The outrageous murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others at the hands of police violence and hate-driven non-police violence are merely the latest and most obvious manifestations of a 400-year-old problem of discrimination and violence against People of Color in this country. This is a perpetuated crisis that has been built by all of us who have ignored systemic racism and perhaps thought of it as a problem for others to solve.

We at the San Jose ICA are among those who need to acknowledge that many of us have turned a blind eye.  Not through malice or intentional disregard, but through lack of consciousness and acceptance of things as they are. We take this moment of national mourning and protest as our own wakeup call to be more aware and to do better. As we reach the 40th anniversary of our founding and make a transition to a new Executive Director, we will be examining all aspects of our operations, from staffing and leadership, to decisions about our program, including the work that we display and the artists we support.  We will hold ourselves to a higher standard that is not just passively non-racist, but actively anti-racist and we will work to make structural changes that ensure equity and inclusion.

We believe fervently in the power of producing meaning and offering hope and inspiration through contemporary art practice and we dedicate ourselves to using that power to amplify the voices of those who have been too long disenfranchised in our society. Change of the magnitude needed to reshape a nation is not easily accomplished, but we commit ourselves to becoming agents for a more just and equitable future. We ask you and other members of our community to help us in this mission and to alert us when we fail to live up to this goal. We may stumble on this path, but with your support, we will continue to move forward.

Cathy Kimball
Executive Director and Chief Curator
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

Alison Gass
Incoming Executive Director and Chief Curator
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

Gordon Yamate
President, Board of Directors
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art