Contemporary Art Museum Philadelphia

The Experience

Ever since Andy Warhol and his entourage caused a near-riot here in 1965, the ICA has been shaking up the city with shows revealing the hottest and coolest trends in contemporary art. The ICA has led the way with the first-ever museum shows of Warhol, Laurie Anderson, Agnes Martin, Robert Indiana and other influential artists.

The wide-open spaces and ultra-high ceilings of its building on the Penn campus, opened in 1990, allow plenty of room for artists to let loose with multimedia installations that climb, hang or scatter through the galleries. Recent shows have looked at fashion icon Rudi Gernreich, bad-girl painter Lisa Yuskavage, and the young collaborative group Space 1026.

History

Founded in 1963, the ICA has earned an international reputation among contemporary art museums. It’s never been shy of controversy: the museum’s 1988 show of Robert Mapplethorpe photographs put it at the center of a national firestorm over funding for the arts.

Insider Tip

The ICA regularly schedules concerts, lectures and gallery tours to encourage audiences to make a connection with its cutting-edge art.