ICA chat with Globe arts reporter
Geoff Edgers - Dec 11, 2006
Boston Globe arts reporter Geoff Edgers was online Monday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. to answer your questions about the new Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The museum opened to the public at its new waterfront location on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006.
View photos and read about the new ICA in this special section.
A transcript follows.
bc2: What are city officials saying about the new waterfront location is terms of development plans and timing? How fast do they think growth to the area will be? How exactly will it be measured?
Geoff_Edgers: well, joe fallon's name keeps getting mentioned. he owns fan pier, the 21-some acre chunk of land on which the ica sits. he says he's going to start building next year. so soon. new england development owns the anthony's pier 4 chunk. that's not as far along as fallon.
Geoff_Edgers: Has anybody actually gone down to the ICA yet? They said they had more than 7,000 people Sunday.
capie: I'm curious how quickly more restaurants and bars will start popping up. I wonder if this could be thought of as a museum district, like the theater district, which could generate lots of nights out on the town. Is there talk this could become a real destination spot like the theater district?
Geoff_Edgers: as somebody who grew up around here, i'm actually sort of surprised by how much there is to do down there - even without much of the development yet underway. say you're going to that giant music tent... that used to be harborlights and now is bank of america pav... you can eat at the barking crab or no-name fish house, walk up the road, take a water taxi. and now the ica's smack in the middle and you can check out the museum, or just walk outside. and the one thing fan pier has going for it right now: PLENTY OF PARKING. make sure you bring cash, though. $9. i got stuck trying to pay with a credit card and they don't go for that in the lots.
Mrs__Peel: What's the feeling coming out of the MFA these days? They've got that Foster project to build. Are they feeling a little threatened by the splash the ICA is making? Now that they have an actual home, I'm sure they will be competing for the same donors and members pool.
Geoff_Edgers: they actually don't compete for the same cash, i think. the ica has a lot of these venture cap folks, people like jonathan seelig. the mfa is old money. this mfa/ica thing could go two ways. the mfa could see it as competition, and try to support its contemporary arts department more... an historically neglected department. or it could just say, 'hey, they're doing contemporary, we don't need to worry so much about it.' i think at last count the mfa had about $360 million toward its expansion.
southie: My question is about Southie. I've heard people talk about the "new Southie." Have you talked to Southie residents about change there? What are residents thinking about all of this?
Geoff_Edgers: i haven't... do you live down there? i wonder if folks there are starting to get annoyed at all the interlopers heading in, jacking up real estate prices, and demanding their Legal Test Kitchen boxes.
btown: What will the proof be that this museum will change the waterfront? What has made this all such a big deal?
Geoff_Edgers: i think the proof will be if people actually go there. here's the much-repeated line about why it's a big deal: the first new art museum in boston since 1909.
Geoff_Edgers: but... if you don't like art museums, who cares, right? i care because i just am always looking for places to go, particularly with my kid. and after seeing "happy feet," i'm not sure new england aquarium is going to work anymore.
divinegas: Geoff, since this is Boston, is the ICA's cantilevered upper floor in danger of breaking off and falling into the Harbor?
Geoff_Edgers: dg, are you a civil engineer. perhaps you can give some insight. actually, if it broke off, it would fall onto the patio below. the cantilever doesn't actually hang over the water, it just looks like it does. that said, we should be okay. the guthrie theatre in minneapolis just opened with a cantilever TWICE the size of the ica's... here's a pic:
Geoff_Edgers: http://image.ohmynews.com/down/images/1/gdaigle_266914_1%5B405135%5D.jpg
downtown: Any talk of shuttle buses from downtown? I know there's a T nearby, but wondering if there are any plans to add buses or anything that are directly to the door - ?
Geoff_Edgers: not that i know of, but have you ever used the silver line? waited_a_long_time: comment - I work in the area and there's a shuttle but only for employees. The silver line works great and there's also a few bus routes down there, but not too many because they are trying to get people to use the silver line
Geoff_Edgers: here's another response... out_of_boston: What about people getting there from out of Boston who want to take public transportation? Also, are there any expected wait times to get into the museum? Should people plan to go way in advance to get in? How should we find this out?
Geoff_Edgers: i don't think we'll know whether they'll be lines until tomorrow, when they open for real. (yesterday's crowd got in for free.) i'd call the ica or go to their website. public transportation shouldn't be tough. the trains roll into south station, and logan connects through the train to the silver line bus. here's the ica website: http://www.icaboston.org/
em: Every Thursday is free 5pm to 9 pm
waited_a_long_time: The Silver Line can drop you off at Courthouse or World Trade Center - both are about equal distance from the ICA. However, the Silver Line is extremely crowded during rush hours especially inbound at 5pm, so watch for this.
curious: Were there opening parties? Did you go? Can you report on the scene - who was there, dress, etc., etc.
Geoff_Edgers: i'm allergic to parties. but i was told the saturday party - the one with the special people - was quite good. lots of art-world types. there were a couple of grumbles about the limited bar...wine, beer, some kind of vodka thing.
Geoff_Edgers: of course, a lot of art-world types were away in miami for art basel...
weekend: Have you heard how the opening went? Have you talked to the public about whether or not people like it?
Geoff_Edgers: numberwise, they did very well. 7,500 people. it's hard to know how people felt, or whether my unscientific poll - of people i talked with - has any weight.
waited_a_long_time: Does the ICA have any Britto?
Geoff_Edgers: nope... why are you a big fan?
waited_a_long_time: I felt bad because they told me it would be an hour wait and it was really a four hour wait by the "speed" (or lackthereof) they were calling the numbers. I just wish they knew how long it was going to take and tell people. I spent $9 on parking to wait for an hour and leave :(
Geoff_Edgers: that's weak. maybe i said this already... but with a four-year-old, there's no amount of face painting that was going to make me wait in those lines. were you surprised by how many people showed up? i kinda was.
tech: How will the new Institute impact artists working in newer technologies?
Geoff_Edgers: hopefully it'll give them another place friendly to what they do. right now, beyond the List, i'm not where else you can go. same goes for music and dance, i'd think. tod machover's putting on a concert in april, for example.
waited_a_long_time: Yeah I found it to be disorganized. They should have approximated the wait times better, then I could have planned better. I'd rather pay twice the admission to get in rather than wait for four hours. Plus the music was okay... but it was hard to converse with my friend in the tent because of the loudness. I wasn't about to stand (little seating available) for hours in "silence" with my friend.
waited_a_long_time: I expected a wait, and was bummed that it would take an hour to get in, but after an hour when it was clear that the wait would be more like four hours, I had had enough.
Geoff_Edgers: four hours. i hadn't heard that. i heard it was more like 2 or 3 tops.
Geoff_Edgers: So does anyone feel like there's been too much hype surrounding the ICA? (Perhaps we're also to blame.) Or has it deserved this much attention.
tech: It's long over due keep hyping so the money pours in!
Geoff_Edgers: i'm thinking maybe we've been neglecting the patriots and red sox.
waited_a_long_time: I think it deserves attention. The exhibits at the MFA for contemp. art are okay, but having a large museum dedicated to it will be good for Boston. Boston comes off very "old school
Geoff_Edgers: i'm not how we'll ever change that perception. it comes with the territory, i think, of being so rich in history (freedom walk, paul revere, quincy market) and having our most famous arts institution be the bso.
jb: If you saw the Patriots yesterday...
Geoff_Edgers: maybe that was the problem. brady was distracted by all our ica coverage.
pipi: A bit of hype, not bad hype...but I wonder why the articles and reviews never refer to the surrounding area properly. The ICA is not surrounded by a vast wasteland, it's neighbored by Boston's oldest (30 years) and vital arts communities - in Fort Point. Why no mention? Rachel Perry-Welty works out of Fort Point, it's as if it was excluded on purpose
Geoff_Edgers: i think that's because the ica is surrounded by parking lots. now, if you walk down the street, you get into fort point. but that's almost like saying, the ica is next to south station. and i hope rachel doesn't feel slighted. we like her.
Geoff_Edgers: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2005/09/02/sharp_art_in_place_of_sharp_fashions/
jb: It seems like critical reaction to the art has been less enthusiastic than to the building
Geoff_Edgers: agreed. i thought ken johnson's review sunday was particularly well done. and obviously a sign that we're not going to be blind boosters.
tech: The Red Sox can introduce their new players at the ICA and drop a million in the box on the way out.
Geoff_Edgers: Any more? Keep 'em coming. Show the Boston.com folks that museum/art types are just as energetic as our movie and red sox folks, who get lots of chat traffic. pipi: The hype included how close the BCEC is to the ICA, how close South Station is, how close the Harbor Walk is (which moves right through Fort Point), Children's museum, Anthony's, etc etc. Seems like the press has been ignoring the positive ARTS related info about the ICA's neighbors. Geoff_Edgers: How about this... I don't think we ignore Fort Point, but I'm totally willing to listen... Feel free to e-mail story ideas to me, and we'll look at them. I think the case of the ICA section we were trying to be of service, and particularly to folks who might not be so familiar with the arts world. To tell them how they might actually get there, what landmarks are there, etc. We figured folks who know about Fort Point, and open studies, etc. aren't going to have so much trouble finding the ICA.
Geoff_Edgers: Oh, my e-mail is: gedgers@globe.com
pipi: The ICA is a huge accomplishment. I hope it's stature on the waterfront will not be decreased when surrounded by all these future "luxurious" buildings. The "Fan pier is here" stuff was a bit much to handle. I hope the ICA will expand its perm. collection to include some of the N.E.'s huge pool - as it does with the ICA prize show. My only problem with the preview I attended was that it was freezing. A cool chill ran into every installation room.
Geoff_Edgers: you thought it was freezing in the galleries? i think the local issue is compelling. i mean, the ica isn't actually that big. will it have enough space to show local artists? and i don't want to be debbie downer, but it you go to the city and look at the fan pier development plans... there are some awfully big buildings planned to surround it. at least the building will always be easy to spot from the water.
Van_Go: will people visit the ICA more for the art or the location and building?
Geoff_Edgers: i think the idea is both. they've got dance and film and music for people looking to see a particular event. and then the art. the question is.... how often are people going to go to see the art? are they going to change the exhibitions often enough? and will people just go the building, and that free outdoor bleacher section, just to hang?
pipi: It was freezing in the video installation rooms. The galleries were OK. There are very challenging spaces on the 3rd floor. The glass hall - founder's gallery? will be a tricky place to curate. Such a competitive view. I hope to see sound installation there. I hope they find a medium - for international and local. It still strikes me as insane to enclose the ICA from the South with towers. The planes will be awfully close if one were to work or live towards the top floors.
Geoff_Edgers: not only the competition with the view on the founder's gallery, but also the light. i guess sculpture will work...
Geoff_Edgers: and it wouldn't take a very big hotel to be taller than the ica.
Geoff_Edgers: a sad but true reality: the ica is first, but it is, from a develop's standpoint, a minor, minor piece of the overall puzzle. fallon wants to put a hotel, condos, restaurants, retail. the ica's a nice visitor-driven bonus, but hardly a major part of his economic plan.
Geoff_Edgers: i'm going to keep the chat up if you want to send along questions, but i'll probably be a little slower answering them... the beat calls. thanks for coming and hope we can do it again. Geoff
es: Did anyone face unfriendly staff? One person in particular was very rude, while others were well versed in customer service.
Geoff_Edgers: what did the rude person do?
