Nora Burnett Abrams appointed as Next Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

Abrams joins the ICA from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver (MCA Denver), where she has served as the Mark G. Falcone Director since 2019. Medvedow will step down on March 31, 2025, and Abrams will begin her new role on May 1, 2025.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we welcome Nora to the ICA with great enthusiasm,” said Board Co-Chair Bridgitt Evans, who led the yearlong search for the new director. “In Denver, Nora elevated expectations for how a museum can embed its work in its community and engage audiences. She has an ambitious vision for programmatic excellence combined with cultural and civic relevance, and we look forward to bringing that vision to Boston.”

“As a longtime admirer of the ICA, I am deeply honored to lead this inspiring and courageous organization,” said Abrams. “Through its lauded exhibitions and programming, the ICA embodies the rigor, relevance, and creativity which so many in our field look to as a model. Jill’s visionary leadership has set the bar for what a contemporary art museum can be and redefined what museums can achieve through the values of openness and care. My 15-year tenure at MCA Denver was an extraordinary and formative experience which I will always treasure thanks to our inspiring artists, colleagues, and Board of Trustees. I look forward to building on the ICA’s incredible legacy and collaborating with the ICA’s outstanding team to begin an exciting new chapter for the museum.”

“Nora has articulated a bold vision for the ICA’s future, and we are confident that the ICA will continue to flourish under Nora’s leadership, energy, and values,” said Charlotte Wagner, President of the ICA’s Board of Trustees.

An accomplished museum leader and highly regarded curator, Abrams developed and realized a new strategic vision for MCA Denver, deepening the museum’s role as a catalyst for creative energy, community engagement, and artistic experimentation. As director, she increased the museum’s endowment by 30%, led successful fundraising campaigns, and spearheaded the opening of the museum’s second space at the historic Holiday Theater in Denver’s Northside neighborhood. Through a landmark agreement with the Denver Cultural Property Trust, Abrams ensured the city’s creative community would have a long-term hub for the arts and expanded MCA Denver’s impact by developing a new destination for innovative community and artist-driven programming. She also led the creation of the organization’s Racial Equity Plan to further MCA Denver’s dedication to inclusivity, inspiring and building strong teams, engaging internal and external stakeholders, and broadening institutional development.

Over her 15 years at MCA Denver, Abrams took on roles of increasing scope and responsibility, serving as adjunct curator (2009), associate curator (2010–2015), curator (2015–2018), and Ellen Bruss Curator & Director of Planning (2018–2019), helping increase the museum’s attendance by more than 200% before being named director in 2019. Within the curatorial department, she organized more than 40 exhibitions and authored or contributed to more than 15 publications. Abrams was the curator of some of MCA Denver’s most successful exhibitions, including Basquiat Before Basquiat (2017); the first-ever survey of Senga Nengudi’s R.S.V.P. sculptures (2014); and Fieldwork (2018), a retrospective of Tara Donovan; and she co-curated Cowboy (2023), a thematic group show exploring the mythology of the American West. As director, she oversaw the expansion of the museum’s youth programming, including the launch of a workforce development program for young creatives, and grew a range of multi-disciplinary adult programs.

Abrams serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Association of Museum Directors and is an alumna of the Center for Curatorial Leadership (2018 class). She also served as a co-chair of Mayor Mike Johnston’s transition committee for Denver’s Arts & Venues (2023). Prior to MCA Denver, Abrams worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She holds a Ph.D. in the history of art from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, an M.A. in Modern Art and Critical Studies from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Art History from Stanford University.

Main Image: Photo by Nikki Rae