Left: Explore the Buck Collection in this beautifully produced 256-page coffee table book, featuring 144 full-color plates, three insightful essays by the curators of the 2018 exhibition, and an in-depth interview. Right: Elanor Colburn, Mother and Child, 1937, Watercolor on paper, 38 ¾ × 28 in. The Buck Collection at UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art

Left: Explore the Buck Collection with Frist Glimpse. Right: Elanor Colburn, Mother and Child, 1937, Watercolor on paper, 38 ¾ × 28 in. The Buck Collection at UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art

Experience California Kinship—and take the Buck Collection with you

Gold Life and Life members of the UCI Alumni Association receive a complimentary copy of First Glimpse when they visit the museum in July to experience California Kinship: Painting Homelife in the Golden State Before 1940, on view from June 7 through August 30.

First Glimpse is a beautifully produced, 256-page coffee table book showcasing the Buck Collection. It features 144 full-color plates, three insightful essays by the curators of the 2018 exhibition, and an in-depth interview—offering a rich introduction to this remarkable collection.

The Catalogue

Discover the Hidden Gem of California Art: First Glimpse: Introducing the Buck Collection

What happens when one man quietly amasses one of the most extraordinary, eclectic, and expansive collections of California art—and no one gets to see it?

First Glimpse is your invitation into the once-private world of Gerald E. Buck, a visionary collector whose passion for California art spanned decades and over 3,000 works. From early California Impressionism to bold modern and contemporary expressions—many by women and underrepresented artists—this beautifully produced book offers a captivating introduction to a collection long hailed as “the best California art no one has seen.”

With 150 striking full-color reproductions, this volume is both a scholarly resource and a stunning coffee table book—perfect for art lovers, collectors, and UCI alumni proud of the university’s growing cultural legacy. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in California art history, led by UC Irvine and the Langson Institute and Museum of California Art.

Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to California’s artistic richness, First Glimpse is more than a catalog—it’s a compelling keepsake and a celebration of UCI’s impact on the art world.

Our Current Exhibition

California Kinship: Painting Homelife in the Golden State Before 1940

California Kinship invites visitors into the private worlds of Californians in the early 20th century, presenting portraits and scenes of everyday life that depict intimacy, care, and harmony, qualities that defined homelife and kinship for many in the growing state.

Sweeping social changes shaped Californian homelife between 1900 and 1940. The state pioneered the country’s first publicly funded kindergartens and in 1911 granted women the right to vote, nine years before women could do so nationally. Through its innovative banking entrepreneurs, California was also the first state to offer modest loans to working-class people seeking to buy or build their first homes. These developments and others reconfigured communities and domestic life, especially in terms of gender roles. The works on view grapple with these changes, conveying the progressive or conservative perspectives of their artists, and of Californians more broadly.

Public Programs

Take a Break in Our Reading Library

Looking for a quiet moment during your visit? Step into our cozy reading library, filled with inspiring art books. Whether you’re here to relax, explore new ideas, or simply unwind, our library is a welcoming space to pause and enjoy the world of art at your own pace.

Free Art-Making for All Ages

Everyone is warmly invited to drop in during open gallery hours and enjoy hands-on art-making activities in our studio—completely free and open to all. Each exhibition inspires a new creative project, offering fresh ways to connect with the artworks on view. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity!

Public Programs

Saturday, June 7 | 11 a.m.

Free Gallery Talk with Exhibition Curator, Michaëla Mohrmann, Ph.D.
Join curator Michaëla Mohrmann, Ph.D., on opening day for a dynamic exhibition walkthrough, followed by an informal, interactive conversation in the gallery.

Saturday, July 26 | 11:00 a.m.

Rooted in Art: Planting and Painting in the California Garden
Enjoy a free gallery talk with the exhibition’s curator and the Horticulture Director of Sherman Library & Gardens as they explore the gardens depicted in the artworks on view.

Saturday, August 23 | 10:00 a.m.

Save the date for a free Family Art Workshop!
Follow us on Instagram or join our email list to be the first to receive details as they become available.

About Langson IMCA

Langson IMCA celebrates the power of artists to explore and express the California experience. We collect, conserve, and foster scholarship on modern and contemporary art rooted in California’s rich cultural, societal, and natural environs. As the only UC museum dedicated solely to California art, we present exhibitions, programs, and partnerships that connect campus, community, and culture.

Visit Us

Admission is free and open to all, with two-hour parking validation available.

Stay Connected

Interim Museum Location

18881 Von Karman Avenue Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92612

Hours

Tuesday – Saturday | 10 am – 4 pm
PH: 949-824-1449