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Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Reviews

Submitted by Charlene Garcia on 03/07/2022

Charlene Garcia 5 stars rating.

Overall Rating

It was a terrific time with great people and a great vibe.

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Will Green 5 stars rating.

Had a really good time here. Very convenient parking right at the front door. Staff was super helfpul and pleasant. Very thought provoking exhibits.

Submitted by Will Green on 04/11/2022

Ruth Feldhan 5 stars rating.

ICA always presents the best exhibits and events! I’m never disappointed.

Submitted by Ruth Feldhan on 04/08/2022

Michael Tran 1 stars rating.

I had written a huuuuuge diatribe about art accessibility and intentional mystique being more important than reaching your audience.

Instead: videos in a museum exhibit that quotes “decolonialism” but doesn’t have subtitles? Fark off.

(PS. The staff are great)

Submitted by Michael Tran on 12/30/2021

Sirah Morgan 5 stars rating.

Visited during IofCA's Witch Hunt exhibition. Best to get there just before the hour so you can go straight to One Big Bag or the other video displays. If you have time to watch the videos and listen to the audio feeds, I'm sure it's fascinating. Two other rooms show easy to quickly observe works. I still think the pink accented Gender-free bathroom was interesting as well.

Submitted by Sirah Morgan on 11/05/2021

Michele Castagnetti 2 stars rating.

Wonderful space but the artists they pick (since its inception) are quite unremarkable nor inspiring. It seems that you can easily skip every single show they put up. Not really acceptable and quite frustrating since there are plenty of talented artists to choose from in LA that really need the exposure. Just another well funded art organization that couldn’t care less of emerging artists with curators that just want to look good by choosing the already certified and their pals. (impossible to find parking and you might get stabbed on the way there.)

Submitted by Michele Castagnetti on 10/22/2021

Stacey Anistacia Miller 5 stars rating.

I so love his place. Creative artist and inspialitations. Now you must make a reservation on Tuesday. Make sure that you check the web site for the newest protocal.

Submitted by Stacey Anistacia Miller on 10/20/2021

Andre Lukin 5 stars rating.

Great place to see contemporary art in the Arts district. Close to many galleries in the neighborhood.

Submitted by Andre Lukin on 06/20/2021

Victor Wang 5 stars rating.

Really awesome very small museum showcasing some out of the box artists with unique pieces. Only 2-3 small exhibition rooms that doesn’t take too long to cover everything. They use time tickets and there’s a small parking lot at the entrance which was pretty empty when I went. There’s also plenty of street parking nearby along the Industrial St. and even a parking garage. Best thing is free entry!

Submitted by Victor Wang on 05/31/2021

M A S 3 stars rating.

UPDATED: This is a relatively small museum that should probably be somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. This is not a world-class museum; rather it is a warehouse type space that has been converted into a museum, and like many museums your particular enjoyment will depend on the particular exhibition shown.
That said, the lighting is terrific and the display space is generous. I hope and expect that there will be some terrific shows here in the future.
The main the detractor for ICA LA is that it is not located in the arts district,....

FOLLOWING UP ON THE MUSEUM’s REPLY: Although I have not been back since 2018, I see that the surrounding area has improved ???? and there are now several well rated art ???? galleries and eateries (food joints) within a few blocks radius.
I look forward to revisiting.

Submitted by M A S on 04/06/2021

James toler 4 stars rating.

Finally took a Sunday off since I couldn't recall the last time I've done so. Figured I might as well attempt to enjoy the day so I checked out Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles informative website to get an idea of what I was getting into.

Submitted by James Toler on 02/25/2021

C Alexander (yorksgiftworld) 5 stars rating.

A very cool little museum. The staff were awesome!

Submitted by C Alexander (yorksgiftworld) on 11/14/2019

Ken Mann 4 stars rating.

Very clever staging of some kitschy art. Don't miss the gift shop! Unique, provocative, gifts from 50 artists; running the gammut from post cards to clothing.

Submitted by Ken Mann on 10/12/2019

H. Callahan 1 stars rating.

Boring and predictably pretentious. Indifferent and seemingly ignorant management that seem confused by their role in the establishment. Very mixed collection of artwork poorly laid out without thought or organization.
And oh my, let’s see what else we can call art, Totally disappointing. Many reviews here are questionable. ?? See for yourself at your own peril.

Submitted by H. Callahan on 09/08/2019

Joseph Damiano 2 stars rating.

I was extremely disheartened by the artist's exhibits. The museum does an outstanding job of setting and maintaining the artist displays and works. The artist's on exhibit during my brief exploration struck a sad and discouraging chord to my reasoning. I am not of the fan club that enjoys any artists display or works comprised of their personal garbage nor their dirty clothes. I will not accept this as modern art rather this is modern garbage and should be disposed of.

Submitted by Joseph Damiano on 01/09/2019

DrZellman 5 stars rating.

I really enjoyed their exhibits and the pop up shop has some really cool studio one off clothing articles for sale.

Submitted by Drzellman on 01/06/2019

Mallory Andrews 5 stars rating.

This is a great, donation-based museum in the arts district with interesting contemporary exhibits. B. Wurtz's "This Has No Name" is currently on exhibit and is a collection of sculptures and pieces based in everyday objects. I really enjoyed Nina Chanel Abney's exhibit and look forward to checking out the collection at the African American Museum as well.

Submitted by Mallory Andrews on 11/22/2018

Jessica Roller 5 stars rating.

Free to enter, donations welcome. Great pieces on display, and they regularly host artist talks and events.

The building is set back away from the road and can be difficult to find. It doesn't look like a museum - it's not a free-standing building as I recall, and it blends in with the shops next door. Surprisingly, the space is huge on the inside, with a cool gift shop (practical handmade items). Free parking two blocks away by the coffee shop. A must-see if you're nearby!

Submitted by Jessica Roller on 08/27/2018

Dan Mitnick 4 stars rating.

A good space to see art. Large volume High ceilings clear White Walls good light. Fully sprinklered newly restored building safe place and a very dodgy neighborhood. Now that's Silver Lake Echo Park and even Lincoln Heights have become relatively safe this is truly scary underbelly of LA City lots of trash homeless lost souls you'll have to step over on your way in not very much parking and what few markets there are nearby you'll need cash only

Submitted by Dan Mitnick on 01/08/2018

Lauren Sleator 5 stars rating.

ICA LA is a new small museum in the arts district. Admission is free, and most employees are bilingual.

They have a beautiful collection of sketches and drawings by Martin Ramirez. It is a small intimate museum, and as you wander through the gallery of Ramirez's art and information his life, it's hard not to imagine what it might be like to be him.

Abigail Deville's No Space Hidden exhibit was amazing. It had more impact in this tiny museum right next to skid row than could possibly be had anywhere else.

The gift shop is full of children's books, some tackling the same heavy subjects as the art in the galleries.

I can't wait to see what this little gallery does next.

Submitted by Lauren Sleator on 09/11/2017