Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose

Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose The ICA San José is an energetic art space located in downtown San Jose dedicated to making contemp Today, we remain dedicated to that vision. Admission is free.

The ICA was founded in 1980 by a group of local artists who wanted to present cutting-edge, innovative art and experimental work in a curated space. Their goal was to get out in front of traditional museum programming and to present the newest work being created in the region. The mission of the ICA is to encourage creativity by presenting and interpreting thought-provoking contemporary art to a d

iverse audience. We are uniquely positioned between the area’s large museums and smaller galleries, which allows us to present the work of established regional artists, while also offering exhibition opportunities for emerging and under-recognized mid-career artists. Donations welcomed. Each year the ICA presents 10 – 12 visual art exhibitions in our three galleries that feature drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and digital works addressing a range of subjects and themes. The ICA Lounge is a contemporary art library located at the entrance of the gallery that provides access to materials that directly complement our exhibitions and programs, including international art journals, exhibition catalogs, artists’ monographs, and multimedia education resources. The Lounge also features video interviews with exhibiting artists, as well as recorded footage of ICA workshops and discussions. Our educational programming includes Talking Art panel discussions, outstanding printed and web-based exhibition didactics, publications, free exhibition tours and excursions, as well as artist studio and gallery visits and field trips offered as exclusive membership benefits.

05/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the SJSU Fashion Creative Club’s () end-of-semester fashion show in collaboration with Poshmark ()! We were able to host over 150 students with their families and friends under the gorgeous cenotes of INFRAMUNDO by Miguel Novelo () to celebrate the wonderful creative work being done by SJSU students. 

Check out the Fashion Creative Club’s Asterisk Magazine - Issue 05: SUBLIME, now available to pre-order using the link in their bio.

Thank you to everyone who attended “Talking Art: Experimental Cinematic Language” with Miguel Novelo () and Adrian L. Bu...
05/25/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended “Talking Art: Experimental Cinematic Language” with Miguel Novelo () and Adrian L. Burrell (), moderated by ICA curator Zoë Latzer (). It was an intimate experience where attendees were able to directly interact with both artists and projections tailored specifically for the evening transformed the gallery into a shifting cinematic environment.

Join us for upcoming free public programs with Miguel Novelo, including hands-on workshops on June 2 at 6pm with Recology Artist in Residence Program () in San Francisco and June 4 at 6pm at the ICA exploring e-waste, creative technology, and the afterlives of digital devices. RSVP using the link in our bio.

Follow the ICA to learn more about programs like these and visit Thursdays-Sundays, 12-5pm through August 23rd.

Last weekend, ICA members spent a very full day exploring the vibrant arts community of San José.We began at the ICA wit...
05/18/2026

Last weekend, ICA members spent a very full day exploring the vibrant arts community of San José.

We began at the ICA with a curator and artist-led tour of INFRAMUNDO with Miguel Novelo () and Zoë Latzer (), then visited artist studios and galleries throughout the city. Stops included Citadel Art Studios (), Art Object Gallery (), Empire 7 Studios (), Natayla Burd’s studio (), and a closing reception at Charlotte Kruk’s home and studio (.kruk). The ICA is proud to be a part of the San José art scene and thank you to all of our community members who joined us! 

If you’re interested in exclusive access to artist studios and gallery experiences like this, become an ICA member. Membership information is available in our bio.

Join the ICA San José for another College Night during the June South First Friday festivities on June 5th ! We will be ...
05/15/2026

Join the ICA San José for another College Night during the June South First Friday festivities on June 5th ! We will be hosting a found-objects workshop with Sam Marks, a San José based teaching artist and the facilities and operations manager at the ICA. This is a free, drop-in workshop from 5-9pm at the ICA. RSVPs are not required, but are encouraged. Stop by for a night of creativity and connection as we celebrate the teaching artists in our region. Please see the link in our bio for more information.

Suspended between memory and myth, Anoushka Mirchandani’s luminous silk installation transforms the gallery into a shift...
05/11/2026

Suspended between memory and myth, Anoushka Mirchandani’s luminous silk installation transforms the gallery into a shifting, immersive environment. Layers of painted, translucent silk drift through space, revealing and concealing fragments of bodies, histories, and imagined worlds as viewers move among them. Accompanied by an evocative soundscape created with Sanaya Ardeshir (), the installation becomes a living archive shaped by oral histories, migration, longing, and the instability of memory itself.

At once ethereal and deeply embodied, the work invites us into a space where fact and fiction blur, where remembrance remains incomplete, and where the archive is understood not as fixed record, but as something porous, fragile, and continually unfolding.

Visit the ICA Thursday-Sunday, 12-5pm to experience 𝘔𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘈 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Photos by Nicolas Lea Bruno ()

Join the ICA San José () and Recology AIR () on Tuesday, June 2nd and Thursday, June 4th at 6pm for hands-on workshops w...
05/06/2026

Join the ICA San José () and Recology AIR () on Tuesday, June 2nd and Thursday, June 4th at 6pm for hands-on workshops with Miguel Novelo () exploring the afterlives of everyday devices — from technological aging and decay to creative transformation. Participants will bring old or discarded screens, monitors, tablets, and smartphones to explore the intersections of materiality, design, and data. 

Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of their devices’ material, e-waste, and poetic afterlives, as well as small experimental sculptures or other creative digital explorations of their devices. This workshop is accessible to participants of varying technological and artistic experience levels. Sign up for each workshop using the link in our bio!

Event details: 

Tuesday, June 2 — Workshop Recology AIR’s Environmental Learning Center in San Francisco (6pm) 401 Tunnel Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134 

Thursday, June 4— Workshop ICA San José in San José (6pm)

05/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to our recent sound meditation session with Parul Makharia surrounded by Miguel Novelo’s INFRAMUNDO. Join us on Thursday, May 21 from 5:30-6:30pm for a yoga session led by Downtown Yoga Shala. The link to RSVP is in our bio. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.

Join the ICA San José for the next iteration of our Talking Art series! 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘳𝘵: 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 bri...
05/04/2026

Join the ICA San José for the next iteration of our Talking Art series! 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘳𝘵: 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 brings together contemporary artists Miguel Novelo and Adrian L. Burrell, working across experimental film, digital video, and emerging media to explore how storytelling is being transformed through technology, heritage, and speculative world-building.

Moderated by ICA curator Zoë Latzer, the conversation considers how artists are expanding storytelling through hybrid media systems that merge myth, memory, and machine into new forms of cinema. RSVP using the link in our bio.

Images and videos of Miguel Novelo’s work are from the 2025 Gray Area Festival (), INFRAMUNDO at the ICA San José, the Frederick Hammersley Visiting Artist Program at the University of New Mexico (), and Vórtice en la zona silencio.

Images and videos of Adrian L. Burrell’s work are from 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 with FOR-SITE () and 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 & 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 at OMCA ().

Become an ICA member!The ICA San José prides itself on the travel programming offered to members. Upcoming perks include...
04/29/2026

Become an ICA member!

The ICA San José prides itself on the travel programming offered to members. Upcoming perks include a special San José Art Day where we’ll begin at ICA San José with an artist- and curator-led tour of INFRAMUNDO. This will be followed by visits to the studios of San José based artists Natalya Burd () and Charlotte Kruk (.kruk), among other stops. This exclusive experience is a wonderful opportunity to explore inspiring artwork, connect with local artists, and engage with San José’s vibrant arts community.

ICA San José Changemaker Circle members also  have the opportunity to participate in an unforgettable, four-day journey through Davis, Sacramento, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. This experience includes exclusive access to private collections and artist studio visits.

By becoming a member, you support accessible contemporary art and programming while enjoying exclusive perks like our travel program. Learn more about ICA membership at the link in bio.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend at ICA San José () to celebrate the opening of “INFRAMUNDO” by Miguel N...
04/27/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend at ICA San José () to celebrate the opening of “INFRAMUNDO” by Miguel Novelo ().

The space came alive through the presence of hundreds of people—with artists, collaborators, and community members engaging with the work in such thoughtful and generous ways. This exhibition reflects an expansive process of research and experimentation. We are deeply grateful to Miguel for his vision and to the many contributors. Thank you as well to our dedicated ICA San José team, installation crew, and supporters whose work behind the scenes made this exhibition possible.

If you missed the opening, “INFRAMUNDO” is now open! Join us for an Artist- and Curator-led tour on Saturday, May 9 at 11am. The link to RSVP is in our bio.

Photos by Nicholas Lea Bruno ().

Address

560 S 1st Street
San Jose, CA
95113

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+14082838155

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