The Institute of Contemporary Art
The ICA Chattanooga at UTC
The ICA Chattanooga is a public gallery for the contemporary South, propelling art and ideas through exhibitions, research, and programming that connect UTC to the Chattanooga community.
On View
Omission. Chris Aluka Berry, 2017. Giclée on fibre rag paper. Courtesy of the artist. Deacon B.C. Mance, 104, Toccoa, Georgia. In a moment of jest, Mance covers his face while having his portrait made at home.
Affrilachia: Testimonies
Thursday, November 5, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. | Welcome Reception
6:00 p.m. | Public Talk: “Affrilachia in Text and Image”
Friday, November 6
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch & Learn: Oral History and Documentary Photography
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. | First Friday Book Signing
Affrilachia: Testimonies
Chris Aluka Berry
October 15 – December 4, 2026
Reception and Public Conversation featuring Kelly Elaine Navies: Thursday, November 5, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Affrilachia: Testimonies by Chris Aluka Berry documents Black communities across rural Appalachia to expand broader cultural discourse around the region and the American South. Supported by Africana Studies, the Department of English, the Creative Writing Program, and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Upcoming at the ICA
Juried Student Show
December 11, 2026 – January 22, 2027
Opening Reception: Friday, December 11, 2026, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Closing & Awards Reception: Tuesday, January 22, 2027, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Vadis Turner: Wayward Grids
February 2 – March 19, 2027
Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 2
Panel Discussion featuring Ansel Elkins and Vadis Turner: Thursday, March 11, 2027, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Nashville-based artist Vadis Turner transforms domestic materials and handcraft traditions into dimensional, "hysterical" grid sculptures that explore gender and agency. The panel discussion is supported by Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, the Meacham Writers' Workshop, and the ICA.
BFA Thesis Show 1
March 31 – April 6, 2027
Reception & Artist Talks: Thursday, April 1, 2027, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Artist Talks start at 5:00 PM)
Capstone exhibition featuring thesis bodies of work produced by graduating UTC Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates.
BFA Thesis Show 2
April 14 – April 20, 2027
Reception & Artist Talks: Thursday, April 15, 2027, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Artist Talks start at 5:00 PM)
The second installment of the capstone exhibition series presenting thesis work by graduating UTC Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates.
Feinstein Scholarship Exhibition
May 7 – May 21, 2027
Reception: Saturday, May 8, 2027, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (post-Commencement)
This exhibition showcases this years' recipients of the Feinstein Art Scholarship: Caleb Connery, Crowley Haworth, and Isabella Hutchinson.
Art. People. Place.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is located within the Fine Arts Center
on the campus of University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC), 752 Vine Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403.
The ICA is free and open to the public.
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