Current and former employees of the Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego delivered a formal letter of no confidence against executive director Andrew Utt on Wednesday, Aug. 19, demanding his resignation and a financial audit of the museum that operates Encinitas's ICA North campus.

The board of directors met Saturday, Aug. 22, to review the allegations. Utt was excluded from the virtual meeting, which included five board members, an HR representative and eight staff members, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The letter, signed by "The Concerned Staff of The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego," was addressed to Utt, board president Karen Gilbert and board treasurer Lany Zikakis before being forwarded to the full board. It asked for a formal audit of the most recent fiscal year and a meeting to discuss "a path toward restoring stability."

Financial red flags

A Union-Tribune review of ICA San Diego's Form 990 tax filings found the museum's unpaid bills nearly tripled in a single year, rising to $393,705 in 2024 from $138,200 the previous year. By the end of 2024, current and former staff said, the organization had less cash in the bank than it owed in bills.

The museum's 2024 filing showed $2.11 million in revenue against $2.34 million in expenses, a net loss of $208,856. The 2023 filing reported a net loss of $11,857; the 2022 filing showed a net gain of $15,258.

The vast majority of ICA San Diego's assets are tied up in real estate at its Encinitas campus at 1578 S. El Camino Real. Those assets cannot be liquidated to cover payroll or operations. Most remaining funds are donor-restricted, legally preventing the museum from reallocating them to pay salaries or overdue bills.

"In the return documents, it is clear to see that payables have far surpassed cash flow," the staff letter stated. "The public deserves transparency as it relates to the impact of Utt's management of ICA funds, as some of these funds are provided by the public through taxes and donations."

Payroll delays, layoffs preceded letter

The letter also alleged that some employees experienced delayed paychecks due to "insufficient institutional funds," which staff called a "severe violation of the state's labor code."

Staff reductions began in the latter half of 2025 and culminated Monday, Aug. 17, when the museum cut its workforce from 19 to 11, according to Utt. All leadership positions across operations, curatorial, facilities and education were eliminated. Head curator Jordan Karney Chaim had been laid off weeks earlier.

Staff wrote that the financial decline was not caused by arts funding challenges or the Balboa Park paid parking controversy but rather by "a slow decline that began four years ago."

Utt told the Union-Tribune on Aug. 17 that the museum needed "a moment of respite in order to realign our team and realign our priorities and our goals … and then set forth on that new plan (that will be) a transformation of our business model."

Encinitas campus stays open

ICA San Diego's Balboa Park campus is temporarily closed. The museum said on social media Aug. 19 that ICA Central is expected to reopen in the new year with a different approach to programming.

The Encinitas North campus remains open for classes, ceramics lab and the outdoor Sculpture Trail. ICA San Diego was formed in 2021 through a merger of Lux Art Institute in Encinitas, which opened its facility in 2007, and San Diego Art Institute, founded in 1941. Utt has served as executive director since 2019.

Board response

Board members told staff at the Aug. 22 meeting they are looking into concerns and will institute "guard rails" while working more closely with the executive director. The board said in a statement that it takes the concerns seriously and is not commenting further while its review is underway.

No timeline has been announced for completing the review or responding to the audit demand.