“If an institution has not made it after 10 years, it shouldn’t be around anymore,” said auto dealership magnate and art collector Norman Braman in a 2014 interview with The New York Times.
Ten years later, the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA) is still standing. More than that, it’s thriving. After receiving a reported 1 million visitors and organizing 94 exhibitions, this museum of contemporary art remains open to the public for free.
And “free is a big deal … It’s a great way to get people in,” said sculptor Mark Handforth in an interview with the Biscayne Times.
(Fredrik Nilsen Studio)
“Dr. Pepper” by Mark Handforth, 2017. Aluminum, stainless steel, enamel paint and fluorescent aquarium lamps.
His aluminum and steel “Dr. Pepper” stands as a beacon in ICA’s courtyard sculpture garden, where events are frequently held.
“My sculpture is in the middle of all the action, like another person in the crowd. The piece is kind of lounging around at the party,” he said.
Handforth is now among 1,000 artists who have been hosted or supported through exhibitions or acquisitions since the museum’s inception.
To mark its 10th anniversary, ICA is celebrating by presenting “Toward the Celestial,” a selection of works from its permanent collection, as well as recent commissions and previously unshown works. Artists showcased include Dan Flavin, Ed and Nancy Kienholz, Albert Oehlen, Betye Saar, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Loriel Beltran, George Condo, Daniel Lind Ramos, Nicolas Party and Meghan Rooney, among others.
(ICA Miami)
Norman and Irma Braman,ICA Miami Founders
While viewing the exhibition on the third floor, amid Wynwood’s Design District where locals and tourists buzzed about, I couldn’t help but remember ICA’s origin story.
A Contentious Divide
The museum was born out of a dispute between the city of North Miami and the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA), where power couple Norman Braman and his wife, Irma, served on the board along with other art collectors who had donated generously to the museum.
The unraveling began after residents in 2012 rejected a $15 million bond issue to expand MOCA, dashing board members’ dreams and resulting in director Bonnie Clearwater departing for the Nova Southeastern University Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale. The fight over naming her successor exacerbated tensions and at one point two directors reported for duty – one named by the private board and the other appointed by the city, which legally owned the museum.
(Thomas Barratt/ICA Miami)
“Am I Human?” by George Condo, 2022. Oil on linen.
A lawsuit ensued, led by the Bramans. When the dust settled, North Miami and MOCA’s former board agreed on a settlement to divvy up the museum’s assets – namely its 600-works permanent collection. Board members walked away with enough art to begin exhibiting at the Moore Building in Wynwood as ICA while plans were made to build a new headquarters at 61 NE 41st St.
Those were heady times for the young Alex Gartenfeld, now ICA’s artistic director, who in 2013 went from being an editor at Art in America and Interview magazines in New York to joining MOCA as a curator and then becoming its interim director within three months during the split with North Miami.
“Being part of the founding of ICA was such a natural step. … it continues to be an exciting thing to be a part of,” said Gartenfeld. “Our board is made up of a great group of people … they have inspired generations of philanthropic leaders to step up. I’ve learned a lot from these special and extraordinary people.”
(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“The Ribbon Cutting” by Farley Aguilar, 2022. Oil paint, oil stick, pencil on linen canvas.
The Bramans used their considerable wealth and influence to build ICA’s new home on donated land and with additional financial backers to secure the museum’s future. Most importantly to the Bramans, particularly after the experience with North Miami, not a single dime of public money was sought.
Why did they foot the bill? Norman Braman at age 82 recalled in that same 2014 New York Times article that he and his wife “said to ourselves: ‘What’s success all about? What’s philanthropy all about? Let’s think of our legacy, following in the footsteps of some great Americans like the Carnegies and the Mellons who used their wealth for quality purposes.’”
Global Conversations
(Aranguren + Gallegos)
Designed by Spanish architectural firm Aranguren + Gallegos, the 37,500-square-foot home of ICA Miami has 20,000 square feet of gallery space.
Designed by Spanish architectural firm Aranguren + Gallegos, the 37,500-square-foot building and expansive garden opened in 2017 with 20,000 square feet of gallery space, just in time for that year’s Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week.
“From the outset we’ve been globally focused, centered on discourse happening in Miami … continuously inspired by the collection,” said Gartenfeld. ”Miami has a great reputation for being open to emerging artists … our focus has sought to mirror Miami’s openness … and whenever possible, to be an institutional platform for emerging artists.”
“I find [ICA] fascinating as an institution. It’s quiet unlike any other … I like how it can do massive historical survey shows and at the same time small ones for new and immersive artists,” said Handforth. “It’s very nimble … other institutions aren’t able to do so many things at the same time.
(Gesi Schilling)
Alex Gartenfeld, ICA Miami Artistic Director
“I go there because I enjoy it. These are great shows. You are seeing work that you can’t see anywhere else. The research in terms of the curators is fantastic.”
He pointed to the vibrancy of the neighborhood and its visitors.
“That whole part of the city is vibrant and alive … and ICA is central to it,” he said. “It’s a cultural anchor … it’s a part of that energy … a very kind of new museum.”
Handforth also talked about the young people who come to ICA and bring their friends, especially on the first Friday of every month when the museum stays open late for its free signature after-hours events, offering everything from film screenings, exhibition tours, concerts, performances of all kinds and more.
Notwithstanding the magnet ICA has become for younger generations, the kind that don’t regularly visit museums, Gartenfeld believes what does and will set ICA apart now and into future are the dialogues it’s creating.
(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“Bao de Mara” by Daniel Lind-Ramos, 2022. Enamel paint on wood, dried palm tree branches, dried palm tree trunks, lacquered coconuts, FEMA tarp, various textiles, tambourines, metal buckets, found wooden chair, ropes, trumpets, hammers, plastic tubing, metal cables, metal fan and plastic hoses.
“Our aspiration was to be a hub for dialogue and conversation for arts and culture with an emphasis on free access,” said Gartenfeld.
Enter the Knight Foundation, which in 2017 provided funding for the development of the Knight Foundation Art + Research Center at ICA. It’s a platform for the ongoing exchange of ideas around art, culture and society, propelling global conversations around the pressing issues that define our world.
How do they do it?
Blossoming Impact
Three times a year (fall, spring, summer) Knight brings students and scholars from Miami, across the country and overseas together for three-week closed-door intensive sessions on a host of topics, followed by an open public lecture. All of it is free. Gartenfeld described it as “a uniquely accredited program with FIU and UM that brings fantastic scholars to ICA.”
“It’s changed the landscape to provide a scholarly component to art practices and to museums in Miami,” said Donette Francis, director of the Center for Global Black Studies at the University of Miami. “I feel like it gives a local audience the opportunity to deeply engage with national and international scholars … it’s very impactful.”
(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“Domestic Shield XVI” by Willie Cole, 2020. Iron scorches on canvas with resin and wax, mounted on wood and metal.
Francis, who had previously participated in the program as a student, recently led a week of sessions tied to her ongoing research on Jamaica. Annie Paul, a professor at the University of the West Indies, led the seminars on Jamaican art.
“You don’t really get that (kind of programming) anywhere else,” Handforth insisted.
“The ability for people to engage with artists is invaluable … but it goes back to the value of art in society and how they generate conversation and gain better understanding about the world around us," said Victoria Rogers, Knight Foundation vice president of arts. “And not only in person … the online work that ICA offers adjusts to customer shifts and is adapting to new technology so you can go in person or access online.”
All the public lectures are archived and available for viewing at ICAMiami.org/video. In between spring and fall sessions, ICA produces eight podcasts on Spotify to keep the dialogue going. Links to all episodes can also be found on its website under “Programs.”
Regarding ICA’s continued artistic journey, Gartenfeld said he and his team are focused on the seasons ahead.
“We have a really exciting suite of exhibitions coming up. Keiichi Tanaami from Japan will be very revelatory,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to expand our community and serve more people … to expand our impact on the schools where art educators have exclusive access to art in our neighborhoods. It’s an area of expansion for us.”
For now, “Toward the Celestial,” runs through Oct. 6, but that’s not all that noteworthy. Also worth visiting is “Outside the Line,” Lebanese artist Huguette Caland’s exhibition on the first floor, as well “Topologies,” a retrospective of work by Cuban artist Zilia Sánchez on the second floor.
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(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“The Lieutenant-Nun Is Passing an Autobiography of Katalina Antonio Alonso” by Mercedes Azpilicueta, 2021. Jacquard tapestry (Merino wool, cotton, lurex).
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(ICA Miami/Courtesy of the artist)
“Swamp” by Nicolas Party, 2023. Soft pastel on linen.
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(Eva Herzog/ICA Miami)
“Up Up with You You and Me Me” by Megan Rooney, 2023. Oil stick, oil and acrylic on canvas.
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(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
Now through October 2024, ICA Miami is presenting a comprehensive survey of works by artist Zilia Sánchez. She is best known for her iconic shaped canvas paintings, stretched over wooden constructions, that resemble bodily shapes while retaining abstract qualities.
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(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“Visage (Face)” by Huguette Caland, 1973. Oil on canvas.
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(Emily Cardenas for Biscayne Times)
“Mohammed” by Paweł Althamer, 2013. Plastic and plaster on metal construction.