ICA given grant of $112,500

The University's Institute of Contemporary Art, which has been a flashpoint for controversy over the past year, received a significant federal grant last month. The Institute of Museum Services awarded $112,500 to the ICA after a peer review by a panel of industry professionals. The money will be used for "general operating support," according to Wendy Steinberg, an ICA spokesperson. "Operating support is continually cited as the most difficult type of funding for museums to raise," Steinberg said. The ICA was one of only 275 museums nationwide to receive an award, although more than 1,070 institutions had applied for funding. In a statement, ICA Director Patrick Murphy said this year's award was especially significant because it came just after the National Council on the Arts overturned a recommendation that the ICA receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. In its review, the panel of industry professionals who evaluated the ICA noted that it "has an exemplary record in exhibitions, with its projects having national as well as regional impact." The ICA also was commended for bringing "attention to young and emerging artists," and was applauded for its professionalism, innovativeness and success. The ICA has also sponsored Philadelphia's city-wide Day Without Art, an annual event designed to remind the public of the toll that AIDS has taken within the creative community. Last year, the ICA was criticized by many for showing Andres Serrano's Piss Christ photograph, which depicts a crucifix submerged in urine. The ICA has received IMS grants in every year in which it has been eligible since 1991. Its fall exhibition season opens this year with "PerForms," a combination of sculpture, photography and gallery installations.

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