Oakland Museum of California Announces Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain

An exhibition exploring Black American displacement, reclamation, and resilience in the East Bay

Exhibition on View July 18, 2025–March 1, 2026 

Press Preview July 17, 2025, 5-6 pm

Press kit available for download here

Oakland, CA — May 1, 2025 — The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain, a History exhibition exploring how Black American communities in the Bay Area have resisted dispossession by carving out spaces of care, safety, and home. These stories are told through artworks and historical objects from OMCA’s permanent collection and loans from local repositories, including the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, the Hayward Area Historical Society, and the Oakland Public Library. These are featured alongside new commissions by artist Adrian Burrell, architect June Grant with blinkLAB architecture, and the Archive of Urban Futures and Moms 4 Housing, each offering ideas for the future of Black spaces. 

Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain centers on two local East Bay communities, Russell City and West Oakland, to highlight the resilience and cultural contributions of Black residents in the face of systemic displacement. While rooted in stories of the Bay Area, Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain invokes experiences of displacement, resilience, and home in Black American communities across the United States.   

Visitors enter the exhibition through an immersive historical overview divided into three sections: Homeplace, Social Fabric, and Dispossession and Repair. Homeplace first traces the migration of Black Americans to California and their search for home. Through historic photographs, personal stories, and intimate keepsakes, this section celebrates the significance of home and belonging in shaping Black identity. In Social Fabric, visitors discover the power of community through images and first-hand accounts of local churches, Black-owned businesses, and the thriving cultural scenes of West Oakland and Russell City. Here, vibrant blues and jazz venues, social institutions, and informal networks become crucial threads in the fabric of Black joy and resistance. Dispossession and Repair then dives into the redevelopment projects that fractured these communities—Russell City was razed by Alameda County in the 1960s and is now an industrial park—while uplifting the healing and justice efforts taken by the Russell City Reparations Task Force, JOBART protests, Oak Center Neighborhood Association, and more. 

In the exhibition’s second half, commissions by local collaborators offer ideas for the future of Black spaces. Visitors first encounter a towering multimedia bottle tree sculpture by artist Adrian Burrell, a third-generation Oakland native. Nine monitors suspend from the tree, showing footage of Burrell learning the electric slide from his mother and archival footage of West Oakland block parties, among other scenes. Behind two of Burrell’s collages offer a powerful context: archival images of bulldozers demolishing West Oakland printed over the American flag. 

Next, local architect and urban designer June Grant, who leads Oakland-based blinkLAB, reflects on how Black space can be transformed, even as the boundaries erected by exclusionary policies continue. Here, visitors explore a redlining map of Oakland overlaid with images of bike paths, accessory dwelling units (ADU), and the Martin Luther King shoreline project, offering strategies for more accessible, equitable city planning. Alongside, an interactive wall asks visitors to propose a new future for Russell City in the year 3000. 

Rounding out the exhibition, the Archive of Urban Futures offers a deep dive into archival and community-led efforts to remember, reckon with, and reimagine Black existence in the East Bay. This section is anchored by a large-scale recreation of 2928 Magnolia Street, a home occupied by Oakland-based grassroots organization Moms 4 Housing, which gave new life to a long-neglected property in West Oakland by transforming it into a refuge for Black mothers experiencing housing insecurity. Inside, Moms 4 Housing members present objects, ephemera, and videos that affirm their ongoing work to fight for housing rights in Oakland and beyond. 

“We are honored to bring Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain to OMCA as a meditation on the ways that Black communities continue to carve out spaces of belonging and activism, despite enduring systemic oppression,” said Dania Talley, OMCA’s Associate Curator of History. “Through historic objects in our collection and the work of our collaborators, we are highlighting how these communities not only resist but reimagine their futures.”

“We are grateful to the community members, artists, and scholars who have contributed their stories, materials, and perspectives to this exhibition,” said Lori Fogarty, OMCA’s Executive Director and CEO. “Their voices and experiences will resonate throughout the exhibition and offer visitors a chance to reflect on the ongoing process of reclaiming and reimagining spaces of home.”

Support for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain is generously provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

ABOUT ARCHIVE OF URBAN FUTURES 
The Archive of Urban Futures is a collaborative project led by Dr. Brandi T. Summers and a team of UC Berkeley-affiliated researchers with  Moms 4 Housing. This project investigates the meaning of place and seeks to cultivate ways for Black Oakland residents to reposition themselves within the urban landscape and historical narrative.

ABOUT ADRIAN BURRELL
Adrian Burrell is a third-generation Oakland artist. His practice includes photography, film, installation, and experimental media. Burrell’s work often draws on his family history to explore themes related to Black life, history, resistance, and liberation in the US.

ABOUT JUNE GRANT 
June Grant is the founder and lead principal of blinkLab, a research-based architecture and urban design practice that helps communities and cities design for a regenerative future. In 2019, Grant was included in the YCBA 100 list of people using their creative and collective power to make change. 

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
Founded in 1969 as a “museum of the people,” the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the diverse stories of California’s art, history, and natural environment. Through inclusive exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, OMCA creates space for meaningful dialogue and strives to build more equitable, empathetic, and connected communities. With more than 2 million objects, OMCA’s collection of art, history, and natural science is a resource for understanding California’s dynamic heritage—all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. A leading Bay Area cultural institution, OMCA is dedicated to fostering an environment where visitors from the region, state, and beyond feel valued and empowered to shape the future of California’s cultural landscape.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $19 general admission; $16 for seniors; and $12 for youth ages 12 to 17 as well as for students and educators with valid ID, and free for Members and children 12 and under. There is a $6 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions in the Great Hall. 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. An accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org

Also On View at OMCA 

Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
November 8, 2024–June 22, 2025 I Great Hall
Experience the diverse voices of California’s Indigenous peoples as they shape the present and future through the lens of celebrated Native photographer Dugan Aguilar. Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California offers guests a first look at a significant collection that highlights Indigenous endurance and explores the vivid tapestry of contemporary Native California life. Aguilar’s work, spanning from 1982 till his death in 2018, defies colonial narratives and captures instead an unwavering Indigenous presence and dynamic cultural practices. His powerful images document a rich array of Indigenous people and experiences, from the breathtaking California landscapes to gatherings, ceremonies, Native war veterans, and the artistry of basket weaving. 

This collection honors and showcases moments of profound cultural significance and weaves together the stories of resilience and unyielding vitality that define contemporary Native life. More than simple documents, his photographs radiate a sense of quiet but determined celebration and resistance. Drawing from Aguilar’s extensive photographic archive, gifted to OMCA by his family in 2021, the exhibition brings these images to life through video, audio, and narratives from Indigenous artists, activists, elders, and community members.

Ancestral Visions: An Installation by Chelsea Ryoko Wong, OMCA Artist-In-Residence
February 7, 2025–February 1, 2026 I Gallery of California Art
Fashion, family histories, and personal identity intersect in a new installation at OMCA by Bay Area artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong. Wong’s energetic and colorful paintings, drawn from both real-life events and her imagination, depict busy, rhythmic scenes of people going about their daily lives. For this project, Wong’s paintings take inspiration from dresses owned by seven 20th-century Chinese American women, whose clothing and legacies live on in OMCA’s collection. Ancestral Visions features paintings along with a selection of the fashions that inspired them. 

Visitors to the installation are invited into the world of the dresses and the women who wore them to ponder history, the value of what we wear to future generations, and the role of clothing as an expression of identity. Dresses that belonged to Rose Setzo, Sophia Chang Wong, Grace Dea, Lei Kim Lim, Chop Chin Chum, and Sun Fung Lee Wong caught Wong’s eye and are re-envisioned in the abstract narratives of her vibrant work. This installation is made possible by the Harker Fund Artist Residency Program.

Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic
April 4—December 7, 2025 I An Installation Near the Gallery of California Natural Sciences
Fairyland’s rich history is highlighted this spring at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) in an installation titled Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic. The collaborative installation includes a timeline of Fairyland’s journey,  a “then and now” look at its beloved park attractions, and a glimpse into the park’s bright future. Visitors will discover miniatures created by local artists, photos of Magic Keys through the decades, and even one of Fairyland’s original Jolly Trolly cars for kids and families to climb aboard. This feature celebrates Fairyland’s lasting legacy and role in shaping Oakland’s cultural landscape.

Students on Strike
April 9, 2025—May 31, 2026 I Gallery of California History
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA)  presents, Students on Strike, a new installation opening in the Gallery of California History. The installation explores the enduring legacy of student activism at San Francisco State University, as it compares the 1968-1969 student strike that established the nation’s first Black Studies Department and first College of Ethnic Studies, to the recent campus  protests against the war in Gaza. Through historical and contemporary posters and photographs, the intimate exhibit shows how students have consistently demanded justice and accountability from institutions, then and now. Visitors are presented with an opportunity to integrate local historical context with the groundbreaking events happening in today’s news and contemplate the parallels that exist. 

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace
Ongoing I Gallery of California Natural Sciences
Little learners can unleash their curiosity and imagination in the newly created OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace. Located inside the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, the playspace is focused on the unique needs of children ages 2 to 5, along with their families and caregivers. Play is critical to every child’s healthy development and the playroom offers something for everyone — from building materials and nature-themed puzzles to hands-on activities that spark creativity, wonder, and joy. Our youngest museum visitors can also discover the animals that make their homes in Oakland’s streams, hills, and backyards. The playspace gives families a fun, safe place to play, and to build community with other families.

Black Power
Ongoing I Gallery of California History
Uncover the history of the Black Power movements in California with a compelling addition to the Gallery of California History. In response to the widely popular 2016 exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50, Black Power illustrates the creative ways Black anti-racist activists in California supported their communities and challenged the U.S. government. Focusing on the example of the Black Panther Party, Black Power brings to light the tensions between a culturally and socially progressive California and examples of economic racism and oppression in the state. This moment in California history is represented through historic photographs, provocative objects, iconic posters, paintings and interactive prompts that encourage visitors to take action out in the world. Learn more about the Bay Area role in this national story, and the impacts this history continues to have today. 

Question Bridge: Black Males 
Ongoing I Gallery of California Art
Immerse yourself in intimate videos—woven together and arranged to simulate face-to-face conversations between participants—among a diverse group of over 160 Black men across the United States. Hear these men answer each other’s questions with exceptional honesty and vulnerability, and share stories, beliefs, and values in a personal portrayal of their lives. Encompassing themes of family, love, interracial relationships, community, education, and wisdom, Question Bridge: Black Males presents nuanced portraits of past, present, and future of Black men in American society. Listen, watch, learn, and start your own conversations with this profoundly moving installation. Question Bridge is an innovative and widely exhibited video installation from artists Chris Johnson and Hank Willis Thomas in collaboration with Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair. 

Dorothea Lange: Photography As Activism
Ongoing I Gallery of California Art
Experience the iconic life and work of Dorothea Lange, world-renowned documentary photographer, with an expanded installation in the Gallery of California Art dedicated to her works. Through the lens of her camera, Lange documented American life with riveting photographs that captured some of the most powerful moments of the 20th century. Drawn from Lange’s personal archive, which was gifted to OMCA over 50 years ago, and in response to the popular 2017 exhibition Dorothea Lange: The Politics of Seeing, a number of newly added photographs illustrate the power of photography as social activism. See how Lange’s work continues to resonate with millions and inspire new generations of artists and activists.

Dorothea Lange Digital Archive
Explore prints, field notes, negatives, contact sheets, and more with OMCA’s Dorothea Lange Digital Archive.