ICA Boston Director Jill Medvedow to Resign After Transformative 25-Year Tenure

Medvedow's legacy includes securing ICA Boston's permanent home, transforming it from a non-collecting institution to having a substantial permanent collection, raising over $200 million for building campaigns, and championing artists like Jeffrey Gibson and Amy Sillman.

• Jill Medvedow, the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, announced her resignation effective December 2024, following a period of transformative leadership that spanned 25 years. A search committee has been formed to find her replacement.
• She played a critical role in securing the ICA Boston's permanent home on the Boston Harbor waterfront and developing its current 62,000-square-foot location. She also initiated an expansion in 2018, namely the ICA Watershed, a 15,000-square-foot seasonal space in East Boston.
• Under Medvedow's guidance, the ICA Boston transformed from a non-collecting institution to one with a significant permanent collection. Notably, over her tenure, the museum received two major donations, equating to 68 works of art, from longtime patron Barbara Lee. These contributions helped in establishing a body of work largely represented by women and artists of color.
• Medvedow has led the institution in producing several landmark exhibitions and commissioning works from diverse group of artists. Perhaps the institution's proudest achievement under her leadership was being named as the commissioning institution for the US Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale, with Simone Leigh as its representative.
• Throughout her tenure, she worked to incorporate contemporary art and ideas into the Boston community, partnering with schools and other local organizations. This integration transformed the ICA into not only a leading artistic center but a key part of the city's civic life.

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