Skip to content

Oakland Museum of California Announces Events & Programs for Queer California: Untold Stories

(Oakland, CA) April 10, 2019—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents a major exhibition combining art and history to tell the untold and under-recognized stories of California’s LGBTQ+ communities. Going beyond mainstream narratives, Queer California: Untold Stories will deepen and expand our understanding of this history through a multifaceted and interactive experience, providing the opportunity for museum visitors and members of the LGBTQ+ community to add their voices and stories to the conversation. 

 

Created to accompany the exhibition, an array of public programs will be offered throughout the spring and summer, including programming during the popular late-night event Friday Nights at OMCA which kicks off its expanded Summer Season schedule on Friday, April 12. Details are available on the OMCA website at museumca.org.

 

SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND EVENTS

 

Drag Family Storytime

Friday, May 3

Friday, June 7

6–7 pm

Hip-Hop drag troupe Momma’s Boyz Entertainment and Drag King Vera of Rebel Kings, the longest-running drag king show in the East Bay, will be reading a few charming children’s books during this special edition of Family Storytime. Program participants will enjoy treats, face-painting, and a rainbow flag art activity, wrapping up with a mini parade.

 

Through the Lens: Tongues Untied

Saturday, May 4

2–3:30 pm

In Tongues Untied (1989), filmmaker Marlon Riggs gives a voice to communities of gay black men, presenting their cultures and perspectives on the world as they confront racism, homophobia, and marginalization. Join guest curator of Queer California: Untold Stories, Christina Linden, and local artist Blackberri who is featured in the film for a special screening of Tongues Untied, followed by a short Q&A.

Members receive free admission. Program ticket included with gallery admission. RSVP required.

CAAMFest 2019 at OMCA

 

OUT/HERE: Bay Area Asian American LGBTQ Filmmakers Panel

Friday, May 17

5:30 pm

Join OMCA and the Center for Asian American Media Festival (CAAMFest) for a special panel with some of the Bay Area’s most exciting Asian American LGBTQ filmmakers. This intimate and thought-provoking discussion will explore topics of identity, experiences, and the art of storytelling. This event is free and open to the public.

 

Leitis in Waiting

Friday, May 17

7 pm

Join OMCA and the Center for Asian American Media Festival (CAAMFest) for the Oakland premiere of the award-winning documentary, Leitis in Waiting. This film tells the story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga Leitis, an intrepid group of transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their South Pacific Kingdom. Filmmakers expected to be in attendance. Tickets available soon.

 

Panel Discussions

 

In Conversation: Queer Cinema

Friday, June 14

7–8:30 pm

Join us for a powerful conversation about the history of queer movie-making and the absence of queer stories from mainstream cinema. Film historian Greg Youmans and S. Topiary Landberg from OMCA’s curatorial team will discuss film selections chosen for OMCA’s special exhibition Queer California: Untold Stories and the importance of uncovering these forgotten stories. Learn how these films help amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ communities and the importance of screening them in our special exhibition.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for Members. Ticket does not include gallery admission. Tickets available soon.

In Conversation: Black Trans Women on Resilience and Strength

Saturday, June 15

2–3:30 pm

Join us for a panel featuring two generations of black trans women discussing transgender rights, policies that affect the trans community, and what it might mean to imagine a safe and equitable queer future. This panel will feature Sharyn Grayson, activist and Chief Operations/Financial Officer of the Griffin-Gracy Educational Retreat & Historical Center, Valerie Spencer, social services specialist and Capacity Building Consultant, and Ebony Ava, Program Associate at The California Endowment.

The discussion will be moderated by Aria Sa’id, Executive Director of Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in a thoughtful discussion with this family of activists and learn more about supporting LGBTQ+ communities.

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $16 for Members. Ticket does not include gallery admission. Tickets available soon.

 

Queer California Film Series

During Fridays Nights at OMCA

Beginning at 5 pm; Check weekly schedules for details

Join us for special late-night screenings of rare films exploring untold stories of California’s LGBTQ+ communities, in conjunction with special exhibition Queer California: Untold Stories. Check the schedule below for showtimes and film descriptions.

 

Included with Museum special exhibition admission. There is an additional $5 charge for special exhibition Queer California: Untold Stories.

 

Film screening schedule:

April

Friday, April 19: Homotopia, Rub, Armide 2000, Wildness, Luminous Procuress

Friday, April 26: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, In the Best Interests of Children, Luminous Procuress

 

May

Friday, May 3: In the Best Interests of Children, Luminous Procuress

Friday, May 10: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, Homotopia, Armide 2000, Rub, Luminous Procuress

Friday, May 17: Homotopia, Rub, Armide 2000, Wildness, Luminous Procuress

Friday, May 24: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, In the Best Interests of Children, Luminous Procuress

Friday, May 31: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, Homotopia, Armide 2000, Rub, Luminous Procuress

 

June

Friday, June 7: In the Best Interests of Children, Luminous Procuress

Friday, June 14: Luminous Procuress

Friday, June 21: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, Rub, Armide 2000, Homotopia, Rub, Tongues Untied, Luminous Procuress

Friday, June 28: Rare footage from Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, In the Best Interests of Children, Luminous Procuress

 

Exhibition Tours

Sundays at 12 pm

May 5, 12, 19, 26

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Come explore California’s diverse LGBTQ+ history and culture with an OMCA Docent. Hear about connections between important milestones and lesser-known stories, and powerful examples of social activism. Discover stories, contemporary artwork, and historical materials that contribute to California’s shared history. Included with Museum special exhibition admission.

Queer California: Untold Stories will be on view in OMCA’s Great Hall April 13 through August 11, 2019. Historian and activist Susan Stryker and film historian Greg Youmans are consultants on the exhibition.

 

Queer California: Untold Stories is supported in part by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

 

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. The Museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019 as 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.


ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHTS AT OMCA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Friday Nights at OMCA, a weekly evening series every Friday from 5 to 10 pm, in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt at OMCA—the first major food truck market in the East Bay. Friday Nights at OMCA features extended Museum hours, in-gallery programming, a beer garden from Blue Oak café, live music, dancing, hands-on family activities, and more. Outdoor performances are free and accessible to all, including OMCA’s Go Local stage, featuring top Bay Area musicians and performers. Gallery admission is free for Members and ages 8 and under. Event parking in the Museum garage is $7. Friday Nights at OMCA is presented in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt at OMCAFriday Nights at 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/fridaynights

 

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $16 general; $11 seniors and students with valid ID, $7 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members and children 8 and under. There is a $5 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

 

***