OCMA’s Heidi Zuckerman Raises a Toast to Artist Doug Aitken—and $1.6 Million—at the Museum’s Fourth Annual ArtSense Gala

On the last Saturday of September, art lovers welcomed fall in classic, Southern California style. Among the autumnal florals and wealth of contemporary art, Orange County Museum of Art CEO and Director Heidi Zuckerman welcomed 250 guests to dine, dance, and celebrate her friend of 30 years, artist Doug Aitken.

Aitken, a California native, celebrated his ArtSense Gala Artist Honoree Award between the museum’s acquisition of his photo, fleeting field, 2005, and his upcoming project with the LA Philharmonic, Lightscape. “He has a beautiful way of capturing the fluid, ever-changing nature of contemporary life,” Zuckerman said of Aitken’s work. 

Zuckerman is an “oracle,” Aitken responded, as the pair celebrated the fourth ArtSense Gala, with support from CULTURED. The “Glamour in the Grove” themed event—co-chaired by Laurén Chalmers and David Emmes—raised $1.6 million to support the museum and its various programs. After reopening in 2022, OCMA has hosted a record-breaking number of visitors and expanded its various educational and public outreach programs. 

The success was fêted among orange trees and art. In quintessential California fashion, autumn inspired citrus, florals, and vibrant colors. Guests—including CBS Sunday Morning’s Tracy Smith and John D’Amelio, gallerist Jessica Silverman, and interior designers Molly Britt and Reesa Emadi—helped usher in another year of art and a new season.