ICA festivities draw diverse crowd

Perhaps it was fitting that a Year of Water event was moved indoors Saturday due to rain.

Nonetheless, coordinators and attendees alike hailed the Institute of Contemporary Art’s “Laundry Boat” day-long celebration as a success. The event was presented by the ICA’s Student Advisory Council in conjunction with the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts and a grant from the Office of the Provost’s Year of Water.

The program was inspired by the bohemian Parisian area dubbed Bateau-Lavoir (Laundry Boat) by painter Max Jacob. Bateau-Lavoir was known for a group of influential artists who lived and worked there at the turn of the 20th century.

Laundry Boat commenced at noon with brunch and conversation, followed by lectures, performances, film screenings and other activities that lasted well into the evening.

One of the more popular events was the do-it-yourself mono-printing. It gave the crowd a chance to get their hands dirty and express themselves artistically in their own ways. “I was really surprised how many people turned out for the monoprinting,” ICA representative Jenna Weiss said. “It was really fun,” Wharton and College sophomore and ICA Student Advisory Council member Sarah Meyohas added.

Another event featured a presentation from New York based artist Matthew Buckingham regarding the Dutch cultural influences on New York that began during the American colonial period.

During Buckingham’s display and many of the other events, the crowd was small, but those present praised the comfortable environment. Meyohas said, “There could have been a few more people, but the intimacy was nice. It allowed the discussion to really involve everybody.”

According to other individuals, the small attendance facilitated thoughtful discussion as well. “The discussion in the morning was really great because everyone participated. The public was really engaged and asked good questions,” Student Advisory Council member and College sophomore Natalia Fuller said.

There was also a diverse array of observers, which is uncommon for the institute, Weiss said. “It seems like there aren’t always many first-time people at ICA. A lot of times, we have the same kind of crowd at our events, and we know them, and that’s wonderful. But, it’s nice to have new people.”

Student Advisory Council member and Wharton and College sophomore David Galperin agreed. “We had all different sorts of people. We had students, and we had older individuals from around Philadelphia,” he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.