Since the institution's opening in 1962 as the Balboa Pavilion gallery, the Museum Council’s mission has been to raise funds for, and promote interest in the organization. With diverse fundraisers each year, the Council provides financial support to benefit the museum’s art programs for Orange County school children. The Council also provides artistic enrichment and educational opportunities for i
ts members and guests through excursions to Southern California museums, galleries, and private collections. As the museum’s longest running support group, the Museum Council’s history began in 1961 with a group of 13 visionary women who realized that art was missing from the local cultural scene. They started a group called the Fine Arts Patrons and used the Balboa Pavilion to bring art to the city of Newport Beach. With a focus on modern and contemporary art, their efforts were well received and the museum enjoyed recognition from coast to coast. By 1968 the fledgling effort needed more space, moved to a new location, and became known as the Newport Harbor Art Museum. Interest and support continued to grow, as did its collections and exhibitions. Requiring more space, in 1977 the museum opened its doors in the current location on San Clemente Drive. In 1997 the museum was remodeled and renamed…the Orange County Museum of Art. Throughout the decades, the Museum Council has provided important support for exhibitions and education programs, continuing the mission and vision of the Fine Arts Patrons.
