Johanna Burton, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, has been appointed the next director of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Philadelphia, effective November 1. She succeeds Zoë Ryan, who left in January to lead the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Burton, who joined MOCA in 2021 after leading the Wexner Center for the Arts, stabilized the institution following a period of turmoil, reinstating its annual gala, securing major gifts, and hiring senior curator Clara Kim.
Burton's move from a major Los Angeles museum to a smaller university-affiliated institution in Philadelphia is notable, reflecting a return to the kind of pedagogically focused art center that shaped her early career. Her appointment signals ICA Philadelphia's continued commitment to experimental and risk-taking programming, while her tenure at MOCA demonstrated her ability to stabilize and strengthen an institution through fundraising, strategic hires, and partnerships.