As a non-collecting museum of contemporary art, working with living artists is integral to ICA LA’s mission. Since our founding, artists have continuously played a guiding role in shaping our identity and our future as an institution, not only as the focus of our program, but also as vital participants in museum leadership and across museum staff.

Affirming our institutional commitment to center artists in all that we do and honoring the long history of the Arts District as a neighborhood where artists have lived and worked for decades, ICA LA’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program provides three artists with dedicated studio spaces adjacent to our building in DTLA for one year each.

ICA LA’s Bookshelf Residency program invites local booksellers and independent publishers to expand their footprint with a residency on the museum’s bookshelves. Unique titles are available for sale and each partner works with the museum’s Learning & Engagement department to produce a series of public programs.