by Maria Mingalone
Executive Director, Oceanside Museum of Art
The City of Oceanside was going through redevelopment in the 1980s and 90s battling an image of notoriety. Some citizens remember Oceanside being described by the local media as a cultural desert. Hoping to make the downtown more attractive for residents and local business, city leadership challenged a group of citizens to create a cultural arts center as part of the area’s redevelopment. The idea was the brainchild of then three term mayor, Larry Bagley, who believed that the arts are an essential facet of civic life. Mayor Bagley proposed that “the residents desperately needed something for themselves.” Establishing the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) was a journey that started with Mayor Bagley gathering a handful of volunteers in the early 1990s. There have been many milestones to celebrate over the ensuing years. A myriad of programs and events took place before 1994 while the feasibility of a museum in Oceanside was being defined. The process of incorporating as a non-profit organization was completed in 1995. These, among many other accomplishments, were hard won and ably accomplished through volunteer effort by community and art lovers alike. What started as the dream of a handful of citizens, became the reality of an entire community. This coming year will be a landmark moment for OMA— twenty five years prior on October 6, 1997, OMA opened its first official exhibition in the newly renovated, historic Irving J. Gill building on Pier View Way. This touchstone year is a moment the community can galvanize around as OMA embarks on an exciting future. That dream includes not only the museum, it embraces the entire arts community that was inspired by and continues to grow since those early years. The museum shares the distinction of being in the state designated Oceanside California Cultural District (OCCD) along with a host of cultural partners. Together we make up a vibrant arts community worth celebrating. With numerous assets including museums, theaters, galleries, and practicing artists, the district is an honor to the hard work these groups have put in over these several decades. For more information on the Cultural District, go to: Oceansideculturaldistrict.org As we look toward the future, the creative dreams of our community continue to open us to new possibilities beyond the downtown as we celebrate the transformative power of art.
To acknowledge this historic milestone, OMA friends and supporters will be hosting a 25th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, February 26, 2022. The Gala will kick off a year of festivities, both small and large, as we bring people together to celebrate the transformative power of art. For more information on how to be involved reach out to development@oma-online.org
