COSTA MESA — In a significant move for the cultural landscape of Orange County, the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) has officially merged with the University of California, Irvine (UCI) just three years after reopening. The university announced the finalization of this acquisition in a press release dated September 29, marking the establishment of a new institution that will integrate OCMA with the UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA).
As part of this merger, UCI will take on fiduciary oversight of the newly formed entity, which will be named the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. This institution will bring together an impressive collection of over 9,000 artworks, with approximately 4,500 pieces sourced from each of the merging entities.
OCMA’s storied history began in 1962, founded by a dedicated group of 13 women in Newport Beach. Initially called the Balboa Pavilion Gallery, the museum evolved into the Newport Harbor Art Museum before rebranding to its current name in 1996. Under the stewardship of chief curator Paul Schimmel since 1981, the museum strategically enriched its collection with significant works from renowned California artists such as John Baldessari, Chris Burden, and Vija Celmins. The museum’s latest chapter commenced in 2022 with the opening of a state-of-the-art 53,000-square-foot facility designed by Morphosis, strategically located adjacent to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. A notable $2.5 million donation from the now-controversial Newport Beach businessman Mordechai “Moti” Ferder made it possible for the museum to offer free admission for the next decade.
The Langson IMCA was established by UCI in 2017, following the acquisition of two prominent collections focusing on modern and contemporary California art—the Buck Collection and the Irvine Museum Collection. In 2022, a generous donation from Jack and Shanaz Langson catalyzed plans for a dedicated building for the Institute, which is currently in a temporary location on Von Karman Avenue. However, with the merger, these plans are likely to be abandoned as the Langson IMCA is expected to transition into OCMA’s new building.
The consolidation comes in the wake of a tumultuous period for OCMA, which recently experienced shifts in leadership and a complex financial scandal involving a prominent donor. In the summer of 2024, the museum witnessed the resignation of 14 trustees from its Board, who were subsequently replaced by 10 new members. The Los Angeles Times reported an atmosphere of unrest within the museum during this transitional phase. Following the merger, OCMA’s board will be dissolved completely.
Previously, Ferder, the businessman behind the donation allowing free admissions, faced serious legal issues, including allegations of fraud and civil theft, leading to a dramatic departure from his role as CEO of Lugano Diamonds. He resigned in May and has since fled to Israel while attempting to manage his assets amid ongoing lawsuits.
“The commitment made by Lugano Diamonds continues to be honored, as our objective remains to keep admission to the museum free,” stated an OCMA representative in a recent interview with the LA Times.
Earlier this year, OCMA’s CEO and Director Heidi Zuckerman announced her impending departure at the end of the calendar year, further emphasizing the museum’s need for stable leadership following the merger. Meanwhile, Langson IMCA is currently led by an interim director following the exit of its founding director, Kim Kanatani, and a national search for a permanent director to lead the new institution is actively underway. Plans are in motion to finalize leadership by early next year.
Despite the restructuring, both institutions assure that they will maintain their planned programming through 2026 as they work toward establishing a unified identity.
