[csusbpeace] The New O.C. Museum of Art Opens in the Heart of Costa Mesa
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The New O.C. Museum of Art Opens in the Heart of Costa Mesa
BY RICHARD CHANG 16 mins ago Why you can trust Voice of OC Click to share on
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Jan 3, 2022
The new building for the Orange County Museum of Art officially opens to the
public at 5 p.m. Oct. 8. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
It was once a lima bean field.
Then it was a grassy field, then a dirt lot.
Now, the new, $94.5 million Orange County Museum of Art has been completed
(minus a few tiny details), sitting just east of the Renée and Henry
Segerstrom Concert Hall, itself finished in 2006.
The 53,000 square-foot OCMA – designed by Culver City-based firm Morphosis
Architects, founded by Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne – completes the arts
and culture puzzle that is the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
For decades, the late businessman and philanthropist Henry Segerstrom (one of
the men behind South Coast Plaza) had envisioned a visual art museum as part
of the Segerstrom Center campus, and finally, in October 2022, his dream is
coming true.
It wasn’t without a little bit of difficulty along the way. Long ago, Renzo
Piano was the architect chosen for the new museum, but his ideas and
estimated budget were deemed immodest and outsized, and were eventually
scrapped.
The museum encountered some troubles selling its old Newport Center/San
Clemente Drive property. An early plan to incorporate condominiums above the
museum was also abandoned. One CEO and director left OCMA in medias res in
August 2020, and another one, Heidi Zuckerman, was hired in January 2021,
starting in February 2021.
Lucy Sun, OCMA incoming president of the board of trustees during her remarks
at the OCMA media event on Sept. 28.
CEO and director of the Orange County Museum of Art Heidi Zuckerman speaks to
attendees at the press preview on Sept. 28, 2022. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Lucy Sun, OCMA incoming president of the board of trustees during her remarks
at the OCMA media event on Sept. 28. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
CEO and director of the Orange County Museum of Art Heidi Zuckerman speaks to
attendees at the press preview on Sept. 28, 2022. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
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Oh, and there was a global pandemic and supply chain issues over the past two
years.
But now, the multi-level shrine to modern and contemporary art is finished,
and a few special gatherings and civic celebrations have already christened
it open. OCMA will officially open to the public at 5 p.m. Oct. 8 with a
24-hour party that will include a drumline procession down the Avenue of the
Arts, a rooftop dance party with KCRW DJ Jason Bentley, exhibition tours,
fireworks, a late-night “silent disco” with differently colored headphones,
art-making projects, “movies for insomniacs,” performances by local arts
groups and sunrise yoga.
“I am incredibly energized and excited to be at this moment,” Zuckerman said.
“I’m so excited to be welcoming in people. If the past two years have taught
us anything, it’s how much we need the experience of communal spaces, where
new connections can be made, and where unexpected conversations can happen.
That’s where the sparks of creativity fly.”
The new museum comes with 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, which
doubles the capacity OCMA had before. The building features an exterior grand
staircase, an education pavilion, a suspension walkway, an Upper Plaza on the
roof terrace, administrative offices, a gift shop called The Mind, a coffee
bar and the Verdant Cafe. The façade consists of white terra cotta tiles that
undulate and create a sweeping form that plays off the forms and palette of
neighboring structures, such as the concert hall next door.
The new building for the Orange County Museum of Art officially opens to the
public at 5 p.m. Oct. 8. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
A “grand staircase” is split into two sections at the front of the new
building for the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Large windows at the front and south side of the new building for the Orange
County Museum of Art help to bring the outside in. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Guests are greeted at the reception desk in the entry way at the Orange
County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
The multi-floored building includes curved walls and skylights which help to
let the outside in. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Large windows at the front and south side of the new building for the Orange
County Museum of Art help to bring the outside in. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Glass bridges connect galleries and meeting rooms on the upper floors of the
new building for the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
The outdoor piazza on the upper floor of the Orange County Museum of Art.
This will be a place to display sculptural pieces as well as hold events. The
museum CEO envisions it as one place a visitor may be able to enjoy the
museum without necessarily spending an extensive period of time in the
building. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
The grand staircase on the piazza level of the Orange County Museum of Art
showcases a sculpture by Sanford Biggers called “Of many waters… .” It was
commissioned for the opening of the building and will be on display for the
next year. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
The exterior of OCMA features terra cotta tiles that undulate and create a
sweeping form that plays off the forms and palette of neighboring structures.
Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
The new building for the Orange County Museum of Art officially opens to the
public at 5 p.m. Oct. 8. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
A “grand staircase” is split into two sections at the front of the new
building for the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
<> <>
A rendering of the proposed entrance for the new building for the Orange
County Museum of Art, left, and a photo of the entrance on Sept. 28, 2022.
Credit: Rendering courtesy of Morphosis, photo by Heide Janssen, Voice of OC
“We’re not building a building per se, but we’ve built a public space. It’s a
piazza,” said Mayne, who has worked on this project for 14 years. “We’re part
of the construction of an urban world.”
Mayne said Costa Mesa – which he lassoes into the greater “Los Angeles area”
– is still relatively young, and compared this region to other cities of the
world, which seem to be more conscious of arts and culture in their initial
design.
“In China, they’re much clearer about it top down,” he said. “You make cities
and then with the city comes an opera hall and a museum, and it’s just
understood that cities come with these cultural (buildings), even if they’re
not sure what’s in them.
“We’re part of the construction of a city, and we’re the last increment of
this cultural hub that deals with visual arts. They’ve covered theater and
the opera hall and the music hall and … we’re the last increment.”
We are close to doubling a $10,000 donation, thanks to a generous opportunity
from the Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation. For every $1 you give, they will
match it.
Help Us Reach Our Goal by Donating Today!
Brandon Welling of Morphosis was the partner-in-charge for this project. He
had his boots on the ground since the beginning, when it was a dirt pit with
some steel beams shooting out of it.
“It’s been a great process,” Welling said. “This is our first art museum to
be completed, which is really meaningful to everybody, and to Thom and I
especially.”
Though the designs for the new OCMA were revealed in 2018, before the
coronavirus pandemic changed everything, the decision to emphasize exterior
and outdoor space, while blurring interior and exterior boundaries, seems to
be quite prescient in this day and age, when people seem to be more
comfortable with gathering outdoors than huddling indoors.
“It’s good timing, given the current status of sense of urban space,” Mayne
said. “But it’s also California. It’s architecture today.”
Opening Exhibitions
The O.C. Museum of Art is opening with four new exhibitions, plus an outdoor
sculpture on the roof terrace. “13 Women” celebrates the museum’s 60th
anniversary, and pays homage to the 13 women who founded the Balboa Pavilion
Gallery, the earliest incarnation of OCMA, in 1962.
“Large Glass Ship” by Chris Burden. Glass, lead toy soldiers and cardboard
submarines, ship dimensions: 2-3/4 x 38 x 55-3/4 in (7 x 96.5 x 141.6 cm),
sub dimensions: 2-3/4 x 8 x 1-3/4 in (7 x 20.3 x 4.4 cm) each. This piece is
a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Image
courtesy of OCMA
“Surfing on Acid” by Mary Heilmann. Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9
cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County
Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Untitled (Moon Surface Luna 9, #2” by Vija Celmins. Graphite on acrylic
ground on paper, 14 x 18-3/4 in (35.6 x 47.6 cm). This piece is a part of the
“13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy
of OCMA
“Untitled” by Barbara Kruger. Gelatin silver print, 54-1/8 x 50 in (137.5 x
127 cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County
Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“The Guide” by Agnes Pelton. Oil on canvas, 30-1/2 x 20-1/4 in (77.5 x 51.4
cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County
Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“The Journey #5” by Joan Brown. Enamel on canvas, 90-1/2 x 72-3/4 in (229.9 x
184.8 cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange
County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Surfer for Women” by Catherine Opie. Pigment print, edition 4 of 5, 2 APs,
56 x 42 in (142.2 x 106.7 cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit
at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Ocean Park #36” by Richard Diebenkorn. Oil and charcoal on canvas, 93 x 81
in (236.2 x 205.7 cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the
Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Self-portrait” by Charles Ray. Painted fiberglass, clothes, glasses, hair,
glass and metal, 75 x 26 x 20 in (191 x 66 x 51 cm). This piece is a part of
the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image
courtesy of OCMA
“Ink Box” by Charles Ray. Steel cube, 200 gallons printer’s ink, 36-1/4 x
36-1/4 x 36-1/4 in (92.1 x 92.1 x 92.1 cm). This piece is a part of the “13
Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of
OCMA
“Untitled (Ocean Park Series)” by John Altoon. Oil on canvas, 72 x 84 in
(182.9 x 213.4 cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the
Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Annie” by Ed Ruscha. Oil on canvas, 21- 7/8 x 19-7/8 in (55.6 x 50.5 cm).
This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of
Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Large Glass Ship” by Chris Burden. Glass, lead toy soldiers and cardboard
submarines, ship dimensions: 2-3/4 x 38 x 55-3/4 in (7 x 96.5 x 141.6 cm),
sub dimensions: 2-3/4 x 8 x 1-3/4 in (7 x 20.3 x 4.4 cm) each. This piece is
a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit:
Image courtesy of OCMA
“Surfing on Acid” by Mary Heilmann. Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9
cm). This piece is a part of the “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County
Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
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Curated by Zuckerman, “13 Women” features works by Alice Aycock, Joan Brown,
Lee Bul, Lucy Bull, Sarah Cain, Vija Celmins, Mary Corse, Mary Heilmann,
Barbara Kruger, Cady Noland, Catherine Opie, Hilary Pecis and Agnes Pelton.
Zuckerman has told this story a few times, but the inspiration for “13 Women”
came when she was interviewing for the job as CEO and director. James B.
Pick, the board chair of collections, asked what her first exhibition from
the permanent collection might be, and she responded, “Thirteen women. I’d
curate an exhibition that honors the 13 visionary founders of this
institution.”
Zuckerman jokes that perhaps it should be called “13 women, and a few guys,”
because indeed there are a few men in the show, including John Altoon, John
Baldessari, Chris Burden, Charles Ray and Richard Diebenkorn, whose “Ocean
Park #36” (1970) is a key and treasured oil on canvas in the permanent
collection.
“13 Women” also features “Here is for the first time again,” a new,
site-specific painting by Sarah Cain in the Avenue of the Arts Gallery, which
is visible from the sidewalk and street outside.
“Canyon Fire” by Lily Stockman. Oil on linen, 84 x 62 in (213.4 x 157.5 cm).
This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the Orange
County Museum of Art. Image courtesy of OCMA
“Lovely Shade Flower” by Alex Anderson. Earthenware, glaze, and gold luster,
22 x 17 x 2 in (55.88 x 43.18 x 5.08 cm). This piece is a part of the
California Biennial on exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit:
Image courtesy of OCMA
“Circle of Infinite Chaos” by Claire Rojas. Oil on panel, 64 x 56 in (162.6 x
142.2 cm). This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the
Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA/Eric Ruby
“Pacific Gold” by Narsiso Martinez. Ink, gouache, charcoal, collage, acrylic,
and small paintings on produce boxes, 82 x 40 x 48 in (208.28 x 101.6 x
121.92 cm). This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the
Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Feelings, feelings, feelings, feelings, feelings, feelings, feelings” by
Sadie Barnette. Powdered graphite and colored pencil, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x
121.9 cm). This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the
Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA/Eric Ruby
“Extrano 9 (Strange 9)” by Tania Aguingia. Dyed cotton rope, flax, 77 x 20 x
6 in (195.58 x 50.8 x 15.24 cm). This piece is a part of the California
Biennial on exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: Image
courtesy of OCMA
“Night Storm” by Sharon Ellis. Alkyd on canvas, 30 x 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm).
This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the Orange
County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Canyon Fire” by Lily Stockman. Oil on linen, 84 x 62 in (213.4 x 157.5 cm).
This piece is a part of the California Biennial on exhibit at the Orange
County Museum of Art. Credit: Image courtesy of OCMA
“Lovely Shade Flower” by Alex Anderson. Earthenware, glaze, and gold luster,
22 x 17 x 2 in (55.88 x 43.18 x 5.08 cm). This piece is a part of the
California Biennial on exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit:
Image courtesy of OCMA
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Another significant exhibition is the return of the California Biennial, 2022
edition. Back in 2013, former chief curator Dan Cameron re-imagined the
biennial – whose last iteration was in 2010 – as the California-Pacific
Triennial. The 2017 rendition of the CPT, “Building as Ever,” was kind of a
dud, and the reception was lukewarm.
So the California Biennial has made a triumphant comeback, and the theme is
“Pacific Gold” – which gets its name from one of the works in the show. This
year’s biennial has been organized by former OCMA chief curator Elizabeth
Armstrong, with Essence Harden, visual arts curator at the California African
American Museum, and Gilbert Vicario, chief curator at the Phoenix Art Museum.
The biennial features more than 60 works, covering a range of media including
ceramics, painting, sculpture, textiles, mixed media, video and large-scale
installations. Artists include Sharon Ellis, Raúl Guerrero, Candice Lin,
Narsiso Martinez, Simphiwe Ndzube, Alicia McCarthy, Claire Rojas, Ben
Sakoguchi and Lily Stockman.
Nicolas Libert, left, and Emmanuel Renoird stand in their newest concept
store of art and design inside the Orange County Museum of Art. The store is
curated with contemporary and vintage designer items and art. Credit: JULIE
LEOPO, Voice of OC
The “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE
LEOPO, Voice of OC
Artworks in the California Biennial 2022 at the newly opened Orange County
Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Sarah Cain created “Here is for the first time again,” a site-specific mural
to adorn the walls of the Avenue of the Arts Gallery along the south side of
the building. This gallery is designed to allow anyone walking by outside to
enjoy the art inside the museum. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Sculptures in the Fred Eversley exhibition on the mezzanine showcase a
retrospective of the artist’s work, starting with cast polyester pieces made
in 1976 through pieces made within the last year. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Pieces in the Fred Eversley exhibition on the mezzanine level showcase a
retrospective of the artist’s work, starting with cast polyester pieces made
in 1976 through pieces made within the last year. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Galleries on the main floor of the Orange County Museum of Art can also be
viewed from walkways on the upper floors. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
These works by Narsiso Martinez are part of the California Biennial 2022 at
the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
The Mind, a retail space in the Orange County Museum of Art, includes a
sculpture made of mirror-polished stainless steel scales that echo the the
design of OCMA by Morphosis Architects. Inside the mirror casings, visitors
can find a curation of vintage designer jewelry. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice
of OC
Nicolas Libert, left, and Emmanuel Renoird stand in their newest concept
store of art and design inside the Orange County Museum of Art. The store is
curated with contemporary and vintage designer items and art. Credit: JULIE
LEOPO, Voice of OC
The “13 Women” exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. Credit: JULIE
LEOPO, Voice of OC
<> <>
On view in OCMA’s new, sleek mezzanine gallery (named after James B. and
Rosalyn L. Pick) is “Fred Eversley: Reflecting Back (the World).” It’s an
awe-inspiring retrospective of Eversley’s polyester resin sculptures,
covering five decades of work. Eversley was an important representative of
California’s Light and Space movement; yet unlike his peers, he was an actual
scientist as well, coming to Southern California in the 1960s and working as
a consulting engineer for NASA. This exhibition was conceived by former
senior curator Cassandra Coblentz and organized by new chief curator
Courtenay Finn. Finn says that during construction, she and her team created
foam-core models of the galleries and tiny replicas of the artworks that
would go in them.
“We would move the works around,” she said. “We just wanted to try to
understand how to deal with the spaces. It was like playing in an adult
dollhouse.”
“Peter Walker: Minimalist Landscape” pays homage to the history of landscape
design at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts from the 1980s to the 2000s. It
focuses on the work of Walker, one of the leading landscape architects of the
Modernist movement and a co-designer for the National 9/11 Memorial.
Orange County Museum of Art
Where: Orange County Museum of Art, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Thursdays through Saturdays
The 24-hour opening party starts at 5 p.m. Oct. 8 and ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 9
Cost: Free
Information: ocma.art <https://ocma.art/>
Finally, the outdoor sculpture “Of many waters …” by Sanford Biggers was
commissioned for the opening of the new museum. It’s a 24-foot-wide,
16-foot-tall multimedia sculpture of a reclining male figure with a 19th
century Baule double-face mask assembled from metal sequins. It sits at the
edge of the Upper Plaza on the roof terrace and the steps that descend
halfway down toward the Argyros Plaza.
Free for All
In keeping with the notions of inclusivity and accessibility, admission to
the new OCMA will be free to the public for the first 10 years. This includes
the 24-hour opening party, and is made possible by a $2.5 million gift from
Newport Beach-based Lugano Diamonds.
“Just as you feel that there’s no hard and fast barrier in our building
between outside and inside, there’s no economic barrier to experience our
exhibitions and our programs,” Zuckerman said. “Our mission here is to enrich
the lives of people in a diverse and fast-changing community …. Access to art
is a basic human right. It’s not a privilege.”
Even after 10 years are done, Zuckerman said her goal is to have admission
“permanently endowed.” That would mean free admission for as long as the new
museums stands at its new Segerstrom Center home.
Richard Chang is senior editor for Arts & Culture at Voice of OC. He can be
reached at rchang@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rchang@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>.
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» Stay connected with the arts scene <https://voiceofoc.org/subscribe> with
our weekly newsletter.
Since you value arts and culture,
You are obviously connected to your community and value good arts and culture
journalism. As an independent and local nonprofit, Voice of OC’s arts and
culture reporting is accessible to all. Our journalists are focused on
keeping you connected with the artistic and cultural heartbeat of Orange
County. This journalism depends on donors like you to thrive.
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