About

What is the Institute for Contemporary Art?

It’s not exactly a museum.

It’s not a traditional gallery.

It’s not a theater, although the ICA will have a performance space and three galleries. What it is, or will be, is what the work inside makes it. The ICA will be a venue for innovative visual art, performing art, and design. It’s a place for head scratching, and a place to cast new ideas. Some visitors will be hooked. Some won’t. That’s okay. Contemporary Art is art that’s in the now. The goal is to have work by the some of the most interesting minds around the world that will intrigue, inform and make people question things that they didn’t question before. One thing we do know is that the corner of Belvidere and Broad will never be the same, and those driving into Richmond will be greeted with a world-class venue and a testing ground for new thinking.

The specifics…

The VCU Institute for Contemporary Art will be an incubator and creative center for the entire university dedicated to presenting the innovative visual art, performance and film of our time from around the world.

The 38,000-square-foot building’s flexible programming spaces were designed to encourage artistic collaborations and to mirror the cross-disciplinary approach of VCU’s acclaimed School of the Arts, which encourages new ways of thinking through partnerships with scholars from across the university.

The VCU ICA will be a dynamic place prepared to further the discourse about the art – and issues – of our time. Here’s why:

-It will be part of the #1 public art school in the country set within a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research.
-It will be centrally located on the East Coast in a city with a top-10 museum and a region with few venues for the latest contemporary art.
-It will have a physical structure designed by one of the world’s most important living architects.
-It will have a direct connection to the Middle East, a region of emerging significance in contemporary art, through VCUarts’ campus in Qatar.

FAQ’s

Q: Why is VCU creating the ICA?

A: It’s important for us to have an arts institution commensurate with the level of extraordinary work happening throughout VCU. The ICA will bring national and international artists to Richmond, while serving students, faculty, and the public by providing a place for new thinking and approaches to all artistic disciplines.

Q: What kind of programming is expected?

A: While the specific programming will be determined by the director and curatorial staff, it will include visual art and design, performance, and film by nationally and internationally recognized artists and designers. Programming will serve as a catalyst for collaborations by students and faculty from all VCU departments, and it will create a new destination for the arts in the Southeast.

Q: Will the ICA show work from VCU faculty and alumni?

A: The ICA will feature the most significant new art being created by renowned artists and designers from around the world, which may include our talented alumni and faculty.

Q: How much will the ICA cost to build and how is it being funded?

A: The ICA is a $35 million project. The ICA Campaign Committee has raised more than $20 million to-date, more than 60% of the goal to build the ICA. Contributions have come from corporations, foundations and individuals around the country. In particular, the Richmond community has been extraordinarily supportive, recognizing the need for this kind of resource for our university and broader community.

Q: Will the VCUarts Anderson Gallery be replaced by the ICA?

A: The Anderson Gallery has been an important exhibition venue for VCUarts for more than 35 years, presenting juried student and MFA thesis shows and organizing exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists from around the world, despite the physical limitations of the space. That gallery will retire. The University is excited to provide a larger, more conducive and accredited venue for international, cutting-edge visual art, performance and film, as well as the MFA thesis exhibitions, at the ICA. Another new gallery space on campus will present the work of undergraduate students