About the Museum
The center of the city's photography world can be found, for now, in a sleek new building in The Bowery. The International Center of Photography hosts dozens of classes and lectures every month, exploring all aspects of traditional an modern photography. But for those not inclined to practice the photographic arts themselves, the Center also hosts a series of rotating exhibits in its spacious galleries (and further afield on satellite campuses). ICP's exhibitions tend to be more accessible than other photographic collections since the museum makes little distinction between snapshots and fine art. Its concern is less about how professionally and artistically a moment was captured and more about the story the picture tells.
What You Will See
There is not much in terms of a permanent collection on display at the Center. Instead, the museum hosts several exhibits concurrently, usually either retrospectives of established international photographers or revisiting historical periods relevant to contemporary social issues. Recent exhibitions have revisited the internment of Japanese-Americans, the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, Cuba's post-revolution experience, and the rise and fall of Apartheid. While the exhibition schedule is likely to slow somewhat as the museum prepares to move to Essex's Crossing, keep an eye on the calendar for some of the best photography in the city.
Why You Should Go
Many of the larger museums in the city have departments dedicated to photography--most notably the Met and the MoMA. But these museums prioritizes photographs as fine art. ICP, by contrast, is devoted to the study of photography in all of its manifestations--as its extensive offerings of classes, tours, and lectures show. The exhibits hosted here look at photography not as a branch of art, but rather as its own category of human creativity. The museum gives equal standing to fine art, photojournalism, tourist snapshots, and selfies. If it can be captured through a lens, it belongs at ICP. Watch the calendar and plan on returning often--especially after its new home opens next year.
