philly the timing is better.

I’ve been here several times for gallery openings and lots of First Wednesdays. It’s small and intimate, free to Penn Card holders, and First Wednesdays always have interesting stuff going on (like button-​making! tote bag printing! excelano project!) and yummy desserts. Definitely take advantage of this since it’s so close to campus!

I love that this place is so close to me in UCity.
I came here with my mom a few weeks back. The first floor houses the current exhibitions and one piece in particular stuck out to us.
A man wearing nothing but shoes and a fur hat dancing around in the snow. NOTHING but these items. My mom probably gives this one star.
I give it 4 mostly for the chandelier.

I’m a little biased, I once did a bit of work here, so I do like it more than the three stars indicates. However, I’ll just go over the museum side of things.
They’re a friendly, simple layout for a very concrete, sterile environment that can be packed or nearly devoid of contemporary art, depending on the displays and exhibits out there. A small cafeteria/​lounge area for kids or adults that want to hold events there exists on the ground floor, and it’s a nice place to hold a business function with drinks or something else. No longer an admission price is nice.

When exploring a new city, I have two things I have to find — a cupcakery and a contemporary art museum. UPenn’s ICA is the only museum in Philly dedicated to contemporary art. Much to my surprise, there is no longer an admission fee.
The wonderful space is everything you expect of a contemporary art museum — spacious, super high ceilings, sterile. It appears to be exhibitions-​only with no permanent exhibits. This makes it hit or miss and the 3 artists on view today were a miss for me. I’m not into underground comic strips with cult followings nor am I into avant-​garde, performance on video pieces.
It’s worth checking out if you’re in the neighborhood since it’s free.