This season brings back First Fridays at the Markel Center along with Sunday brunches led by the ICA’s first chef-in-residence, Santana Hem of the Khmer-inspired culinary project Hem and Her. Hem’s series of counter-service brunches at the Abby Moore Cafe will run into early 2026 and conclude with a ticketed dinner in March. 

Artists Federico Cuatlacuatl and Lily Cox-Richard will headline early events. Cuatlacuatl will discuss his multimedia work shaped by his experience as part of a displaced community in Mexico, while Cox-Richard will speak about her exhibition “Disquiet in the Sand,” which uses colorful glass scrying mirrors cast from human-altered landscapes. Cox-Richard’s talk coincides with First Friday, which will feature extended gallery hours, food trucks and music. 

French-Caribbean artist Julien Creuzet and Brazilian choreographer Ana Pi will perform “Your source at the feet of the green peaks,” a one-time embodied iteration of Creuzet’s exhibition at the ICA. Hard Light Cinema will complement the performance with a series of screenings in October and November exploring Black Atlantic aesthetics. 

Community Podcast Day returns in November with free presentations from producers for people interested in launching podcasts. The following evening will feature “In The Dark Presents: Perspectives,” an audio performance highlighting memory, identity, imagination and language. Later that month, the ICA will partner with the Shockoe Institute for an evening of music tied to the forthcoming “Expanding Freedom” exhibit at Main Street Station. 

Additional fall programming includes independent horror films, business workshops for creatives, author talks and community meetups. All exhibitions and events are free unless otherwise noted.The ICA is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. More information is available at icavcu.org