International Center of Photography

International Center of Photography
Name	International Center of Photography
Established	1974
Founder	Cornell Capa
Location	New York City, New York, U.S.
Type	Photography museum
Director	David E. Little
Website	https://www.icp.org

International Center of Photography. Founded in 1974 by photographer Cornell Capa, it is a leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Its mission encompasses exhibition, collection, and education, focusing on the power of the image to document reality and foster social change. With a history spanning five decades, it has become a cornerstone of the photographic community in New York City and internationally.

History

The institution was established by Cornell Capa, brother of renowned war photographer Robert Capa, to preserve the legacy of "concerned photographers"—those who used the medium for social advocacy. Its first physical space opened in 1974 at the Midtown Manhattan headquarters of the United Nations. In 2001, it moved to a larger facility on Sixth Avenue near the Museum of Modern Art. A significant shift occurred in 2020 when it consolidated its museum and school into a new, integrated campus at 79 Essex Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side, designed by architecture firm Gensler. Throughout its history, it has presented landmark exhibitions on figures like Robert Frank, Gordon Parks, and Sebastião Salgado.

Collections and exhibitions

The permanent collection holds over 200,000 photographs, spanning the history of the medium from the 19th century to the present. It includes major archives such as the Cornell Capa Archive, the Roman Vishniac Archive, and extensive works from the Farm Security Administration photographic project. Exhibitions are thematic and monographic, often addressing pressing social issues; past shows have examined topics like the Civil Rights Movement, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and global migration. It has organized significant retrospectives for artists including Carrie Mae Weems, Garry Winogrand, and Rineke Dijkstra, and frequently collaborates with institutions like the George Eastman Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Educational programs

The school offers a full-time, one-year certificate program in Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism, alongside a wide range of part-time courses and workshops in areas such as photojournalism, fine art photography, and digital imaging. It grants a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Advanced Photographic Studies in partnership with Bard College. Public programs include lectures, symposia, and portfolio reviews, often featuring prominent figures like Susan Meiselas, Laurie Anderson, and Vik Muniz. The institution's community outreach initiatives work with local organizations in New York City boroughs like the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Facilities

The integrated center at 79 Essex Street houses gallery spaces, classrooms, darkrooms, digital labs, a research library, and a dedicated bookstore. The building's design emphasizes flexibility and public access, with street-level galleries to engage the vibrant Lower East Side neighborhood. Previous facilities included the museum on the Avenue of the Americas and a separate school location in the Financial District. The library maintains a non-circulating collection of over 20,000 volumes, including rare periodicals like Camera Work and archives related to Magnum Photos.

Publications

It produces a robust catalog of publications accompanying its major exhibitions, which are often distributed by major art book publishers like Aperture Foundation and Yale University Press. Notable titles include monographs on James Van Der Zee, Catherine Opie, and Andres Serrano. The institution also published the periodical ICP Infinity Awards journal and has released critical anthologies on photographic theory. These publications contribute to scholarly discourse and are held in libraries worldwide, including the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library.

Notable people

Founder Cornell Capa served as its first director. Subsequent directors have included Willis E. Hartshorn and current executive director David E. Little. Notable curators and department heads have included Brian Wallis, Christopher Phillips, and Carol Squiers. The faculty and visiting artists have included influential photographers such as Mary Ellen Mark, Nan Goldin, and Martin Parr. The annual ICP Infinity Awards have honored luminaries like Annie Leibovitz, William Klein, and Daido Moriyama, alongside institutions such as the Associated Press and The New York Times Photo Department.

Category:Art museums in New York City Category:Photography museums in the United States Category:Educational institutions established in 1974