Oakland Museum of California Announces 14th Annual Summer Reading Celebration with Oakland Public Library

(OAKLAND, CA) July 30, 2018—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents the 14^th Annual Summer Reading Celebration “Explore, Connect, & Grow” on Sunday, August 5 from 11 am to 3 pm. Held in partnership with the Oakland Public Library, families are invited to enjoy a full afternoon of fun filled activities, including a meet and greet and photo op with special guest Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Held in the Museum’s Gardens, kids will enjoy a range of events, including Hip-Hop dance performances and demonstrations by TURFinc in celebration of special exhibition RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom, closing August 12. TURFinc is an Oakland dance company that uses the powerful and unique dance style of TURF as a positive platform for dancers, youth, and community.

Families can also enjoy playing chess on a giant chess board, a bounce house, face painting, and more from Oakland Parks & Recreation, as well as story time with the Oakland Public Library and caricature drawing with Rad Sanza.

The schedule of events for the day includes:

11 am­–3 pm

• Make a Summer Reading button
• Make a plantable seed bomb inspired by special exhibition Take Root: Oakland Grows Food
• Enjoy face painting, games, and treats provided by the City of Oakland Office of Parks & Recreation
• Play a game with the California Historical Society titled Exquisite Mural, including a mural drawing party
• Pick up a free book

11 am­–2:30 pm:

• Caricature drawing with Rad Sanza

11:30 am & 1:45 pm:

• Meet & greet with Clifford the Big Red Dog

12–1:30 pm:

• TURFInc performances and dance battle

2–2:30 pm:

• Storytime with a Children’s Librarian from the Oakland Public Library

A donation of $5 per person is suggested for the Summer Reading Celebration. There is an additional $4 charge for special exhibition RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom. No advance online tickets are available for First Sundays. Your contribution helps us provide access to other visitors in the community.

The Summer Reading Celebration is presented in partnership with the Oakland Public Library, City of Oakland Parks and Recreation, and California Historical Society. Supporters of the 2018 Summer Reading Program include Friends of the Oakland Public Library, Fentons Creamery, Hellman Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, Union Pacific Foundation, and the William G. Gilmore Foundation.

CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE LIST:
WHAT:            OMCA’s 14^th annual Summer Reading Celebration  
WHEN:            Sunday, August 5, 11 am–3 pm
WHERE:         Oakland Museum of California at 1000 Oak Street in Oakland, CA
COST:            Suggested donation of $5 per person

ABOUT OMCA FAMILY
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to being a welcoming and lively place for multi-generational Bay Area families to visit, learn, and engage through OMCA Family, with art activities, storytelling, and hands-on, drop-in projects throughout the Museum. OMCA’s other family-friendly offerings include free Family Guides to the Galleries available at ticketing desks, free activity Books & Blankets available for check-out anytime the Museum is open, and three large annual festivals: Lunar New Year in February, the Summer Reading Celebration in August with the Oakland Public Library, and the Days of the Dead Celebration in October. OMCA Festivals are made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and the Koret Foundation. museumca.org/family 

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the many stories that comprise California, creating the space and context for greater connection, trust, and understanding between people. Through its inclusive exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, and cultural events, OMCA brings Californians together and inspires greater understanding about what our state’s art, history, and natural surroundings teach us about ourselves and each other. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA brings together its multi-disciplinary collections of art, history, and natural science with the first-person accounts and often untold narratives of California, all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage for visitors from the region, the state, and around the world.

VISITOR INFORMATION

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $15.95 general; $10.95 seniors and students with valid ID, $6.95 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members and children 8 and under. There is a $4 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. The accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org 

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