PHILADELPHIA --- Following an international search, Claudia Gould, Executive Director of Artists Space in New York City, has been named Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, effective Sept. 7, 1999.

The Institute of Contemporary Art has achieved national and international recognition for its innovative exhibitions, which are widely recognized for identifying issues and artists of enduring significance. It was founded in 1963 at the University of Pennsylvania as a forum for the presentation and documentation of recent developments in the visual arts. Since that time, it has remained unencumbered by a permanent collection so that it may continue to present works that challenge established boundaries and truly define contemporary art.

"Claudia Gould is exactly the person we need to lead the ICA," said Penn Provost Robert L. Barchi. "She has keen insight and a deep background into the contemporary art scene and is enormously creative, energetic and articulate. She also demonstrated excellent financial management skills at Artists Space. It is her unique blend of creative and management expertise that made her the perfect choice for the ICA."

The Director of the ICA sets its artistic direction and supervises its operations. These responsibilities include oversight of all exhibitions, financial and personnel management, fundraising and the academic interface with undergradute and graduate education at Penn.

Since 1994, Gould has been the Executive Director of Artists Space, an alternative exhibition space and artist service organization dedicated to emerging artists in all mediums. During her five-year tenure, she has turned the organization around both financially and programmatically, eliminating a deficit, establishing an endowment fund and increasing the funding base while at the same time establishing grants to artists, establishing an Artists Space newspaper, developing new project spaces and co-editing a 350-page publication, 5000 Artists Return to Artists Space-25 Years.

"I'm greatly looking forward to the opportunity to take the ICA into the next century," said Ms. Gould. "I'm particularly excited to join a University community and notably one of such stature. I look forward to continuing to work with contemporary artists, architects and designers who are just launching their careers but also with those who are more established and are in a position to show their work at the ICA. These are dynamic times in the contemporary art world and the ICA will continue to reflect the diverse, creative energy of emerging contemporary artists."

Ms. Gould has also served as Curator and Project Director for the Kawamata Project on Roosevelt Island in 1992 and the Music Box Project in 1994, and she spent three years as Curator of Exhibitions at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University. She was also the Curator for a collaborative building project with artist Vito Acconci and architect Steven Holl at Storefront for Art and Architecture.

She has a B.A. in Art History from Boston College and a Masters in Museum Studies from New York University.