In the heart of Costa Mesa’s theater and arts district, the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) strikes an impressive figure. Sprawling across a 53,000-square-foot plaza, with a grand staircase inspired by the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the elaborate structure of sweeping glass and concrete is an architectural work of art that’s as visually appealing as the galleries within. Highlighting art and artists from the 20th and 21st centuries, the museum opened in 2022 with a 24-hour bash featuring festivities indicative of the experience visitors can find year-round, from live music and colorful food and drinks to guided tours led by artists and curators.
Architecture as Art
Designed by the architectural firm Morphosis, founded by Pritzker Prize laureate Thom Mayne, OCMA fits neatly onto the larger Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus. It’s situated along a shared pedestrian plaza, which serves as an open-air gathering place for community-wide arts and cultural events. The plaza also links the museum to the arts center’s three theaters as well as South Coast Repertory, which has won a Regional Theatre Tony Award for distinguished achievement.
Visible inside and out, OCMA’s white terracotta panels create a dizzying, dynamic visual as they wrap around the building’s twisting and curving café. An eye-catching feature is a glass atrium jutting out over the plaza; inside, it houses an entry lobby with soaring views of the sky above.
More than just an architectural vision come to life, OCMA’s new building also doubles the size of its old location in Newport Beach. With 25,000 square feet of gallery space, the museum can now host regular exhibitions featuring pieces from its permanent collection, along with temporary shows and new commissions. Sleek spaces provide new ways to enjoy the art, such as the Avenue of the Arts Gallery’s huge glass window panels that invite curious passersby to peer in from the street. Meanwhile, walkways above the main floor allow you to see the art from a different perspective while pulling you into the design.
Must-See Exhibits
OCMA has a collection of around 4,500 objects, including works by Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, and David Hockney as well as sculptural installations by Fred Eversley, a pioneer of the Light and Space movement.
Launched in November 2023, the museum’s A Moment in Time exhibition draws from this extensive collection to showcase OCMA’s history dating back to 1962, when it was founded by 13 women as the Balboa Pavilion Gallery. It will run through Feb. 16, 2025, and feature defining work from a single artist representing each decade from the 1960s to present day, including Billy Al Bengston, Chris Burden, Ed Ruscha, Charles Gaines, Allison Miller, and Marlo Pascual.
Tony Lewis’ CASUAL T is the latest installation to grace the streetside Avenue of the Arts Gallery. Running through March 10, 2024, the collage features four massive panels 14 feet high and 10 feet wide that incorporate a handful of the Chicago-based artist’s drawings that edit and reconstruct clips from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip to explore how language can lend itself to new meanings and viewpoints.
Activities and Events
Don’t miss the museum’s onsite cafe, Verdant, located up the grand staircase on the Upper Plaza. The eatery is run by two locally lauded chefs, Ross Pangilinan and Nick Weber, who also oversee the Cal-French bistro Populaire across the street at South Coast Plaza. It features a plant-forward, seasonal menu that rotates with items like the farmers’ market toast, glass-noodle salad with miso dressing, and a few carnivore- and kid-friendly options too.
OCMA also hosts a robust family program, including two free Art + Play sessions with hands-on activities for children ages 0–5 on the second Wednesday of every month. There’s also a Bring Your Own Baby Tour & Tea the first Wednesday of every month, which includes a free guided tour and complimentary tea from Verdant.
For adults, an Art Happy Hour & Pop-Up Talk is held the first Friday of every month with a special guest speaker and art-themed cocktail available for purchase. For $10, you can also join a 60-minute morning yoga session on the terrace the first Sunday of the month.
Admission is free if you visit during the museum’s first 10 years, thanks to a gift from Orange County–based Lugano Diamonds. One-hour private tours can be arranged for a fee, as well as small-group specialty excursions that explore groundbreaking exhibitions from throughout the museum’s history.
