About 50 miles south of the Frieze Art Fair’s presentation in Santa Monica is Costa Mesa. Nicknamed “The City of Arts,” it hosts the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)—an art destination founded in 1962 that showcases modern and contemporary art. Comprising over 4,500 works of art on view, the space also features rotating exhibitions, including four this season: “Joan Brown” (January 26–June 2), “Start, Start Again” (November 15, 2023–March 31), “A Moment in Time” (November 14–February 16, 2025), and “Tony Lewis: Casual T” (June 23, 2023–June 2).
OCMA’s Director, Heidi Zuckerman—known for her work at the Aspen Art Museum (AAM), as well as on her own with a series of published books and podcasts—reconnected with Whitewall to share how her role at OCMA has evolved since joining in 2021, and what being appointed to the first-ever art commission for Costa Mesa means long-term.
Heidi Zuckerman’s Move to Orange County
WHITEWALL: The last time we spoke was in Aspen, when you were the director of AAM. Why did you decide to move to the West Coast?
HEIDI ZUCKERMAN: I have an advisor of sorts who gave me a quote by Willis Wacker: “Don’t fix the present, plan the future” and asked me where I wanted to live over the next 10 years. I meditated and Laguna Beach popped into my head. I had only been there once. My dream was always to be able to walk on the beach every morning and now I can! My fiancé likes to say, “Remember we are not on vacation, we live here.” And I am so grateful that is true! I love everything about our life here.
WW: OCMA is a stone’s throw away from the bustle of Los Angeles. What does its unique geographical positioning in Costa Mesa offer to the tone of its overall atmosphere, programming, or exhibition environment?
HZ: Orange County is a beautiful and diverse place with 3.1 million people living in 34 different cities. Our museum is conceived as an art sanctuary to offer a shoulder-lowering experience. The building is light-filled and gorgeous, we had an artist design a scent for the museum, and we provide what we call “art +,” a program designed around caring and sharing!
Behind the Scenes at OCMA
WW: How would you describe your role today at OCMA? What is your day-to-day like?
HZ: I spend a lot of my time in conversation—with our board and donors, our team, and our members and community. I honestly spend a lot more time fundraising and less time seeing art and with artists, which I think just happens as the size of the institution you run increases. Each day is different and I love the opportunity to problem-solve in real time. I have also evolved how I understand leadership and really think of myself as leader dedicated to service now. I am honored to wake up every day and ask how I can help.
Installation view of “Jennifer Guidi: And so it is.,” 2023 at Orange County Museum of Art, photo by Yubo Dong, studio.
WW: There are currently four exhibitions on view at the museum. What’s not to miss? Any favorite works?
HZ: The Joan Brown show is incredible! Curated by Janet Bishop and organized by SFMoMA it is a brilliant look at a truly unique artist. I particularly love the gallery organized around her love of swimming and the paintings that chronicle an especially harrowing swim from Alcatraz. The Charles Long work 100 pounds of clay in the “Start, Start Again” show is a huge crowd-pleaser! It’s packed all day long with people making their own art, which then gets added back to the work and photographed for a special Instagram account!
“A Moment in Time” looks at Chris Burden and his history in Santa Ana, here in Orange County, and gives a preview of his masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities currently being installed in our upcoming “Color is the First Revelation of the World” show (opening March 15) and is visible from above from the Mezzanine gallery. My favorite place in the museum is what I call “the peninsula” as it is surrounded by glass on three sides and there is a monumental and magnificent site-specific work by Tony Lewis installed there now!
WW: You have a podcast named “About Art,” which you started in December 2019 and has grown to include over 135 episodes. How has this evolved? Why did it most recently feature LJ Rader?
HZ: While some of my guests are people I have known for decades—ultra-athlete and podcaster Rich Roll or artist Fred Tomaselli, for example—now I have the opportunity to speak with people I’ve never met like LJ Rader whose Instagram account @ArtButMakeItSports caught my eye during the lead up to the Super Bowl when my mom sent me a New York Times article! It is so fun to get to spend an hour every other week talking to smart, creative, passionate people! And I love learning new things.
Installation view of “13 Women,” 2022 at Orange County Museum of Art, photo by Yubo Dong, ofstudio.
The Costa Mesa Arts Community
WW: Can you tell us a bit about your involvement in the art commission for Costa Mesa? What do you do in this capacity?
HZ: I was appointed to the first-ever art commission for Costa Mesa last year and am honored to have been elected Vice Chair last month. We advise the city on policy setting around commissioning public art, approving murals and artwork on utility boxes, and in general advocating for the arts in Costa Mesa, which is The City of the Arts. I’m particularly excited about our new Poet in Residence program. I’m dedicated to making art accessible to everyone in as many ways as possible.
WW: Is there an exhibition, activation, or fair you’re most excited about attending while in LA for Frieze?
HZ: Doug Aitken is a long-time friend and collaborator and I’m looking forward to attending his open studio event. We are honoring him at our annual Art Sense gala on September 28! Frieze Art Fair does a great job and I’m also excited to spend hours wandering the aisles looking at art and connecting with friends, among my most favorite things to do.
WW: What are you looking forward to in 2024?
HZ: I have two new books coming out. Conversations with Artists, Volume IV. I’m thrilled this series is continuing! And Why Art Matters: The Bearable Lightness of Being, a super personal look at art and life and how they are connected. It’s a primer of sorts on how to think about living life as art.
Sanford Biggers sculpture on the terrace of the Orange County Museum of Art, photo by Jasmine Park.
