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Oakland Museum of California Announces Events & Programs For January & February, 2017

(OAKLAND, CA) December 12, 2016—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is ready to ring in the new year with an exciting lineup of programs and events in January and February. Reconvene with the OMCA community at the Season 5 launch of Friday Nights @ OMCA, kicking off on January 20. Every Friday from 5–9 pm, take advantage of half-price admission to view OMCA’s galleries and exhibitions.

Hear from Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale as he shares his stories and reflects on the political landscape with Oakland poet and artist Chinaka Hodge during Perspectives at OMCA | Two Generations of Black Struggle on January 21. Take advantage of the one-day White Elephant Preview Sale on January 29, a chance to claim first dibs on great merchandise in advance of the public sale. Bring the entire family to OMCA’s Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Rooster on February 12.  For more information, visit museumca.org.

CALENDAR EDITOR PLEASE LIST:
FAMILY EVENTS; COMMUNITY EVENTS; ART EVENTS; FOOD EVENTS

Tour | Architecture of the Museum
Sunday, January 8, 2017, 1 pm
Experience OMCA’s remarkable mid-century modernist landmark building with the guidance of the Museum’s expert members of the Council on Architecture. This tour shares with you just a few of the highlights of the incredible building, from views of Lake Merritt and downtown Oakland from atop a three-tiered roof garden to the serene Koi Pond, and a truly Californian indoor/outdoor design that still delights and attracts visitors today. Designed in 1969 by Kevin Roche, with landscaping by Dan Kiley, the Museum recently completed a major renovation and expansion project overseen by San Francisco-based firm Mark Cavagnero Associates, which honors Roche and Kiley’s original vision of a vibrant urban park and public space. Included with Museum admission. Meet in front of the Ticketing Desk on Level 2.

Friday Nights @ OMCA: Season 5 Launch!
Every Friday, 5–9 pm
January 20, 27
February 3, 10, 17, 24
Oakland’s popular weekly night market is back for a fifth season of fun and festivities! Join OMCA and Off the Grid on 10th Street every Friday starting January 20 for a taste of local music, food, art, and culture. Savor California beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages around the Koi Pond at the Blue Oak beer garden. Enjoy half-price admission, live music, hands-on activities for kids, a pop-up art market in the Redwood Burl area, and extended OMCA Store hours. Bring the whole family to OMCA for a sampling of the best in Bay area curbside cuisine.

Perspectives at OMCA | Two Generations of Black Struggle
Saturday, January 21, 2017, 2 pm
The day after the new US President is sworn in, Bobby Seale, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, will share his stories, his reflections, and his strategies of the politics of the revolution with Oakland poet, educator, playwright, and screenwriter Chinaka Hodge. Hear from these two speakers whose experience includes a range of cultural and political work as they share their perspectives on the past and present iterations of Black struggle in the US and Oakland. Seating is limited. Advance tickets required. Tickets are $18 for OMCA Members, $20 public. Gallery admission purchased separately.

White Elephant Preview Sale
Sunday, January 29, 2017, 10 am–4 pm
The biggest and best rummage sale in Northern California is returning for its 58th year. The Preview Sale, a one-day event, offers an early chance to take home great finds, including clothing, jewelry, books, tools, arts, sports equipment, furniture, household items, and more. Held in a 96,000-square foot warehouse at 333 Lancaster Street, near the Oakland Estuary, the Preview Sale offers first dibs on great merchandise before the public sale on March 4 and 5. Organized and presented by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, all sale proceeds benefit the Oakland Museum of California. Advance Preview Sale tickets are on sale at the OMCA Store, online, or through mail-in order form, available at WhiteElephantSale.org.   

First Sundays @ OMCA | February
Sunday, February 5, 2017, 10 am–6 pm
If a Superbowl watch party isn’t your thing, come enjoy a day at OMCA! Visit the Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences. Visit major special exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50 and the just-opened Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Don’t miss family-friendly exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Check out the Architecture Tour at 1 pm, and the California Art Tour at 2 pm. Pick up a treat for yourself or a loved one in the OMCA Store. Enjoy a lunch or snack in the Blue Oak café. Suggested donation: $5 per person. Your contribution helps us provide access to other visitors in the community.

Tour | Architecture of the Museum
Sunday, February 5, 2017, 1 pm
Experience OMCA’s remarkable mid-century modernist landmark building with the guidance of the Museum’s expert members of the Council on Architecture. Built in 1969 with a design by Kevin Roche, and landscaping by Dan Kiley, the Museum recently completed a major renovation and expansion project overseen by San Francisco-based firm Mark Cavagnero Associates, which honors Roche and Kiley’s original vision of a vibrant urban park and public space. This tour shares with you just a few of the highlights of the incredible building, from views of Lake Merritt and downtown Oakland from atop a three-tiered roof garden to the serene Koi Pond, and a truly Californian indoor/outdoor design that still delights and attracts visitors today. Free as a part of First Sundays @ OMCA. Meet in front of the Ticketing Desk on Level 2.

Member for a Day
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Take your OMCA Membership beyond our walls to enjoy exhibitions all around town—for free! Choose among your favorites from the following Bay Area institutions who have joined together to offer OMCA Members free admission. Present your OMCA Membership card at participating institutions for two free admissions per membership at each location; some restrictions apply.

Asian Art Museum
BAMPFA
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Museum of the African Diaspora
Oakland Museum of California
SFMOMA
University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
Walt Disney Family Museum
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Rooster
Sunday, February 12, 2017, 12–4:30 pm
Join OMCA for the 16th annual Lunar New Year celebration, a fortune-filled family-friendly event to welcome in the Year of the rooster and celebrate Valentine’s Day. Enjoy live performances and an array of Asian traditions in arts, crafts, food, demonstrations, and so much more. Explore connects between the diverse Asian cultures represented in California, including Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Japanese, and other Asian cultures. All activities included with Museum admission.

ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHTS @ OMCA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Friday Nights @ OMCA, a regular evening series every Friday from 5 to 9 pm, in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt @ OMCA—the first major food truck market in the East Bay. Friday Nights @ OMCA features extended Museum hours, in-gallery programming, a beer garden from Blue Oak café, live music, dancing, hands-on family activities, and more. Gallery admission is half-off for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Event parking in the Museum garage is $5. Presented in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt @ OMCA. Friday Nights @ OMCA is made possible in part by generous support from Bank of America, the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Koret Foundation. museumca.org/friday-nights-omca

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. Free admission for children provided by the Bernard Osher Foundation. The Lunar New Year Community Celebration is made possible in part by generous support from Macy’s and the Oakland Museum Women’s Board. museumca.org/family

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA’s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, 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.

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 9 pm Fridays. museumca.org

 

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