Orange County Museum of Art: A New Building (and Chapter) for a 60-Year-Old Institution
Founded in 1962 as Balboa Pavilion Gallery, the Orange County Museum of Art now finds itself starting a new chapter with a new building and five inaugural exhibitions on deck. Here's what you need to know:
The Orange County Museum of Art opens to the public October 8, 2022
Located on the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus, the 53,000-square-foot Orange County Museum of Art was designed by Morphosis Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and Partner-in-Charge Brandon Welling. OCMA's new digs features a distinct white terracotta tile that wraps all around the museum. Visitors can weave in and out of the museum's nearly 25,000 square feet of exhibition spaces located on the main floor and mezzanine floors, as well as the landscaped roof terrace. "There are so many things about the building that are perfect in a post-pandemic environment," said Heidi Zuckerman, OCMA's CEO and Director. "It's open. There's airflow. There's light flow. You can have a completely outdoor experience at the museum, if you wanted to."
Admission is free.
Thanks to Lugano Diamonds, general admission to the new museum costs nothing to the public.
There will be five inaugural exhibitions on view at the opening.
- "California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold" is co-organized by three guest curators Elizabeth Armstrong; Essence Harden, Visual Arts Curator at the California African American Museum; and Gilbert Vicario, Chief Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition explores the diversity and richness of Southern California art through OCMA's signature event, its biennial, which first began in 1984. Featured artists include Tanya Aguiñiga, Sharon Ellis and Narsiso Martinez.
- "13 Women" pays homage to the 13 women who founded Balboa Pavilion Gallery, the OCMA's predecessor institution. Organized by Zuckerman, the exhibition centers on the work of 13 pioneering female artists, who also share the founding women's visionary qualities. The exhibition will constantly change throughout the year, with new works introduced throughout its run.
1/5 Catherine Opie, "Surfer for Women," 2018. | Collection of Orange County Museum of Art. Museum purchase. Acquired by OCMA as part of our 60th Anniversary Initiative, 2022.001. Courtesy Regan Projects. © Catherine Opie
2/5 Joan Brown, "The Journey #5," 1976. | Collection of Orange County Museum of Art. Museum purchase with additional funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, 1978.008. © The Joan Brown Estate
3/5 Agnes Pelton, "The Guide," 1929. | Collection of Orange County Museum of Art. Museum purchase with funds provided through prior gift of Lois Outerbridge, LAM.1998.002.
4/5 Barbara Kruger, "Untitled," 1989. | Collection of Orange County Museum of Art. Gift of Eugene C. White and the estate of Robert H. Tyler, 1993.007. © Barbara Kruger
5/5 Mary Heilmann, "Surfing on Acid," 2005. | Collection of Orange County Museum of Art. Museum purchase with funds provided through prior gift of Lois Outerbridge, 2005.002. © Mary Heilmann - "Fred Eversley: Reflecting Back (the World)" continues Eversley's 1976-77 exhibition at OCMA (then called the Newport Harbor Art Museum).
- "Sanford Biggers: Of many waters...." was commissioned for the opening of OCMA’s new building. It is a 24-foot-wide by 16-foot-tall multimedia outdoor sculpture that continues Biggers’s Chimera, Shimmer, and Codex series.
- "Peter Walker: Minimalist Landscape" is a nod to the museum's new location. Walker, who designed the landscape architecture for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, has gone on to the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, South Coast Repertory Theater and co-designed the National 9/11 Memorial.
There will be a 24-hour opening event
The public will get a chance to check out the new museum with a lineup of programs and events such as tarot reading, silent disco, yoga and more, every hour from 5 p.m. October 8 to 5 p.m. October 9. Here's what that full day looks like.
Saturday, October 8
5:00 P.M.
Homecoming Procession
A drumline leads a celebratory procession down the Avenue of the Arts across the plaza to open the museum, leading up to the roof terrace and ending in fireworks.
5:15 P.M.
The Violet Hour
Inspired by the work of artist Fred Eversley, OCMA’s new café, Verdant, presents the Violet Hour, offering specially crafted mocktails
6:00 P.M.
Pacific Chorale Performance: Skyscape
An aleatoric free form/change choir performed on four levels.
6:30 P.M.
Pacific Chorale Performance: Magnificat
A ‘Magnificat’ acapella choir performance by Grammy-award winning composer Arvo Pärt, an evocative work that recalls the past while echoing the future
7:00 P.M.
Philharmonic Society Performance: Pacific Gold
PSOC presents a performance by the Orange County Youth Symphony string quartet inspired by the artists in OCMA’s opening exhibition "California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold."
8:00 P.M.
Pacific Symphony Performance: 13 Women
A string trio performance inspired by the artists and work in the "13 Women" exhibition.
9:00 P.M.
Rooftop Dance Party
Dance to your heart's content on OCMA’s outside roof terrace with KCRW’s own Jason Bentley.
10:00 P.M.
Spotlight Tour
Join OCMA Curators, past and present, for an immersive tour of OCMA’s new exhibitions. With artists and experts positioned at key artworks throughout the galleries, this is a unique chance to get insider details on all the artworks currently on view.
11:00 P.M.
Silent Disco
Join DJ Dylan, DJ Kemistry, and DJ Camillion for a party that is all your own. With headphones provided, you can dance the night away and choose from multiple DJs spinning.
Sunday, October 9
12:00 A.M.
Light it Up: Midnight Fireworks
Enjoy a decadent dessert from the museum’s café, Verdant, inspired by the exhibition "Fred: Eversley Reflecting (Back the World)" and fireworks on the museum’s terrace
1:00 A.M.
Movies for Insomniacs
Join Santa Ana’s premier art-house theater, Frida Cinema, for a curated selection of films that pay homage to artists and the artistic process.
2:00 A.M.
Late Night Lounge with Boss Harmony
Chill out and take a break to listen to artist and DJ Boss Harmony spin records
3:00 A.M.
The Witching Hour
Experience the magic of the museum by getting your fortune told and your tarot read amongst galleries
4:00 A.M.
The Blue Hour
Start the day with the healing properties of the color wheel through Ayurvedic coffee, tea, and matcha drinks at OCMA’s Fueling Station coffee bar
5:00 A.M.
Sound Bath with Somer Waters & Skye Ray
Connect with the artworks shown in the exhibitions "California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold" and "13 Women" through a sound bath in the galleries embodying the connection between art and healing
6:30 A.M.
Sunrise Yoga
Reset and refresh on the beautiful roof terrace with gentle yin yoga led by Linda Chen. Bring your own mat; open to all yoga levels.
8:00 A.M.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Experience “The Way of the Tea”, a traditional Japanese matcha tea ceremony led by Kentaro Chiba and Soko Okazoe followed by a tea tasting
9:00 A.M.
Color Wheel Juice Bar
Sample a rainbow array of freshly made juice in all colors inspired by artist Fred Eversley’s use of the color wheel.
10:00 A.M.
Donut Drop
Enjoy special flavors inspired by OCMA’s collection from our friends and neighbors at Sidecar, Fill Bakeshop and Goodtown, purveyors of the best donuts in Orange County.
11:00 A.M.
Pop-Up: Aura Photography
Capture images of your aura, the electromagnetic energy field that radiates in and around your body and learn the distinct significance of each of its colors - find out what your aura is today.
12:00 P.M.
Kids First: Movie Shorts
Join our friends from the Newport Beach Film Festival for a series of short films just for kids.
1:00 P.M.
Inside Out: Dance Performance
Dancers from the Orange County School of the Arts play with perspective and movement in a site-specific performance inspired by the museum’s architecture.
2:00 P.M.
Live Music: Yamila Guerra Cuban Latin Band
Let the two-time Latin Grammy winning Yamila Guerran, directed by Yalil Guerra Cuban Latin, take you on a musical journey through Latin and Caribbean sounds. Feel the joy and dance to the rhythm with your family and friends.
2:30 P.M.
Artmaking: Open Studio
Explore self-guided prompts for drawing, paper sculptures, and more.
3:00 P.M.
Family Workshop: Color Your World
Join OCMA educators in an intergenerational art-making activity where we explore storytelling through color.
4:00 P.M.
Jazz: Ella Takes the Mic
Sway to Ella Fitzgerald jazz classics with the powerhouse singers in the Standard Mel Duo who have drawn inspiration from Carrie Mae Weems’ artwork Untitled (Ella On Silk) in the OCMA Collection.
4:30 P.M.
Gospel Voices of OC: Youth Choir
Youth singers from throughout Orange County and special guests express the joy of the African-American experience, finding inspiration from artists featured in Sanford Biggers’ Of many waters…, an artwork on view on the museum’s terrace.
5:00 P.M.
Closing Fireworks
The Gospel Voices of OC: Youth Choir closes us out with Oh Happy Day followed by a show of blue fireworks.
