OCMA art museum by morphosis opens its doors to the public

orange county museum of art (OCMA) by morphosis

On October 8, 2022, a new cultural landmark for modern and contemporary art, the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) will open in its new home on the campus of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. The new museum building, designed by Morphosis under the direction of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and partner-in-charge Brandon Welling, provides the OCMA with a larger number of exhibition galleries, dedicated educational spaces, and public areas to enrich the lives of a diverse and changing community through modern and contemporary art. For the next ten years, OCMA will offer free general admission, further advancing its public mission.

the Orange County Museum of Art designed by Morphosis

all images courtesy of Mike Kelley, unless stated otherwise

brightly lit exhibition spaces connect interior and exterior

Located at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the OCMA design serves as a prototype for a new type of museum that focuses on open, urban, and social areas with strong connections between interior and exterior. The building by Morphosis welcomes visitors through sunlight atrium spaces, open galleries, and an expansive sculpture terrace, engaging the urban realm with public staircases and ‘storefront galleries.’ Thanks to the strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, guests are encouraged to get immersed in the renowned climate of Southern California, where light, air, and space have impacted generations of artists. The outdoor spaces feature landscape architecture by OBJ.

The new museum will be able to present shows that are drawn from its unique collection, in addition to maintaining a program of significant temporary exhibitions. The design incorporates a large upper plaza roof terrace for performances and events, an education hall bathed in natural light, and adaptable gallery spaces that may accommodate temporary and permanent exhibitions covering a variety of scales and mediums.

the new design focuses on open, urban, and social areas with strong connections between interior and exterior

image courtesy of Jasmine Park

Visitors gather at a set of grand stairs paying tribute to the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The upper plaza serves as an extension of the galleries, with open-air areas that may be used for exhibits, programs, and events. Its size is equivalent to 70% of the building’s footprint. A dynamic architectural space for performance and education, illuminated by a dramatic window overlooking the upper plaza and grand steps, hangs above the tall, light-filled lobby atrium. In addition to connecting the museum to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, its Julia and George Argyros Plaza, and the nearby performing arts venues, the lower stairs on the exterior of the building bend toward the entrance, creating a welcoming meeting area for walkers and visitors.

24-hour opening celebration

On October 8, the OCMA will host its 24-hour open celebration following a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on October 7 that will be attended by civic and cultural dignitaries. The general public is invited to tour the new facilities and check out the numerous opening exhibitions, in addition to taking part in concerts, movie screenings, and art-making workshops. Among the opening exhibitions are the California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold, a study of Fred Eversley, a project on Peter Walker, a recently commissioned outdoor sculpture by Sanford Biggers, and an exhibition chosen from the permanent collection of OCMA to pay tribute to the thirteen women who founded the museum 60 years ago.

‘We welcome allto our new home,’ OCMA CEO and Director Heidi Zuckerman says. ‘We believe access to art is a basic human right, and so our new building beckons the many communities of Orange County and beyond to come and explore and make art part of their lives.’

‘Heidi Zuckerman and OCMA’s curators have put together a brilliant and wide-ranging program to open our new home. These five exhibitions pay tribute to our illustrious past while offering a glimpse of what people can expect from the new OCMA,’ incoming Board President Lucy Sun shares.