COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art
Buffalo, NY · EIN 825084828 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · thebica.org
revenue
$313K
expenses
$259K
net assets
$172K
employees
2
program ratio
68%
mission · from form 990

The Buffalo Institiute for Contemporary Art (Bica) is a art and educational project for Buffalo, NY. Through Innovative exhibitions, cross-discipplinary skills-based programming, and arts ecology development, bica mission is to break down barriers between the art world and the rest of the world to make lives better through practical engagements with contemporary art.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art (BICA) is a nonprofit arts organization based in Buffalo, NY, founded in 2018. It operates as an artist-run space dedicated to making contemporary art accessible through exhibitions, a free alternative art school, a regional print magazine, and direct artist support. BICA emphasizes local engagement while fostering connections to broader artistic conversations.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

BICA Exhibitions
Curated contemporary art exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists, held at the Essex Street Arts Center in Buffalo.
BICA School
Free alternative art school offering critiques, reading groups, and collaborative learning for emerging artists; includes a biennial exhibition.
Cornelia Magazine
Triannual print publication serving as a visual arts review for Western New York and Southern Ontario, featuring artist features, exhibition reviews, and interviews.
Generator Fund
Regranting program that provides direct financial support to artists, managed through BICA’s programming team.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Community Art Education Workshops 2 activities
    • Co-host free arts and advocacy classes for young artists
      Partners with Robin Jordan of Civic Arts to co-host monthly free visual and written arts and advocacy classes for young artists in Buffalo.
    • Operate a free alternative art school
      Runs BICA School, a free, cohort-based alternative art school offering programming such as critiques, reading groups, and collaborative exercises developed with artists, curators, and local arts professionals. Hosted the BICA School Biennial exhibition in July 2024.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Fund artists through a regranting program
      Administers a regranting program that provides direct financial support to artists in the Buffalo region to strengthen local creative infrastructure.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Organize and present contemporary art exhibitions
      Plans and hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions at the historic Essex Art Center in Buffalo, NY, with regular public visiting hours Wednesday through Saturday. Recent and upcoming exhibitions include "New Formations," "Nicholas Christakis: Junk Drawer," and "Sofía Córdova: In my Mouth the Words are Melting."
  • Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
    • Publish Cornelia Magazine
      Produces and publishes Cornelia, a regional print magazine featuring art criticism, artist interviews, photo essays, and critical writing from Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. Has published multiple issues including in-depth features, exhibition reviews, and short-form contributions.
  • Artist Marketplace Operations 1 activity
    • Sell artist-made editions and BICA merchandise
      Offers for sale artist-made editions, BICA-branded merchandise including tote bags and limited-edition apparel, and back issues of Cornelia magazine to support programming and increase accessibility.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$313K
Contributions & grants$283K90%
Program service revenue$9K3%
Investment income$10%
Other revenue$21K
expenses
Total expenses$259K
Program expenses68%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$47K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$195K
Cash$172K
Investments$0
Liabilities$22K
Net assets$172K
Liquid reserves8.0 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +37.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Emily Reynolds Executive Director 35 $24K
board members · 7
  • Andrea Alvarez — Director
  • Christopher Ryan — Director
  • Kyla Kegler — Director
  • Nando Perez — President
  • Olivia McManus — Secretary
  • Patrick Finan — Treasuer
  • Rachel Adams — Director
relationships · 15

Who they work with

  • Artists' Welfare Fund Funder — Provides additional financial support
  • Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Partner — Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programs at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, serves on BICA's board.
  • Civic Arts Partner — Partner organization co-hosting "Arts for Something," a monthly free arts and advocacy class for young artists.
  • Dana Tyrrell Partner — Contributing author featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • Erie County Government — Provides additional support, indicated by county seal
  • Kyla Kegler Partner — Artist in conversation featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • Lauren Fournier Partner — Contributing author featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • Libby Projects + Editions Partner — Printed the limited edition hoodie in collaboration with The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art.
  • Margaryta Golovchenko Partner — Contributing author featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Primary public funder supporting exhibitions and programs
  • New York State Legislature Government — Supports exhibitions and programs through state funding
  • Office of the Governor Government — Supports exhibitions and programs through state funding
  • Ryan Huff Partner — Artist in conversation featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • Shasti O'Leary Soudant Partner — Contributing author featured in Cornelia Issue 5.
  • Tina Rivers Ryan Partner — Interviewed as part of the content in Cornelia Issue 2.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Alternative Art Education Model
    methodology: alternative_art_education
    By providing free, accessible secondary art education in response to systemic declines in arts funding, the institute increases engagement with contemporary art among underserved youth, because accessible education fosters long-term public participation and artistic literacy.
  • Collaborative Curriculum Development
    methodology: collaborative_curriculum_development
    By co-developing educational curriculum with artists, curators, scholars, and local practitioners, the institute ensures relevance and authenticity in learning, because integrating professional practice into education strengthens student engagement and real-world connection.
  • Place-Based and Globally Connected Programming
    methodology: glocal_engagement
    By designing programs that are locally rooted in Buffalo’s community context while engaging global artistic discourses, the institute fosters meaningful public engagement, because local relevance combined with global perspective increases accessibility and resonance of contemporary art.
  • Publication as Artistic Practice and Public Discourse
    methodology: publishing_as_practice
    By producing interdisciplinary publications and periodicals that feature criticism, interviews, and dialogues, the institute advances contemporary art discourse, because sustained written engagement deepens public understanding and connects local audiences to broader artistic conversations.