The women’s group La Cloud from Los Angels setup a cell phone camera to take a photo of their group outside Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The group traveled to Orange County to see the exhibition, “13 Women.” OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
For Heidi Zuckerman, OCMA’s director and CEO, it is important for the community to understand the museum is for everyone.
“I hoped people would hear that and be curious about it and interested,” Zuckerman said. But hitting 100,000 visitors so soon has “been beyond all of my hopes and dreams and expectations.”
A woman stands next the artwork by Stanford Biggers titled, “Of many waters” located on the sculpture terrace at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A museum visitor views the artwork titled “Where is my thinking cap?” by artist Samar Golden which is part of the 13 Women exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The women’s group La Cloud from Los Angels setup a cell phone camera to take a photo of their group outside Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The group traveled to Orange County to see the exhibition, “13 Women.” OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The women’s group La Cloud from Los Angels discuss an untiled artwork by artist Rodney McMillian at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The group traveled to Orange County to see the exhibition, “13 Women.” OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“Amethyst Crystalized Seated Pikachu”by artist Daniel Arsham is part of an exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“Wigs (Portfolio)” by artist Lorna Simpson which is part of the 13 Women exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman views an untitled artwork by artist Rodney McMillian at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors walk past Eroded Delorean the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman examines the artwork titled, Standing Figure, made of glass fragments and resin at the new Daniel Arsham exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The women’s group La Cloud from Los Angels setup a cell phone camera to take a photo of their group outside Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The group traveled to Orange County to see the exhibition, “13 Women.” OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman examines the artwork titled Hammock at the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Museum visitors view the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A museum visitor takes photos at the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors view the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Museum visitors view the artwork titled “Where is my thinking cap?” by artist Samar Golden which is part of the 13 Women exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A museum visitor views the artwork titled “Where is my thinking cap?” by artist Samar Golden which is part of the 13 Women exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man takes a photo of the artwork titled, “Standing Figure,” made of glass fragments and resin at the new Daniel Arsham exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A museum visitor walks past Bronze “Eroded Astronaut,” left, and “Blue Moon (Phase 6),” right, at the Daniel Arsham exhibition at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Museum visitors are seen in the reflection of the artwork, “Bronze Eroded Astronaut,” at the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
In line with the museum’s message of welcoming all is a new solo exhibit from artist Daniel Arsham — his first major one in the U.S. — which utilizes sculptures, architecture and other designs to explore the “history, symbology and the material nature of time,” according to OCMA.
The “Where You Go, There You Are” exhibit includes a wide array of art created over the past 20 years, including a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey (a Cleveland native, Arsham is the creative director for the team), a Porsche and haute couture, Zuckerman said.
“Anyone who is interested in fine art, design, music, architecture, cars — there’s something for everyone,” Zuckerman said.
And then there’s the next installment of “13 Women,” which pays homage to the women who founded the Balboa Pavilion Gallery in 1962, an earlier iteration of OCMA. This collection, featuring about 20 female artists and seven male artists, according to Zuckerman, is “a little playful” as it conceptually references those 13 women.
Other than a Sanford Biggers sculpture on the roof deck, everything is different, Zuckerman said of the rotation in of new pieces. “If you’ve been here before, if you come now, everything is new.”
The $94 million OCMA opened to the public in October at its new home at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The museum, one of the earliest contemporary art museums in California, is free to the public for the next 10 years.
And it’s a destination spot in the arts center that can serve many purposes to those in the community, Zuckerman said, from date nights to pre-dinner drinks to a haven on these recent rainy days.
“There are lots of expanded ways,” she said, “to think about what to do at the museum and what you’ll find.”
Arsham’s exhibit is open through June 4. “13 Women: Variation II” runs through Aug. 20.
