Across from the Hynes Convention Center, the ICA mounts rotating exhibits of 20th- and 21st-century art, including painting, sculpture, photography, and video and performance art. The institute also offers films, lectures, music, video, poetry, and educational programs for children and adults. The 1886 building, originally a police station, is a showpiece in its own right.

The ICA's profile is on the rise. It's in the process of building a new museum at Fan Pier, on the South Boston waterfront near the federal courthouse. A $37 million project designed by the pioneering New York firm Diller + Scofidio, it's scheduled to open in 2006. Check at this location for details and updates.