Free SF Art Museum Exits “The Cube” After Less Than 1 Year

The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco is making an abrupt exit from its “Cube” space in the Financial District at the end of the year. The Cube was always meant to be temporary and was originally planned as a two-year, rent-free home. ICA SF moved there from Dogpatch in 2024 under an arrangement with Vornado Realty Trust, using the former Bank of America building to expand its exhibition space and test a new model for urban arts programming.

ICA SF’s current shows by Masako Miki and David Antonio Cruz run through Dec. 7. After that, the museum will launch a nine-day public lounge during San Francisco Art Week from Jan. 17 through Jan. 25 at the Transamerica Pyramid Center. Indoor installations will feature large-scale sculptures by Tara Donovan, while outdoors in Transamerica Redwood Park, a 3D-printed living soil project called EARTHSEED DOME by Bay Area artist Lily Kwong will grow and evolve in public view through July 2026.

Later in 2026, ICA SF plans a joint exhibition by Dominique Fung and Heidi Lau at Pier 24, exploring diasporic memory and mythology. In 2027, the organization will return to Dogpatch with a landmark public art project at Prequel Park, transforming the site’s 300-foot smokestack into a vertical gallery.

The move also clears the way for the Wharton School of Business, which will lease the 80,000-square-foot building for more than a decade, more than doubling its current space on the Embarcadero.

ICA SF’s shift to a nomadic, citywide model reflects its mission to make contemporary art accessible and experimental. The organization plans to activate vacant buildings, public spaces, and architecturally significant sites, with a focus on public engagement, civic dialogue, and site-specific installations.

Read more at ICASF

h/t: SF Gate

Related: Free SF Art Museum Opens in Historic Downtown Bank Building “The Cube” – 10/28/2024