Several cities from Philadelphia to Los Angeles have museums called Institutes of Contemporary Art, or ICAs, which are known for being experimental and nimble and for not having permanent collections. Now San Francisco is getting one of its own. Ali Gass, formerly the head of the ICA San Jose and the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, has raised $2.5 million to start a new institution called the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco. It will be located in the Dogpatch area of the city, which is already a cultural destination with many studios and galleries. “Starting an institution from scratch allows us to think deeply about contemporary art as a navigation tool for local and global issues,” she said, citing the extreme wealth disparity in San Francisco as one example of an issue that artists could explore.

Source: International New York Times September 08, 2021 09:56 UTC