This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition California Kinship: Painting Homelife in the Golden State Before 1940 on view June 7 through August 30, 2025.
Step into the suburban backyards of early twentieth-century California by joining us for a special gallery talk on the plants and gardening styles depicted in plein air paintings on view in Langson IMCA’s summer exhibition California Kinship. Presented in partnership with Sherman Library & Gardens, this interdisciplinary and interactive program will be led by the exhibition’s curator, Langson IMCA’s Assistant Curator Michaëla Mohrmann, who will share her research into artistic and cultural trends, and the Sherman Library & Gardens Horticultural Director Kyle Cheesborough, who will discuss the plant care and botanical knowhow required to create the portrayed gardens. We invite you to join the conversation with your own insights on the art and science of gardening in California.
Gallery stools are available in the museum.
This program is free and open to all. Advance registration is available below.
Speakers:
About the Curator: Michaëla Mohrmann has been assistant curator at UC Irvine Langson Institute and Museum of California Art since 2022. She holds a BA in art history from Harvard University and a PhD in art history from Columbia University, where she studied modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on Latin American and Latinx art. Prior to joining Langson IMCA, she worked as Associate Curatorial Director at Pace Gallery and was the Andrew Mellon Museum Research Consortium Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
About the Horticulture Director at Sherman Library & Gardens: Kyle Cheesborough has built a career in horticulture at myriad institutions, including a zoo, botanical gardens, and even a cemetery! Beginning with his grandmother’s garden as a teenager, Kyle has always enjoyed being outdoors and active. In his current role as Horticulture Director at Sherman Library & Gardens, Kyle oversees the development and maintenance of the gardens and facilities. Kyle enjoys an active lifestyle of hiking, biking, exploring Orange County (especially its many breweries), and enjoying the beach.
About Langson IMCA
UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art (Langson IMCA) is home to two foundational gifts of California Art from The Irvine Museum and the Gerald E. Buck estate. In addition, the permanent collection of more than 4,700 works from the late 19th century and early 20th century through present day continues to grow, augmented by acquisitions and gifts. The university is planning to construct a permanent museum and research institute to serve as a global magnet for the presentation and study of California Art within its social, historical, environmental, and cultural frameworks. Langson IMCA is currently located in an interim museum space at 18881 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, in Irvine, CA. It is open to all Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. Admission and parking for up to two hours are free. Follow us on Instagram @langsonimca.
About Sherman Library & Gardens
Arnold D. Haskell, the founder of Sherman Library & Gardens, was a successful businessman with a passion for education and gardens. In 1966 he founded Sherman Library & Gardens, naming it after his mentor, Moses H. Sherman. Over the course of a decade, he acquired nearby lots, until he owned the entire block in 1967. In that same year, he donated the land to The Sherman Foundation, which he and Sherman’s daughters established in 1951. The Sherman Foundation opened the first part of the Gardens in 1966. Between 1966 and 1974 the magnificent facilities took shape as Haskell oversaw the construction of the entire block, including the conservatory, central garden, gift shop, café and library. Today Sherman Library & Gardens is a monument to Haskell’s dream of an educational and cultural center: a premier botanical garden and outstanding research library with collections related to the history of the Pacific Southwest.
Public Program Registration Form
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