newportbeachindy . com MARCH 3 , 2023 5

( L-R ): Daniel Arsham , Bronze Eroded Delorean 1:2 , 2022 . Bronze , stainless steel , patina . Courtesy the artist and Perrotin ; Jennifer Guidi , Rhythms of Nature ( Painted Universe Mandala , Rainbow Gradient , Pink Ground ), 2021 – 2022 . Sand , acrylic and oil on linen . Courtesy the artist . Photo : Brica Wilcox ; Yu Ji , Flesh in Stone # 1 , 2012 . Cement and iron . AP edition . Courtesy the artist .

By Christopher Trela | NB Indy

The Orange County Museum of Art had a long history in Newport Beach as the preeminent showcase venue for an eclectic , distinct and noteworthy variety of art exhibitions and installations .

Its longtime home in Fashion Island served the museum well , but the need to expand and accommodate an even broader and more distinct collection of artworks has come to fruition with the opening of the new Orange County Museum of Art on the campus of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts .

Years in the making , the new OCMA building opened last October to incredible fanfare . The opening weekend ( which was open 24 hours ) saw hours-long lines to get in — a testament to the excitement of the new venue but also the inaugural exhibits .

The building itself is an impressive work of art . While the former OCMA home was

functional , the new venue designed by Morphosis is architecturally dazzling both inside and out .

According to information from OCMA , the museum welcomed more than 70,000 visitors in its first three months — all via free admission , thanks to a $ 2.5 million gift from Lugano Diamonds , a Newport Beach – based jewelry retailer . The gift will provide free admission for the first 10 years of the museum ’ s operation .

Segerstrom Center Presents

According to Heidi Zuckerman , CEO and Director of the Orange County Museum of Art , the museum ’ s 2023 program schedule includes solo exhibitions dedicated to the artwork of Daniel Arsham , Jennifer Guidi , and Yu Ji .

In 2023 OCMA will also present an exhibition of paintings by Alice Neel , and a special commission by Tony Lewis coming this June .

The museum will also continue its inaugural exhibition “ 13 Women ” ( February 17 – August 20 , 2023 ), which pays homage to the thirteen women who founded the Balboa Pavilion Gallery , the earliest iteration of OCMA , in The Muzzy Family Special Exhibitions . Rotating works in and out throughout the run of the show , “ 13 Women ” includes work by collection artists Chantal Joffe , Sharon Lockhart , Zanele Muholi , Rosa Navarro , Lorna Simpson , Mary Weatherford , and Carrie Mae Weems , among others .

“ It continues to be incredible to watch our audiences engage with the new building , to watch it come alive as people move through the skybridges and galleries ,” said Courtenay Finn , OCMA Chief Curator . “ The light-filled and open spaces have allowed us to tell stories across disciplines , materials , and timelines and to conceptualize history in new ways . This openness is at the center of what OCMA is about .”

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS ( DETAILS PROVIDED BY OCMA ) “ Daniel Arsham : Wherever You Go ,

There You Are ” FEBRUARY 17 – MAY 28 , 2023

OCMA Page 9