A Visit to the ICA Boston

Avant Garde Art Exhibits

A Visit to the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Boston

The ICA and its impressive waterfront home offers exhibits on contemporary photography, painting, sculpture, architecture and video performance art in styles that appeal to the youngest viewer.

Boston ICA Museum

photo credit: BostonCentral

Monthly "Play Dates" for kids feature themed art, storytelling, performance, films and building tours are all wonderful ways to introduce children to the world of art.

The Museum overlooks Boston Harbor with amazing views of East Boston and Piers Park. A really nice walkway brings you past a few restaurants and out to a small park where you can enjoy refreshing breezes and watch as boats of all kinds go by.

photo credits: Stacey Sao, BostonCentral

The views on the outside of the museum are often just as spectacular as the art found inside. This wonderful outdoor seating area provides a shaded area to congregate and the enjoy the front and center views of Boston Harbor.

photo courtesy of The ICA

photo credit: BostonCentral

You can sit here and watch as people stroll by, watch a wide variety of boats glide through the harbor and sometimes, (depending on the landing pattern), you can even see planes taking off and landing across the way at Logan airport.

photo credit: BostonCentral

There are a number of waterside restaurants where you can grab a drink, lunch or dinner; and many more just a short walk across the way into the seaport district. We always like to stop by Tayaiki NYC for an ice cream cone and a smile.

Stacey Sao BostonCentral Ice Cream

photo credit: BostonCentral

These interactive pieces of art are a lot of fun to balance and sit on. Let go and allow gravity and design take over, you are sure to get a smile and/or a few laughs.

photo credit: BostonCentral

ICA Foyer Murals

The main foyer entryway features a large mural that changes each year. It takes up the entire wall and is open to all visitors whether you visit the entire museum or not. It's always a treat to see what will appear next.

ICA Gift Shop

Personally, I think that the museum gift shop is one of the most interesting and enjoyable gift shops to visit in the entire city. So many unique and innovative things to peruse! The gift shop is open to the public and accessible through the lobby down a ramp to the left.

photo credit: BostonCentral

And then, there's the art! The vast spaces will draw you in with colorful abstract art of all shapes and sizes. It's a terrific place to wander about and get lost in the grandeur of it all.

photo credit: BostonCentral

You will also discover great architectural nooks and places to relax. That big window looks out onto the harbor.

Here's a cozy little book nook for kids & families to enjoy. It's a quiet, inviting space off to the side perfect for some book & bonding time.

Some of the art exhibits are interactive. These rings look a lot easier to navigate than they actually are. This exhibit was fun to try, but even more fun to watch other try.

photo credit: BostonCentral

Kids, and people in amazing shape seemed to have the easiest time on the rings.

photo credit: BostonCentral

It's always an adventure at the ICA. Exhibits are often thought provoking, colorful, mesmerizing, avant-garde, and/or whimsical.

photo credit: BostonCentral

n icon of contemporary art, Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929, Matsumoto, Japan) has interwoven ideas of pop art, minimalism, and psychedelia throughout her work in paintings, performances, room-size presentations, outdoor sculptural installations, literary works, films, design, and architectural interventions over her long and influential career.

photo credit: BostonCentral

LOVE IS CALLING, which premiered in Japan in 2013, is the most immersive and kaleidoscopic of the artist’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. Representing the culmination of her artistic achievements, it exemplifies the breadth of her visual vocabulary—from her signature polka dots and soft sculptures to brilliant colors, the spoken word, and most importantly, endless reflections and the illusion of space.

photo credit: BostonCentral

It is composed of a darkened, mirrored room illuminated by inflatable, tentacle-like forms—covered in the artist’s characteristic polka dots—that extend from the floor and ceiling, gradually changing colors. As visitors walk throughout the installation, a sound recording of Kusama reciting a love poem in Japanese plays continuously.

photo credit: BostonCentral

Often, you can find people outside on the stair seating sketching harbor scenes. It's an inspiring venue on many different fronts.

photo credit: BostonCentral

Below is a photo of the same stair seating taken at night. You can enjoy this area on an evening stroll along the Boston Harborwalk.

photo courtesy of The ICA

The photo below is of the ICA back before the Seaport was developed and before all of the skyscrapers and condo complexes were built. (2014 or so). It was pretty much just the ICA building and a bunch of parking lots back then.

photo courtesy of The ICA

Just one of many fine Boston Museums, none are located in quite the prime waterfront location as The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). In addition, during the warmer months, you may be interested in visiting the recently opened ICA Watershed.

Located in just across the harbor in Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina in East Boston, the ICA Watershed transforms a 15,000-square-foot, formerly condemned space into a new cultural asset. The exhibits change seasonally so three is always something new, and you can take the water taxi to add another layer of adventure.

Other favorite museum venues include the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The Boston Children's Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), each feature distinct character and their own artistic prowess, and are all well worth a visit.

Be sure to check out our guide to Things to do in Boston with kids! And if you are into savings, our popular Free things to do in Boston guide is one you won't want to miss.

In addition, you can find lots more family-friendly events near Boston each week on the BostonCentral calendar, and in our our popular things to do this week newsletter.

You can also stay on top of what's going on in Boston on our Boston events calendar. We highlight lots of family-friendly events and activities to help you make the best of your free time.

~~ Stacey Sao | BostonCentral
Stacey Sao has been the Managing Director of the family-friendly events and activities website, BostonCentral for over 23 years. She continues to enjoy discovering and exploring new places to visit in the Greater Boston area.