Be Relevant.

Programs are committed to concepts that are facing our world today. Our exhibitions, programs, and activities reflect the issues of the moment. We provide a space for the community to come together and consider the world.

Build Community.

At the ICA, we build community by bringing people together through art and ideas. We believe art is a human need and sharing in that experience promotes collective engagement.

Provide Nurturing Opportunities for Artists.

Art is at the center of everything we do. We are dedicated to providing a platform for new artists from our region and beyond. By bringing them into an ecosystem of support and appreciation, we seek to enrich and cultivate their practices and careers.

Present Contemporary Art.

We believe in the power of experimental art to provoke questions and ignite curiosity.

Be Unique.

You make the ICA unique. Finding your passion is a testament to creative exploration. By engaging with the arts, our community is able to connect through genuine and provocative questions facing our world today.

Land Acknowledgement

​​The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Peoples. We wish to pay our respects to the ancestors, elders, and relatives of the Kumeyaay Nation who have cared for the land on which we are on. As visitors on Kumeyaay land, we recognize that their pain and suffering has made it possible for us to be here. We are committed to standing in solidarity by respecting this Kumeyaay land and the Kumeyaay people, including all tribal nations.