OC Museum Of Art CEO To Step Down After Launch Of New Campus

COSTA MESA, CA — After helping launch the new campus for the Orange County Museum of Art, the institution's CEO, Heidi Zuckerman, is stepping down at the end of the year, officials said Wednesday.

Zuckerman, who has been the art museum's chief executive since 2021, said she will walk away when her contract ends in December. Zuckerman said she wants to focus on her podcasting about art, officials said.

Zuckerman, the 13th director of the museum since it opened in 1962, oversaw the new 53,000-square-foot campus at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in 2022 that was designed by Murphosis Architects under the direction of Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne.

Museum officials say the new location drew 500,000 visitors in the two years since it opened, 12 times greater than the former annual attendance at its Newport Beach location, which was half the size. The new campus offers free admission for 10 years thanks to a gift from Lugano Diamonds.
"Serving as CEO and director of OCMA has been an extraordinary privilege, and I am deeply grateful to have played a role in shaping this institution and its connection to the community," Zuckerman said. "The vision for a world-class contemporary art museum for the 21st century in Orange County has become a reality, embraced by visitors, artists, and supporters alike. As I look forward to what comes next, my commitment to the arts, to making art accessible for all and this vibrant cultural landscape remains unwavering."

Zuckerman will help in the search for a new museum director.