Changes in store as new ICA chief reaches out

Claudia Gould wants the gallery made more accessible to students. The photographs hanging in the windows of the Institute of Contemporary Art may be replaced by go-go dancers one of these days. That change is among the many that Claudia Gould, the recently appointed director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, has considered implementing. "I keep wondering where all [the students] are," Gould said. "I see them walking by and sitting outside of the Grad Towers and I really want to make the museum more open to them." Hence, the go-go dancers -- a solution that Gould jokingly proposes in order to accomplish her main goal as director: to attract a larger student audience to the ICA. The ICA was founded in 1963 as a venue for recognizing early and emerging artists and is responsible for the presentation and documentation of recent developments in visual arts. Located at 36th and Sansom streets, the ICA is one of the few contemporary art institutes in the country and is constantly showcasing new exhibitions. It has no permanent collection of its own. As director, Gould is in charge of the institute's visual identity, artistic direction and financial stability. She oversees all its exhibitions, financial and personnel management and academic interface with undergraduate and graduate education at the University. But Gould insists she will not stop there. Although she has only been director for a little over a month, she already has many plans, including converting the terrace outside of the museum into a cafZ, opening gallery space on the second floor for local and international emerging artists and, most recently, hosting an "Open Video Call" to be held on Wednesday. In the event, the ICA will encourage students to submit six-minute video clips., which will be screened on the exterior wall of the building. Curators will then choose selections from the videos for a new video-viewing station within the ICA. "The Institute of Contemporary Art is a very good match for me," Gould said. She is particularly pleased with its "contemporary art collection, university connection and Philadelphia's proximity to New York City." Prior to her work at the ICA, Gould was the executive director of the Artists Space in New York City. After five years on staff, she said, she felt as though she had "done everything there" and was ready to move on to her next endeavor. University Provost Robert Barchi said that Gould is an ideal person for the prominent position. "Claudia Gould is exactly the person we need to lead the ICA," he said. "She has keen insight and a deep background into the contemporary art scene and is enormously creative, energetic and articulate." Gould encourages students to come to the ICA's exhibitions, openings and special programs, noting that admission is free for Penn students. "I would love to know what interests young people," Gould said. "My mission is to know what students want here."

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