Burton, who currently serves as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, will begin on Nov. 1.
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The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania (ICA) announced today the appointment of Johanna Burton as its Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director. A widely recognized voice in contemporary art and cultural education with over 15 years of leadership experience as a museum director, administrator, and curator, Burton currently serves as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. She previously was the director of the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University and has held leadership roles at New Museum in New York, the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and the Whitney Museum. She will begin at ICA on Nov. 1, working alongside ICA’s Board of Advisors and senior leadership team.
“Johanna Burton is among the most prominent and insightful leaders in contemporary art,” said Provost John L. Jackson Jr. “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. 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, and under the leadership of Tim Rommen, our new Vice Provost for the Arts. I am grateful to him and to the consultative committee of faculty and arts leaders who helped us arrive at this exciting moment for the arts at Penn.”
“Johanna brings a rare and powerful blend of curatorial vision, scholarly depth, and institutional vision. Her commitment to both artists and public engagement resonates powerfully with the ICA’s mission,” said Mark W. Strong, chair of ICA Philadelphia’s Board. “We’re excited for this new partnership as we chart the next chapter of the ICA’s groundbreaking and pioneering history.”
"ICA Philadelphia has always been a beacon for what’s next—prioritizing the emergent, the risk-taking, and the rigorously experimental—and I’ve long admired its role as both community anchor and hub for global discourse,” said Burton. “In many ways, this appointment returns me to the kind of institution that first shaped my curatorial and academic sensibilities, a focused but deeply influential center for artistic innovation within a pedagogical setting. To step into this position at ICA at a moment when the possibilities for institutional and cultural impact are so pressing is a profound honor. I am eager to build on ICA’s legacy of forging connections across campus, the city of Philadelphia, and the international arts community.”
Burton added, “My time at MOCA and in Los Angeles has been deeply meaningful. I’m proud of the institutional growth sustained during my tenure—progress made possible through a spirit of close collaboration and shared purpose with the board and staff. The partnerships—and friendships—forged during this time remain among the most gratifying of my career and will continue to shape the ethos I carry forward."
Burton’s appointment follows a 6-month global search for ICA’s new director. She succeeds Zoë Ryan, who served as director from 2020 to 2024. Hallie Ringle, ICA’s Daniel and Brett Sundheim Chief Curator, will continue to serve as interim director until Burton joins in November.
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