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Oakland Museum of California Announces Events & Programs for May & June, 2016

(OAKLAND, CA)—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes summer with a jam-packed lineup of programs and events throughout May and June. 

The newly-launched fourth season of Friday Nights @ OMCA continues, including extended Museum hours until 10 pm, expanded food truck offerings from Off the Grid, and half-price Museum admission for adults, with free admission for ages 18 and under. Events in correlation with the just-opened Altered State: Marijuana in California include Ask an Expert, a series of in-depth conversations with experts in cannabis law, health, economics, and politics.

Experience an unconventional evening of entertainment and social connection at Ziggurat on June 4, including a lavish after party with Oakland techno DJ Russell E.L. Butler and award-winning DJ J. Espinosa, late-night bites, and merriment. Celebrate Pride month with LGBT History Tours Sundays in June. Cruise through town with the 2016 season of Oakland on Two Wheels, touring sites of Oakland’s punk rock scene and the city’s diverse neighborhoods. OMCA always offers great deals on admission for families, where children 8 and under always visit for free. All visitors enjoy free admission on Free First Sundays on May 1 and June 5. For more information, visit museumca.org.

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

Free First Sunday
Sunday, May 1, 2016, 10 am–6 pm
Enjoy May Day with a free visit to OMCA! Visit the Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences. Check out the just-opened Altered State: Marijuana in California, the first-ever museum exhibition to explore the many ways that people consider cannabis, presented through the perspectives, knowledge, and opinions of a diverse range of community members and groups. The whole family will love Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Try your hand at panning for gold in OMCA’s Gardens. 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 Blue Oak café.  

Tour | Architecture of the Museum
Sunday, May 1, 2016, 1 pm
Sunday, June 5, 2016, 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. Free as a part of Free First Sunday. Meet in front of the Ticketing Desk on Level 2.

OMCA Family | Pan for Gold!
Sundays in May from 12–3 pm
May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29
A family favorite returns to OMCA this year: gold panning in the Museum gardens! Try your hand at panning for real gold and see if you’ll be the one shouting “Eureka!” Learn how to tell the difference between real gold and fool’s gold, and keep all you find. No reservations necessary. All ages welcome. Free as a part of Free First Sunday.

Friday Nights @ OMCA
Every Friday from 5–10 pm
May 6, 13, 20, and 27
June 3, 10, 17, and 24
Friday Nights @ OMCA is now open an extra hour later, expanding onto Oak Street with five more food trucks from Off the Grid to help quench your thirst for delicious local cuisine. 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. Get a taste of the hottest in Bay Area culture and food at Friday Nights @ OMCA! 

Ask an Expert | Dr. Robert Martin of the ACCL
Friday, May 13, 2016, 6–8 pm 
Got burning questions about marijuana? Come to this first installment of Ask an Expert with Dr. Robert Martin, the Executive Director of the Association of Commercial Cannabis Laboratories (ACCL) during “office hours” in Altered State: Marijuana in California, and get your policy inquiries answered. Throughout the series, meet experts with backgrounds ranging from cannabis law, health, economics, and politics. Deepen your understanding of cannabis as a plant and as a social phenomenon. Each month, a different knowledgeable individual will take questions from inquisitive visitors and hold a candid conversation on the facts. Included with Museum admission. During Friday Nights @ OMCA, from 5 to 9 pm, admission is half-price for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Admission for Members is always free.

Bike Tour | Oakland on Two Wheels
Sunday, May 15, 2016, 1 pm
Get the underground scoop on Oakland on OMCA’s first Bike Tour of 2016! On May 15, ride with Walk Oakland, Bike Oakland (WOBO) on a special tour focused on the punk rock scenes of the town. Get into the history of anti-establishment Oakland, from DIY to music, art to activism, all on two wheels. This tour launches the 2016 season, featuring monthly bike tours on select Sundays offered by OMCA Docents, as well as a new collaboration between OMCA and WOBO for the tours in May and August. Tickets for this special tour with WOBO are $10­. OMCA and WOBO Members ride for free. Meet in front of the Museum’s Oak Street entrance at 10 am. Bring your own bikes, helmets, repair kits, and water.

Pop-up Talk: Brock Winstead on Development, Displacement, and History Repeating
Friday, May 20, 2016, 7–7:30 pm
Join OMCA in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences for a talk by Brock Winstead, a freelance writer and podcast producer who lives in Oakland. A few years ago, he and his wife bought their first house. Like all houses, it came with a history, and as Winstead uncovered that history, he learned about much more than the life of a single house or lot. Winstead will share some of the story of development, displacement, and other forces that shaped his house, his neighborhood, and the entire city of Oakland. Included with Museum admission. During Friday Nights @ OMCA, from 5 to 10 pm, admission is half-price for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Admission for Members is always free.

Ziggurat | OMCA Family: B.Y.O.Z.
Saturday, May 21, 2016, 1–4 pm
Take your family’s creative play to the next level. Build a ziggurat in OMCA’s Gardens using hammers, electric screwdrivers , and other construction tools and materials. Families will rotate through different hands-on building zones where you’ll add your personal touch to a twelve-foot ziggurat. The Museum’s professional exhibition team will help you tackle this memorable design challenge. Tickets available at museumca.org. 

Ziggurat | It’s Material
Sunday, May 22, 2016, 10 am–5 pm
Explore the legacy and artistic practice of iconic artist Ruth Asawa at three exclusive destinations including OMCA’s collections facility and the artist’s family home. Granddaughter, educator, and artist Lilli Lanier will lead your tour with scholars and old friends joining along the way. Each stop will provide an intimate look at this artist’s novel methods, connection to community, and wide international influence. Tickets available at museumca.org. 

Ziggurat
Saturday, June 4, 2016, 6 pm Party (9 pm After Party)
Celebrate and support OMCA at a series of events that build up to a big party—Ziggurat. Join us for unique experiences that highlight Oakland’s vibrancy. Then gather at the Museum for one unconventional evening of entertainment and social connection, kicking off with a Garden Cocktail Reception, Gallery Lounge Dinner including dinner by-the-bite and open premium bar, mixes by DJ Russell E.L. Butler, and exclusive access to OMCA’s most buzzed about new exhibit Altered State: Marijuana in California. Get fancy at the Ziggurat After Party, featuring award-winning DJ J. Espinosa, the world premiere of a short film by YAKfilms, and an open bar with wine, beer, and speciality cocktails.

Free First Sunday
Sunday, June 5, 2016, 10 am–6 pm
Celebrate summer with a free visit to OMCA! Visit the Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences. Check out the popular new exhibition Altered State: Marijuana in California, the first-ever museum exhibition to explore the many ways that people consider cannabis, presented through the perspectives, knowledge, and opinions of a diverse range of community members and groups. The whole family will love Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Check out the LGBT History Tour for Pride month at noon, 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 Blue Oak café. 

Tour | LGBT History
Sundays in June at 12 pm
June 5, 12, 19, and 26
In honor of Pride month, celebrate with a Docent Tour of the Gallery of California History focused on LGBT history in California. Explore the legacy of early LGBT leaders in San Francisco such as José Sarria and contemporary Californian issues such as Proposition 8. LGBT History Tours are offered every Sunday at noon during the month of June. Free as a part of Free First Sunday. Meet in front of the History Gallery on Level 2.

Pop-up Talk: The Law on Fish
Friday, June 17, 2016, 7–7:30 pm 
Who takes care of OMCA’s aquatic life? OMCA’s resident Animal Care Technician Tom Law does. Join Law in the Gallery of California Art as he shares his love for fish and meditates on aquaponics. Included with Museum admission. No reservations necessary. All ages welcome. During Friday Nights @ OMCA, from 5 to 9 pm, admission is half-price for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Admission for Members is always free.

Bike Tour | Oakland on Two Wheels
Sunday, June 19, 2016, 10 am
Explore Oakland’s diverse and rich patchwork of neighborhoods by cycling through them with an experienced guide from OMCA. On select Sundays from May through October, OMCA Docents lead bike tours of this eclectic city. Destinations may include downtown Oakland, the port area, Lake Merritt, and Fruitvale—check back soon for more details on this tour! Free. Meet in front of the Museum’s Oak Street entrance at 10 am. Bring your own bikes, helmets, repair kits, and water.

ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHTS @ OMCA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Friday Nights @ OMCA, a regular evening series every Friday from 5 to 10 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. 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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