But as a sign of changing of shifting attitudes, it is tremendously significant.
The debut of the contemporary wing caps a period of extraordinary activity in New England’s art world, which is quietly transforming itself into one of the most dynamic contemporary art scenes in this country.
Local art lovers have been slow to register the shift, preferring to dwell on lingering weaknesses (for example, Boston’s anemic commercial gallery scene) and perceived inadequacies (as usual, everything is judged against New York, and so everything falls short).
But the new climate is palpable. You can hardly find a local museum, whether it is a college museum or an independently funded one, that doesn’t now have a strong contemporary art program.
Much of this activity, to be sure, predates the new ICA. And all of it transcends - and even potentially threatens - the ICA’s success. But what’s undeniable is that the ICA’s reemergence helped contemporary art achieve a critical mass here, setting off a remarkable chain reaction that has led, albeit circuitously, to the MFA’s new Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art.
Even when people are critical of the ICA - as many are - they talk about it. They know it is there. They are curious to go see for themselves.
Since opening at its current location, the ICA has averaged approximately 200,000 visitors per year - a 10-tenfold increase over attendances at its previous home on Boylston Street. Inevitably, other museums see the ICA as competition - for audiences, for donors, for media attention. Over the past three years, in countless conversations with museum directors and curators, I have heard the ICA mentioned repeatedly. A lot of the time, the mentions are quietly critical. Nearly always, however, they reveal shades of rivalry and sneaking admiration.
