Johanna Burton named next director of Penn’s Institute of Contemporary Art

Johanna Burton was appointed as the Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director of Penn’s Institute of Contemporary Art on July 24.

Burton currently serves as the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Calif. — becoming the fifth director to leave the museum since 2008. Her term at Penn will begin on Nov. 1, 2025, according to an announcement from the ICA.

“Johanna Burton is among the most prominent and insightful leaders in contemporary art,” Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. said in the announcement. “She has wide-ranging experience working with artists across media, mentoring curators, collaborating with students and faculty, and energetically drawing new audiences to art institutions on both coasts.”

Jackson expressed gratitude toward Vice Provost for the Arts Timothy Rommen and the consultative committee that worked to confirm Burton’s position.

“We are very gratified to bring her to Penn at a time when the arts are more vital than ever, as articulated in our strategic framework, In Principle and Practice,” Jackson continued.

Although MOCA operates on a “$25 million budget and an 8,000-piece collection,” while the ICA has a “$6 million budget and no permanent collection,” Burton described her transition as “a honing in” rather than a step back to The New York Times.

“I was trained as an art historian and still consider most of what I do — and what I work with artists towards — as a form of research,” Burton wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “I love that the ICA is a small, nimble institution housed within a much larger, multi-faceted arena devoted to the furtherance of ideas.”

While preparing for her role at the ICA, Burton emphasized the importance of “institution building” and maintaining the “idea that museums are ecosystems made up of individuals.”

“It’s no overstatement to say that since I first learned about the place, I have hoped to join it,” she continued. “I’m beyond honored and so excited to partner with the staff of the museum and the university at this pivotal moment, and to imagine the next era of the ICA.” 

Burton added that she is most proud of how she has “always prioritized the intersection of artists and their publics, often through the lens of ‘education’ in its widest sense.” Prior to her time at MOCA, Burton served as the director of the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, and has helped lead the New Museum in New York, the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and the Whitney Museum. 

At MOCA, Burton oversaw programs, curation, and operations — leading initiatives such as the MOCA Focus series, a live performance program housed at the museum. She wrote to the DP that she hopes her previous experiences will guide her time at ICA “​​by thoughtfully informing how the internal and external aspects of institutional health relate.”

“Johanna brings a rare and powerful blend of curatorial vision, scholarly depth, and institutional vision,” Mark W. Strong — chair of ICA Philadelphia’s Board —  said in the announcement. “Her commitment to both artists and public engagement resonates powerfully with the ICA’s mission. We’re excited for this new partnership as we chart the next chapter of the ICA’s groundbreaking and pioneering history.”

“I’d love to see the ICA’s doors open wider than ever before, both literally and figuratively,” she wrote. 

In her first few years, Burton told the DP that she hopes to “advance a number of existing initiatives and to roll-out some new ways to truly focus on authentic inclusivity and artist-driven research.”

“I see the ICA as the kind of incubator and laboratory that not only encourages breaking new ground but also recognizes the fragility and humanity of such ventures,” she added. “I am excited to help guide the ICA forward as a space that allows such bravery and vulnerability.”

Burton’s appointment follows a six-month search to succeed Zoë Ryan, who served as ICA’s director from 2020 to 2024. In January, Ryan took on the role of director of the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.