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

Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose

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Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose

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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 diverse 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.

10/12/2026

Just Announced! 🎉 Join us Friday, October 16, from 5–8 PM for our Artists’ Mixer, featuring a special conversation from 5:30-6:30pm with Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander (Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander), Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Cantor Arts Center, and our 2026 Fall Benefit & Art Auction honorees, Wanxin Zhang (Wanxin Zhang) and Diane Ding (dianedingart), celebrating their duo exhibition, “We Are California Artists: Wanxin Zhang and Diane Ding”.

The conversation will explore Zhang and Ding’s shared life and studio practice in California over three decades, and the intersections of migration, family, craft, and daily life in their work. Come celebrate with us! RSVP for the entire Artists’ Mixer using the link in our bio.

Photos of Wanxin Zhang and Diane Ding by Paul Gallo (Paul Gallo)

10/07/2026

Now on view: Greg Ito’s 𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦!

Drawing inspiration from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 by Shel Silverstein, Ito traces how the story’s meaning shifts over time: from a childhood story of generosity into a meditation on the emotional and physical exchanges that shape generations. Driven by his own recent experience of becoming a father, Ito creates work dedicated to the future, exploring what we leave behind for the next generation.

The exhibition features new paintings, sculptures, and a video installation alongside previous works, rendered in Ito’s signature graphic style. He builds layered, surreal scenes that move between domestic interiors and shifting environmental landscapes where time feels compressed and overlapping. Carefully constructed paintings function as symbolic windows, inviting us to consider our relationship to climate change, resilience, and what we carry.

𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 is curated by Zoë Latzer and will be on view through February 21, 2027.

Photos by Shaun Roberts (Shaun Roberts)

10/05/2026

Please join us on Friday evening, November 6 from 6-9pm for the Silent Auction Closing Event.

All artwork for this year’s Benefit and Art Auction will be installed and available for bidding in the David Pace Gallery by the Artists’ Mixer on October 16.

You can participate in the silent auction online, but you will have more fun if you join us in person! On November 6, we will be closing the silent auction lots with a celebratory event, including snacks, drinks, and music. This will also be part of South FIRST Friday where galleries and museums in our neighborhood will be open late. This event is free and open to all.

RSVP using the link in our bio.

10/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the first yoga class with our new exhibition, Greg Ito: 𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦. We love being able to provide free programming for our community and greatly value the partnerships with our SoFA neighbors. We just completed one year of partnership with Downtown Yoga Shala on this program and can’t wait to bring more people together in the year to come. Check out the link in our bio to RSVP for the next yoga class on Thursday, October 29th, 5:30-6:30pm.

09/30/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at ICA San José on Saturday for the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (Margaret Jenkins Dance Company) performance and premiere of their new work, 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴. We were thrilled to share this truly special performance with our community to experience this powerful work.

A special thank you to Jonathan Axelrad for his generous support of this project and for helping make this performance possible.

09/29/2026

This is the reading room at , where Q***r American Memorials is presenting its first California memorial in progress, for Alina Marie Barragan of San José. We are building it with the Center and with the people who loved her.

If you knew Alina, we would be honored to hear from you.
The opening celebration is, Friday, October 2, from 5 to 9pm. It is free and everyone is welcome. The RSVP link is in our bio. On view through February 21.

***rAmericanMemorials ***rHistory

09/27/2026

The ICA will hold extended hours today for the SoFA Street Fair. Visit us from 12-8pm and enjoy the live music, vendors, and local art in our neighborhood.

09/25/2026

The ICA is excited to present a special performance with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company on Saturday, September 26, 1-3pm. This event is free and open to all, and will occur during the ICA’s open hours, so stop by during your regularly planned visit to the ICA.

Margaret Jenkins will speak about her work and practice, as well as MJDC’s Legacy in Motion project, followed by a new piece performed by the company in dialogue with the ICA’s exhibition Greg Ito: 𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦. For more information, check out the link in our bio.

Generously supported by Jonathan Axelrad.

09/24/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week at ICA San José (ICA San José) to celebrate the opening of 𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 by Greg Ito (𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑮 𝑰𝑻𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑫𝑰𝑶)! A special thanks to Nicholas Lea Bruno (Nicholas Lea Bruno) for photographing the event and the San Jose Public Library (San José Public Library) for signing attendees up for the special edition Greg Ito library card.

The exhibition features new paintings, sculptures, and a video installation alongside previous works, rendered in Ito’s signature graphic style. Using flat exterior house paint with meticulous precision, he builds layered, surreal scenes that move between domestic interiors and shifting environmental landscapes where time feels compressed and overlapping. Within these environments, carefully constructed paintings function as symbolic windows, inviting us to consider our relationship to climate change, resilience, and what we carry.

If you missed the opening, 𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 is now open until February 21, 2027. If you’d like to support exhibitions and programming like this, consider coming to our Annual Benefit & Art Auction. Tickets are on sale now, visit the link in our bio.

09/21/2026

The ICA San José is looking for our next Director of Development who is ready to lead major gifts, our annual Benefit & Art Auction, and board fundraising strategy. This is a Knight Foundation grant-funded role built to grow ICA’s contributed revenue and shape a development program from the ground up.

What you’d bring: 5+ years of fundraising experience, ideally with major gifts, board coaching, and direct solicitation experience. This is a hybrid role for someone in the San Francisco Bay Area.

If you’re a fundraiser who loves the arts and wants real ownership over strategy, we want to hear from you.

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

Website

https://www.icasanjose.org/

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