The University of California, Irvine has completed its acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art, the university announced Monday morning.
The purchase comes a few months after the museum and UCI announced that they were looking to combine artistic forces in a deal that would bring the museum under the stewardship of the university. As part of the agreement, OCMA in Costa Mesa will merge with UCI’s Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art, resulting in the museum being renamed the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art.
“UC Irvine is committed to ensuring that the region benefits from a world-class art museum that enriches the cultural fabric of Orange County, advances groundbreaking scholarship, nurtures the next generation of creators and thinkers, and inspires curiosity and connection across diverse audiences,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement.
The university said the OCMA staff are now UCI employees. With the exit of OCMA’s Heidi Zuckerman, the university said it is conducting a national search for an executive director to lead the newly named museum. Eventually, the previously called UCI’s Jack and Shanaz Langson museum will move from its Irvine location to Costa Mesa.
