---
title: The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art
description: An artist-run nonprofit in Buffalo, New York, founded in 2018, running exhibitions, a free art school, a print magazine and a regranting program.
url: https://www.artsume.com/o/buffalo-institute-for-contemporary-art
type: organization
createdAt: "2026-09-07"
updatedAt: "2026-10-06"
organizationType: Artist-run space
location: Buffalo, NY, United States
website: https://www.thebica.org/
yearFounded: 2018
---

# The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art

*Artist-run space • Buffalo, NY, United States*

## About

An artist-run nonprofit in Buffalo, New York, founded in 2018, running exhibitions, a free art school, a print magazine and a regranting program.

The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA) is an artist-run nonprofit cultural organization on Buffalo's West Side, housed in the Essex Street Arts Center, a former ice house that was the original home of Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. It was founded in 2018 in a converted mechanic's garage a few blocks away.

BICA presents exhibitions, runs a free alternative art school, publishes the regional print magazine Cornelia, and operates a regranting program that puts funding directly into artists' hands. All of its programs are free or pay-what-you-can.

## Details

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Address:** 30d Essex Street Buffalo, NY, 14222 United States
- **Website:** https://www.thebica.org/

## Programs

View current programs from The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art on Artsume: https://www.artsume.com/o/buffalo-institute-for-contemporary-art