Kathryn Kanjo to Lead UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

The experienced administrator has held appointments at other significant California museums.

Kathryn Kanjo. Photo courtesy of UC Irvine

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The recently created UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art has announced the appointment of Kathryn Kanjo as the museum director. Currently the David C. Copley Director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, she will assume her new role in February 2026, where she will also oversee the UC Irvine Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art. 

The appointment was the result of a national search. Kanjo will replace Rich Aste, who has been the interim director of UC Irvine’s Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art since May 2024.

“This is a watershed moment for the visual arts in Orange County and beyond. The UC Irvine Langson Museum unites three celebrated California art collections – Irvine, Buck, OCMA – into a singular museum supported by UC Irvine’s commitment to critical inquiry and excellence,” Kanjo said in this morning’s emailed announcement. (UC Irvine took possession of the Gerald E. Buck Collection, consisting of over 3,200 works across mediums and styles, in 2016.) “I am honored to lead this newly formed organization, working alongside the talented museum team, world-class faculty, and brilliant UC Irvine students to provide all visitors exceptional museum experiences while also creating distinctive learning opportunities for students.” 

In an agreement, announced on June 10 and finalized in late September, the University of California, Irvine assumed administration and operating costs for the troubled museum, which this year has weathered the announcement that CEO and director Heidi Zuckerman was leaving her post and the resignation of several board members. The remaining board was dissolved and a new board will be appointed next year, according to UCI spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.

One of the issues Kanjo will face on day one concerns the money raised for a museum planned for the university. UCI had previously budgeted approximately $100 million for a new building on its north campus. A naming gift from Jack and Shanaz Langson was intended to support the construction and operation of this facility. The amalgamation of the two museums eliminated the need for the structure, and the OCMA campus design has left room for future expansion.

“The only thing I’m aware of is there were conversations with donors that the plans had changed,” Uhlenkamp said. “A lot of that will be determined once (Kanjo) arrives.”

Kanjo was previously director of the University Art Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her more than three decades of experience, she also served as the executive director of Artpace San Antonio and held curatorial roles at the Portland Art Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Kanjo handled several controversies while leading the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. 

Kanjo received her M.A. in art history and museum studies at the University of Southern California and her B.A. in art history and English literature from the University of Redlands.