ICA Announces 40th Anniversary Lecture Series

November 4, 2003

(Philadelphia, PA)- The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce a new lecture series celebrating some of the most notable exhibitions in ICA's history. Looking back at ICA's four decades of provocative and award winning programming, the series will highlight the artists and directors behind some of the museums most significant shows. Participants will include Laurie Anderson, Richard Artschwager, Ann Hamilton, Janet Kardon, Judith Tannenbaum, and Lisa Yuskavage. The series will kick off in ICA's auditorium at 6pm on Wednesday, December 3, with a conversation between legendary ICA director Sam Green and writer Judith Stein. The lectures will continue with conversations between Suzanne Delehanty and Richard Artschwager (February 11, 2004); Janet Kardon and Laurie Anderson (March 24, 2004); Patrick Murphy and Bill Viola (tentative Fall 2004); Judith Tannenbaum and Ann Hamilton (Fall 2004); and Claudia Gould and Lisa Yuskavage (Late Fall 2004.)

Conversation: Sam Green & Judith Stein
Wednesday, December 3, 6pm
Mr. Green will talk about his fascinating career and his many experiences with writer Judith Stein, in the ICA auditorium on December 3rd at 6pm. Judith Stein is the author of I Tell My Heart: The Art of Horace Pippin, a former curator at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and has organized exhibitions such as "I Tell My Heart: The Art of Horace Pippin," "Figurative Fifties, New York Figurative Expressionism" and "Red Grooms: A Retrospective." She has been an arts reviewer and essayist for numerous periodicals including Art in America and Art News; and has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This event is free with gallery admission.

In 1965 Samuel Adams Green became the first full-time ICA director at the tender age of 25. In addition to bringing Andy Warhol to ICA for his first solo museum exhibition ("Andy Warhol", October 8-November 21, 1965), he was instrumental in organizing a joint exhibition of the sculptures of Tony Smith ("Tony Smith" presented by ICA and Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, 1966-1967) and creating a city wide public art project "Art for the City" in 1967. All together, he organized 10 exhibitions in his three-year tenure at ICA. Undeniably, the Warhol exhibition in 1965 was a significant milestone in his career, with thousands turning up for the opening, forcing Green, Edie Sedgwick, and Andy Warhol to escape through the roof of the gallery. Even more absurd, sensing the potential crowds, Green removed all the art prior to the public opening. As Green said in Andy Warhol, A Retrospective, “Andy was pleased because, without his art, he'd become a superstar on his own.”

After leaving ICA in 1967, Green became a cultural consultant for the city of New York and in 1968, was instrumental in saving portions of Easter Island from development. His efforts, including mounting an Easter Island head in Seagram Plaza, helped to raise awareness of the threats to the island and protect it from future commercial development. This experience contributed to his current position as director of the Landmarks Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving sacred sites and landscapes around the world. Current projects include working to preserve the endangered Genteng Monastery in Bhutan and protecting the traditional pathways of the Huichol Indians in Mexico. Always an interesting personality, he also helped John Lennon curate his private collection of Egyptian art in the 70's and was a life-long friend of reclusive movie star Greta Garbo.

ICA
Founded in 1963 as part of the University of Pennsylvania, ICA presents a year-round exhibition schedule that defines, analyzes, and explores the contemporary visual arts. A non-collecting museum, ICA offers one-person, thematic, and group exhibitions, including commissioned works. ICA diversifies its examination of art to include interdisciplinary work such as film, video, performance, architecture, and design. ICA plays a vital role in introducing American audiences to rising international artists and is also committed to the regional arts community. ICA has been at the forefront of contemporary art for nearly 40 years, presenting the first museum solo exhibitions of artists Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Lisa Yuskavage, Charles LeDray and many others.

The ICA is located at 118 South 36th Street at the University of Pennsylvania. The ICA is open to the public, except during installation, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday through Friday and from 11:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for students over 12, artists, and senior citizens; and free to ICA members, children 12 and under, PENN card holders, and on Sundays from 11:00am to 1:00pm. For more information, call 215-898-7108/5911.

Image: Andy Warhol, ICA Exhibition Opening , 1965. Photo by Charles Steiner.

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