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Oakland Museum of California Announces Details of Inaugural OMCA UP Internship Program

(Oakland, CA) May 22, 2018The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is the recent recipient of a significant grant from the Walton Family Foundation and Ford Foundation, part of a $6 million commitment to support innovative strategies and programs across the sector through the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative. OMCA has received support for a three-year summer internship, cohort-learning and leadership development program for undergraduate and graduate students, called OMCA UP.

 

OMCA is one of 20 museums across the country receiving funds from the grant. The program, which is funded in part by the grant and in part by the Museum, reflects OMCA’s commitment to diversifying the pipeline of museum workers. OMCA UP will expose students to work in cultural arts as a career path opportunity for emerging museum and cultural arts professionals. The program will help to build leadership at all levels of the Museum, providing a new framework for the larger museum industry to consider new hiring models.

 

“OMCA is committed to providing opportunities for students and scholars of diverse backgrounds to enter the museum field,” said OMCA Director and CEO Lori Fogarty. “To best reflect and engage the community that we serve, it is extremely important to ensure that we provide opportunities to leaders and students of all backgrounds. OMCA considers and embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and access at all levels of the organization. We are honored to have support from local and national foundations for our work to create truly inclusive cultural spaces.”

 

Beginning in June, OMCA will welcome 11 students from colleges and universities across the country, including California State University East Bay, Laney College, Mills College, John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco State University, Tufts University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, University of San Francisco, and Wesleyan University. The 11-week paid internship program includes part-time flexible hours, a free annual OMCA Membership, curated learning curriculum, reciprocal access to many Bay Area museums, and more. Over the summer, OMCA and SFMOMA will coordinate two networking and training opportunities for their intern cohorts at both institutions.

 

With the OMCA UP program, interns will support a range of Museum departments, including work in the Director’s office, human resources, design, media production and installation, exhibition preparation and production, registration of collections, evaluation, experience development, public programs, and education initiatives. Over 500 applications were received for positions in the program, highlighting a need for greater paid learning opportunities for students.

 

“My internship experience at OMCA has broadened my view about museums, communities, and collections, and how they all intersect to tell the stories of California in a modern museum landscape,” said registration intern Maryann Villavert, who has interned for OMCA since February.

 

“I’m excited to work for OMCA because I want to further my understanding of its role and impact in the community. As an intern, I hope to learn about how a museum functions and what sets OMCA apart from other institutions,” said Naudika Williams, who will support the Director’s office.

 

The OMCA UP Internship Class of 2018 includes:

 

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
Museum admission is $15.95 general; $10.95 seniors and students with valid ID, $6.95 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for children 8 and under and Members. There is a $4 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking, with validation for Museum visitors, 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 new 1000 Oak Street main entrance. Regular hours are 11 am to 5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 10 pm Fridays. museumca.org


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