International Center of Photography Museum on Postcard

"Right below Delancey on Essex on the Lower East Side sits the new-ish headquarters of the International Center of Photography. Contained within the 40,000-square-foot modernist building, there's a school with a library and darkrooms, vast archives, shooting studios, and a beautiful gallery space that's open to the public. It's this latter part, the museum, with which we are concerned here—it is cavernous and clean, abundantly lit thanks to skylights and massive windows, and copious floor space means there's room for everyone. Love Songs: Photography and Intimacy is on when I visit, and features canonical work by Nan Goldin ( Nan One Month After Being Battered! ) and Nobuyoshi Araki, among many others. You can move through the space however you want, as every juxtaposition and sequence is placed thoughtfully. The work sings!" - Andrea Whittle, Charlie Hobbs

28 Best Museums in New York City | Condé Nast Traveler

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@afar

"Quiet, Intimate Photography Museum For photography and art enthusiasts visiting NYC, don't overlook the International Center of Photography. Founded in 1974, ICP is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan (42nd Street and Sixth Avenue). It's a world-leading museum, school, and research center for professional photographers, enthusiastic amateurs, artists, scholars, and students. The museum features a regular rotation of carefully curated photography exhibits focusing on historic as well as contemporary artists. Recent exhibits include Atget, Roman Vishniak, Elliott Erwitt, and Wang Qingsong. The museum is intimate and uncrowded, allowing visitors to savor the artwork in quiet contemplation. Plus, ICP offers a great gift store for photographers with a huge range of specialty books and fun camera-related gear."

The Best Museums in New York City

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Agata Niyazova

Google

As a photographer I enjoyed this museum. A lot of photos gave me an inspiration. Will definitely attend the museum soon.

Orange Mcfly

Google

Beautiful photos, well curated. A little expensive for such a small place but still worth checking out if you're in the area. Cheaper entries on Thursdays 6-9pm.

Melissa Perri

Google

This was fine. Mostly student work which was quite good and I enjoyed reading their stories, but I was expecting much more overall from the space for $18USD admission. I thought given the size that there would be more to see but the second floor was very disappointing and had basically nothing up there. Likely wouldn’t visit again unless the entry fees dropped and there was a notable photographer’s exhibit.

Victor Wang

Google

Had a fantastic time visiting this museum. It's 2 floors but each floor is quite expansive. Multiple hard-hitting photography collections that make you think deeply and brings you in to a new perspective with varying degrees of courage and suffering. Staff is friendly and easy to access via transit right next to a metro stop. Great spot to visit on a rainy NY day when outdoor activities are not as suitable.

Ivan Chen

Google

It is quiet and not crowded. I had a wonderful afternoon there.

Brain Castro

Google

i joined as a member recently thinking how good it would be to attend some of their events. so far i haven't been able to. why? because they do not send you a membership kit with an id card or membership number. you need the membership number to order member tickets on their website. i've emailed them several times and never received a reply. at this point membership is useless if they have no one to answer your questions or a way of ordering tickets on their website to attend events. it seems like they're more interested in getting your money and not providing any services. as far as classes at the center, if this is how they treat members, i wouldn't trust them by paying for classes in fear of similar treatment. i hope they can use the money i paid for membership for something to benefit their cause, since it will be the last they get from me. very annoying and very dissatisfying.

Gee Moon Tom

Google

Beautiful space. Love how the current exhibition of “William Klein” was curated. The spots lights was hitting some prints too bright but it’s all good. Overall a beautiful artistic experience from a street photographer. Need to go back to see this show again.

Parker Uber

Google

CHEEEEEEESEE!! *click* “The present is brief but photos last decades” I thought of this quote many times during my visit of the center showcasing of the photography art form. Starting with the first photo taken in 1809, i was taken back by the beauty of the photographs featured. There are photos of people, landscapes and things inside landscapes. photography should be celebrated and this center (with a financial contribution by Ben stiller) supports a community of great artists and people. I would recommend this institution, not only because I respect Ben Stillers taste, but because the photos inside. Thank you!!

Agata Niyazova

Google

As a photographer I enjoyed this museum. A lot of photos gave me an inspiration. Will definitely attend the museum soon.

Orange Mcfly

Google

Beautiful photos, well curated. A little expensive for such a small place but still worth checking out if you're in the area. Cheaper entries on Thursdays 6-9pm.

Melissa Perri

Google

This was fine. Mostly student work which was quite good and I enjoyed reading their stories, but I was expecting much more overall from the space for $18USD admission. I thought given the size that there would be more to see but the second floor was very disappointing and had basically nothing up there. Likely wouldn’t visit again unless the entry fees dropped and there was a notable photographer’s exhibit.

Victor Wang

Google

Had a fantastic time visiting this museum. It's 2 floors but each floor is quite expansive. Multiple hard-hitting photography collections that make you think deeply and brings you in to a new perspective with varying degrees of courage and suffering. Staff is friendly and easy to access via transit right next to a metro stop. Great spot to visit on a rainy NY day when outdoor activities are not as suitable.

Ivan Chen

Google

It is quiet and not crowded. I had a wonderful afternoon there.

Brain Castro

Google

i joined as a member recently thinking how good it would be to attend some of their events. so far i haven't been able to. why? because they do not send you a membership kit with an id card or membership number. you need the membership number to order member tickets on their website. i've emailed them several times and never received a reply. at this point membership is useless if they have no one to answer your questions or a way of ordering tickets on their website to attend events. it seems like they're more interested in getting your money and not providing any services. as far as classes at the center, if this is how they treat members, i wouldn't trust them by paying for classes in fear of similar treatment. i hope they can use the money i paid for membership for something to benefit their cause, since it will be the last they get from me. very annoying and very dissatisfying.

Gee Moon Tom

Google

Beautiful space. Love how the current exhibition of “William Klein” was curated. The spots lights was hitting some prints too bright but it’s all good. Overall a beautiful artistic experience from a street photographer. Need to go back to see this show again.

Parker Uber

Google

CHEEEEEEESEE!! *click* “The present is brief but photos last decades” I thought of this quote many times during my visit of the center showcasing of the photography art form. Starting with the first photo taken in 1809, i was taken back by the beauty of the photographs featured. There are photos of people, landscapes and things inside landscapes. photography should be celebrated and this center (with a financial contribution by Ben stiller) supports a community of great artists and people. I would recommend this institution, not only because I respect Ben Stillers taste, but because the photos inside. Thank you!!

Melissa N.

Yelp

4 something stars. I thought it was lovely although a bit small. But they have wonderful photographs. It's not a museum. They also provided courses and workshops to hone your photography skills. Moreover, they host all sorts of community events. I really like them.

Jennifer D.

Yelp

This is a very cool gallery with awesome exhibits. We saw Scenes from the Streets, which was incredible. I good spot to visit.

Susan L.

Yelp

In celebration of World Photography Day, the museum will offer free admission on Saturday thru Monday of this week. Also, on Saturday the Family Art Hour will be offered for free. Tickets for free admission in either case must be reserved in advance.

Jason P.

Yelp

fter photographing and knowing of this museum for years I finally decided to go visit. The museum, located in the Lower East Side, is 1/2 block from the Delancey FMJZ station...so getting there is easy. Tickets range from $12 - $18 (Student/Senior/Adult) but there are additional discounts for other groups. The museum is open later in Thursday evenings (through 9pm) and offers donation-only admissions after 6pm that day. The first floor is the book/museum store, and cafe and admission counters. The second and third floors contain the galleries. Restrooms are on the second and third floors as well. The galleries were interesting...but I found that you have to have an interest (or at least be open to an interest) in photography as an art. There are many photos and corresponding descriptions throughout the space. Most of the galleries take you into the lives of the subject and their thoughts at that time...also allowing you to interpret what you see and read. Very interesting...but I'm not sure if it would keep the interest of the typical "museum-goer" as opposed to someone with a more artistic appreciation of photography. (i.e. I don't see many children being interested in the galleries...also, the photos do contain a fair amount of nudity) While reading almost all of the descriptions, the museum took me about an hour and a half to complete. They do offer full-time, part-time and workshop programs for those interesting in their educational offerings.

Cole D.

Yelp

A little underwhelming for 2 $5 donations. I expected to be wowed and was pretty disappointed. Just average. Lots of Dietrich which was interesting but a lot of the same. Cool to learn about her life that I didn't know about. Just two floors. A lot of the first floor was average street portraits that were pictures of rubble. Not incredibly exciting. The space in general was boring and plain. Nothing jaw dropping.

Brian C.

Yelp

i joined as a member recently thinking how good it would be to attend some of their events. so far i haven't been able to. why? because they do not send you a membership kit with an id card or membership number. you need the membership number to order member tickets on their website. i've emailed them several times and never received a reply. at this point membership is useless if they have no one to answer your questions or a way of ordering tickets on their website to attend events. it seems like they're more interested in getting your money and not providing any services. as far as classes at the center, if this is how they treat members, i wouldn't trust them by paying for classes in fear of similar treatment. i hope they can use the money i paid for membership for something to benefit their cause, since it will be the last they get from me. very annoying and very dissatisfying.

Ilysse W.

Yelp

The new International Center of Photography Museum has a fresh, clean, awesome new space. The museum features three floors, with exhibit space on the top two tiers, all of which are fully accessible by elevator, and gender-neutral restrooms for patrons. The space also has a library and a cafe, open to the public, along with several educational spaces. The museum has space for four exhibits; while I was there, The Lower East Side, James Coupe's Warriors, Contact High, and Tyler Mitchell were on display. The art didn't feel cramped, and each space felt thoughtfully arranged and uniquely suited to the different collections. Tyler Mitchell's space felt especially enjoyable, with a contact of interactive exhibits and visual displays, and Contact High was a masterful display of Hip-Hop. I'm already looking forward to the next exhibit shift so I have a reason to return.

Joseph W.

Yelp

Great open space and well laid out show. Easy to see everything. Enjoyed the Klein show photo and films.

Luke C.

Yelp

The presentation of all the photo books was great and made me instantly want to buy one. However the books weren't priced, which meant I had to ask. The staff made it feel like i was bothering them by asking the price, and for an extra mask for my girlfriend. So, just don't expect a very enthusiastic staff but otherwise it's super cool.

International Center of Photography Museum

International Center of Photography Museum

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