Orange County Museum of Art opening draws more than 10K visitors in first 24 hours
Leaders at the Orange County Museum of Art — which has officially debuted at its new home in Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts — have been experiencing their own personal “Field of Dreams” moment.
After more than a decade of planning, the 53,000-square-foot structure opened its doors to the public on Saturday evening in a 24-hour ceremony that opened with a drumline procession down Avenue of the Arts and, by the time it concluded on Sunday, had attracted more than 10,000 visitors.
Although Saturday marked the museum’s opening days, organizers, officials and philanthropists have been celebrating in a series of events that began Sept. 27 with a donor dinner and walked up to a Friday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew legislators and local dignitaries, including Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens.
OCMA chief executive Heidi Zuckerman reminded attendees that admission to the $93-million museum will be free of charge for its first 10 years, courtesy of a donation from Lugano Diamonds of Newport Beach.
That’s just one way officials aim to expand access to the arts to residents throughout Orange County and beyond.
“I am so excited to welcome everyone to the new Orange County Museum of Art. By that, I mean welcome everyone, not just today, but every day,” Zuckerman said at Saturday’s opening. “I am humbled by the public turn out to celebrate this weekend and the support of our donors and community in the lead up to the opening of our new home.”
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