OMCA Announces Public Programs and Events for October 2026

2026 Season Finale of Friday Nights, Final Weeks of Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory, Live Performance Centering Dorothea Lange, 32nd Annual Dia De Los Muertos Celebration, and More
OMCA PRESS KIT

September 15, 2026

(Oakland, CA) September 15, 2026 – The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces its October 2026 public programs, inviting visitors to experience a month of music, art, community, and cultural connection. Friday Nights at OMCA continues throughout October with weekly evenings featuring live performances, DJ sets, dance lessons, hands-on activities, artist conversations, and after-hours access to galleries. October culminates in OMCA’s 32nd Annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration on October 25, welcoming the community for a vibrant day of danza, ceremonia, live music, hands-on activities, food, a mercado, and community-created ofrendas honoring loved ones and ancestors. October also offers multiple opportunities to encounter the work of legendary Bay Area photographer Dorothea Lange, including a special weekend of programming featuring two performances of the stage play Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange, in-gallery pop-up monologues, a public symposium, and popular Spotlight Sundays. Visitors can also experience the final weeks of Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory and explore OMCA’s new Bloomberg Connects digital guide, bringing fresh audio and video stories to the Museum’s galleries and spaces. See the full calendar at www.museumca.org.

OMCA PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS FOR OCTOBER 2026

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid

Every Friday, April–October | 5–9 pm | OMCA Campus
Link to Friday Nights Images

As the days get shorter and fall settles in, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid—Oakland’s favorite weekly block party—is wrapping up its current season with a bang. The Museum welcomes visitors to enjoy the final fall evenings of music, community, food, and fun before Friday Nights takes a seasonal pause.

As the season winds down the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) will continue to welcome visitors during regular Museum hours, with plenty to explore—including OMCA’s latest special exhibition, BeHere/1942: A New Lens on Japanese Incarceration, and featured experiences like OMCA’s 32nd Annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration. Visit museumca.org for Museum hours, exhibitions, and program details.

Still looking for an unforgettable night out this winter? Thursdays are the new Fridays at OMCA! Beginning Thursday, January 8, 2027 until Thursday, March 26, 2027 ThursDates at OMCA brings back the after-hours Museum experience with another season of drinks, music, galleries, and grown-up fun.

Town Fare by Chef Michele McQueen is the perfect place to mingle while enjoying tasty cocktails, light bites, and a soundtrack of live music. The evening also allows visitors to explore the galleries after dark with pop-up performances, artist talks, live figure drawing, and more—all designed just for adults.

Please note that outside alcohol is not permitted, and event details and performances are subject to change. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the OMCA website.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Bank of America. Additional support provided by Donahue Fitzgerald LLP, OAKLAND ROOTS AND SOUL SC, LaSalle Mortgage, and Townsend Public Affairs.

Friday, October 2 l 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by Shanté, Music Set by DJ Shell Heart, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Mini House Making, Nexus Black Art Week Panel Discussion, and Gallery Chats

This Friday Night at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), Oakland singer-songwriter Shanté brings her soulful sound to the Garden Stage with a powerful live performance. Blending smooth R&B, heartfelt storytelling, and uplifting messages of resilience, faith, and self-discovery, the East Oakland artist delivers an intimate yet energetic set that invites audiences to sing along, reflect, and leave inspired.

Keeping the music going, DJ Shell Heart takes over the Amphitheater with a high-energy mix of Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and classic Bay Area rap and party anthems. With more than a decade behind the turntables, DJ Shell Heart brings a vibrant sound rooted in culture, connection, and community.

Families can also gather in the Garden for Drag Storytime with Per Sia, San Francisco’s Drag Laureate, featuring a reading of Hazel’s Best Day: A Story of Community, Accessibility, and Pride in Being Yourself. Guests of all ages are also invited to make their own mini home inspired by Mildred Howard’s house sculptures, using colorful materials to create a tiny home that tells their story.

Guests can also join artists Mildred Howard and Adrian Burrell for a special conversation presented in partnership with MoAD Nexus Black Art Week, moderated by OMCA’s Senior Director of Marketing, Communications, and Visitor Experience, Autumn King.

Alongside an exceptional event experience, Friday Nights at OMCA also features Gallery Chats from 5:30–7:30 pm. Putting a twist on the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in meaningful conversations, share personal reflections, and explore new perspectives on the artwork, artifacts, and stories throughout OMCA’s galleries. Enthusiastic volunteer facilitators can be found floating between all of OMCA’s galleries, including its Great Hall Special Exhibitions, throughout the evening. Look for the blue “Let’s Chat” shirts to join the conversation. Gallery Chats are included with Museum admission.

Friday, October 9 | 5-9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by CHIKA DI, Dance Lesson and Showcase with Hustle By the Lake, DJ set by BLOOM, and Gallery Chats

This Friday Night at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), Colombian-American singer-songwriter CHIKA DI brings her vibrant sound to the Garden Stage with a high-energy bilingual performance. Blending Afro-Latin rhythms, Cumbia pop, electronic influences, and heartfelt storytelling, her joyful set celebrates culture and connection while inviting audiences to dance, sing, and celebrate together.

Over in the Amphitheater, Hustle By The Lake brings Oakland’s vibrant social dance community to OMCA for an evening of movement, music, and connection. Start with a beginner-friendly Hustle lesson led by Marquee and Amanda, followed by a showcase and open dance set to disco, funk, and feel-good grooves. No partner or experience required—just come ready to move.

Keeping the energy going, Bay Area DJ and dancer BLOOM takes over the Amphitheater with a soulful music set designed to keep the dance floor moving. Rooted in music, movement, and community, BLOOM creates welcoming spaces where rhythm and shared energy bring people together.

Friday, October 16 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Performance by MacArthur Maze, Music Set by DJ Black Woman™, Live Figure Drawing with Sketchboard Co., and Gallery Chats

This Friday Night the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to be part of a series of programming celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Black Panther Party, bringing together music, film, storytelling, and community throughout the evening. East Bay Hip-Hop ensemble MacArthur Maze takes the Garden Stage. Featuring four emcees and special guests Loove Moore and DJ Kream, the group delivers a distinctly Bay Area sound rooted in real-life storytelling, love, and community.

The evening also features a special documentary screening of Memories in Motion: Selected Stories of Mildred Howard. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s director and Howard’s grandson, Lamar “MYL3Z” Brown, offering an intimate conversation about her work, legacy, and lasting impact.

Keeping the momentum going, Oakland native DJ BlackWoman™ takes over the Amphitheater with a high-energy, genre-bending set. Blending nostalgic Hip-Hop, R&B favorites, and unexpected gems, her open-format style brings a fresh Oakland energy designed to keep the crowd moving all evening long. Guests can also head to the Gallery of California Art for live figure drawing sessions with Sketchboard Co., included with gallery admission.

We welcome all skill levels, including those who have never drawn before and want to try drawing. Art supplies and clipboards will be available for use, and your artwork will be yours to take home or exchange with others. A costumed model representing the diversity of the Bay Area will be posing in the Gallery of California Art for times ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Since drawing will take place in the galleries, please be mindful of space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite, charcoal, or conté pencils.

With music, film, art, and conversation happening throughout the Museum, this Friday Night at OMCA is an opportunity to come together, celebrate Oakland’s creative spirit, and reflect on the enduring legacy of the Black Panther Party.

Friday, October 23 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by DATANAGAN, DJ Set by MAMA SAN, K-Pop Dance Lesson with Ronnie, Community Tabling: YOUth Decide, and Gallery Chats

Friday Nights at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings a fresh, genre-fluid sound to the Garden Stage as Bay Area singer-songwriter Victoria Datanagan leads DATANAGAN in an electric live performance of all-original music. Blending raw, melodic storytelling with a massive, danceable sound, the Filipina artist creates a communal and deeply alive experience that invites audiences to connect, move, and let loose.

Keeping the energy going, MAMA SAN takes over the Amphitheater with a genre-bending DJ set that seamlessly blends pop, R&B, house, queer anthems, and unexpected favorites. The Taiwanese-American DJ and event producer brings an unapologetically queer spirit and infectious energy to the dance floor, creating a soundtrack designed to unite the crowd all evening long.

Guests of all levels are also invited to learn K-pop choreography with Bay Area dancer Ronnie in a fun, beginner-friendly dance lesson. Also this Friday night, YOUth Decide will also be available in the OMCA Garden with voter registration and resources to help attendees get informed and engaged in the voting process.

Friday, October 30 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by LA GENTE SF, DJ Set by mare.e.fresh, and Gallery Chats

Friday Nights at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings an infectious global sound to the Garden Stage as San Francisco’s LA GENTE SF delivers a high-energy live performance blending Cumbia, Salsa, and Reggaeton. Led by singer-songwriter Rafa Sarria Bustamante, the group fuses rhythms and cultural influences from across Latin America and the Caribbean with a distinct San Francisco flavor, creating a joyful dance party that brings audiences together.

Keeping the party going, Bay Area DJ and producer mare.e.fresh takes over the Amphitheater with a feel-good mix of funk, Latin, Disco, and Y2K throwbacks. Blending familiar favorites with fun surprises and plenty of dancefloor energy, her set creates an upbeat soundtrack for celebrating, connecting, and enjoying the evening at the Museum.

Special Guest Gallery Chat: Mildred Howard and Adrian Burrell

Friday, October 2, 2026 | Free | James Moore Theater

In celebration of MoAD Nexus Black Art Week, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites you to a Special Guest Gallery Chat with artists Mildred Howard and artist Adrian Burrell (featured in former OMCA Special Exhibition Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain). Moderated by OMCA’s Senior Director of Marketing, Advancement, Engagement, Autumn King, this engaging conversation brings together the two artists to share their creative practices and perspectives. Presented in partnership with MoAD Nexus Black Art Week, the conversation offers an opportunity to connect with the artists and explore their work in conversation with the Museum community.

Complementing the evening, Friday Nights at OMCA offers music and hands-on activities for guests of all ages. On the Garden Stage, Oakland singer-songwriter Shanté brings her soulful sound to the Museum with a powerful live performance blending smooth R&B, heartfelt storytelling, and uplifting messages. Over in the Amphitheater, DJ Shell Heart keeps the music going with a high-energy mix of Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and classic Bay Area rap and party anthems.

Families can also gather in the Garden for Drag Storytime with Per Sia, San Francisco’s Drag Laureate, featuring a reading of Hazel’s Best Day: A Story of Community, Accessibility, and Pride in Being Yourself. Guests of all ages are invited to make their own mini home inspired by Mildred Howard’s house sculptures, using colorful materials to create a tiny home that tells their story.

The Museum welcomes visitors to an evening of conversation, music, creativity, and connection—rooted in Black art, community, and collective imagination.

OMCA Launches Bloomberg Connects—A Free Digital Guide

This October, visitors can discover more of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) with new audio and video stories that bring the Museum’s collections and spaces to life. With Bloomberg Connects, visitors can explore at their own pace and hear fresh perspectives and behind-the-scenes stories from OMCA staff, community members, artists, historians, naturalists, and others—offering opportunities to discover stories and perspectives they might otherwise miss. Available throughout our Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences, the OMCA Garden, and Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory special exhibition, the guide helps visitors find their way around the Museum while providing deeper ways to connect with California’s art, history, and natural environment.

OMCA’s Bloomberg Connects guide is part of a free digital guide platform that helps more than 1,500 cultural organizations around the world connect with visitors through audio, video, and interactive experiences. Visitors can access OMCA’s guide onsite through QR codes or the free Bloomberg Connects app, and explore its content from anywhere in the world.

Special Guest Gallery Chat: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange

Saturday, October 17 | 1–3 pm | Gallery of California Art and History

This Saturday the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to welcome guests to a Special Guest Gallery Chat featuring the cast of Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange for an intimate series of in-gallery pop-up monologues. Alongside Lange’s in-gallery work, actors from the live production of Last West will perform excerpts from the one-hour stageplay, bringing life and energy to Lange’s art.

This offering happens in-step with a weekend of Dorothea Lange-centered programming, kicking off with a free public symposium featuring Last West creator Tess Taylor and Ken Light, UC Berkeley Professor of Photojournalism on Friday, October 16, and culminating with Spotlight Sundays: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange on Sunday, October 18.

All of this programming offers opportunities to look more closely at Lange’s photographs and the stories they hold, including through OMCA Special Exhibition: BeHere / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration, an augmented reality (AR) experience that brings new context to Lange’s iconic 1942 photographs. The Museum welcomes visitors to this special in-gallery experience and a unique opportunity to encounter Lange’s work through performance, photography, and history.

Spotlight Sundays: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange

Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Two Performances at 1 pm and at 3 pm | $10 All-Inclusive Ticket | James Moore Theater

This month the Oakland Museum of California’s (OMCA) Spotlight Sunday welcomes guests to a live production of Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange, an engaging one-hour play written by Tess Taylor and directed by Ciera Eis. Last West was born from OMCA’s archive of Lange’s images and notebooks and returns to bring this legendary Bay Area photographer’s stories to life. We will travel with Lange as actors perform the journey outlined in her road journals and oral histories, and witness again the California we experience today. Set against a stunning projected backdrop of Lange’s photographs, this offering is a meditation on witness, migration, and time.

This production is a culmination of a weekend of programming centering and celebrating Dorothea Lange’s life and work. Kick off the weekend on Friday, October 16, 5:30–7:30pm with a free public symposium at UC Berkeley’s Northgate Hall, featuring Last West creator Tess Taylor and Ken Light, UC Berkeley Professor of Photojournalism. Saturday, October 17, 1-3pm join Last West actors from the production in an intimate day of teasers with pop up monologues in OMCA’s Galleries of Art and History right alongside Lange’s displays. Free with gallery admission.

Explore more of Lange’s work in OMCA’s latest special exhibition, BeHere / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration, an augmented reality (AR) experience that brings new context to Lange’s iconic 1942 photographs. We invite you to join us for this special weekend of programming and experience Lange’s work through new perspectives, stories, and voices.

Closing of Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory

Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Great Hall

This October the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) marks the final weeks for guests to experience Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory before it closes on October 18, 2026. The exhibition’s closing weeks coincide with programming that celebrates Howard’s work and legacy as part of a broader moment of Black art and cultural history across the Bay Area.

Poetics of Memory is the first major museum exhibition dedicated to the beloved Bay Area artist, spanning five decades of collages, sculptures, installations, and newly unveiled works. Rooted in the East Bay, this OMCA special exhibition explores memory, identity, and the personal and collective histories that give shape to our communities and connect us across generations.

This month, guests can connect with Howard’s work and legacy through programming including a special conversation with Howard and artist Adrian Burrell as part of MoAD Nexus Black Art Week, and a documentary screening and panel discussion of Memories in Motions: Selected Stories of Mildred Howard during Friday Nights at OMCA in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party.

Special Guest Gallery Chat with Traditional Medicine Practitioner, Batul True Heart

Sunday, October 25 | 1–1:45 pm | Gallery of California Natural Science

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes visitors to sit with Batul True Heart (they/them) in OMCA’s Gallery of Natural Science as they share their personal experience of practicing traditional medicine in times of mourning. In this 30-minute talk, Batul will speak about what has brought them to the path of earth-based ancestral medicine, and what has been most supportive for them during times of deep emotional pain. Guests will learn about feelings from an Indigenous perspective and gain practical ways to connect with emotions, the earth and all the elements. Honoring the traditions and practices of Día de los Muertos, Batul will also introduce their favorite flower, cempoalxóchitl, and how to work with it when grieving.

The 32nd Annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration

Sunday, October 25 | 11 am–4 pm | OMCA Campus
ASL Interpretation for OMCA Garden and Amphitheater stage will be provided.
Ticket Link – $10 for all-inclusive festival and gallery access
Member Ticket Link – Free, all-inclusive festival and gallery access

This fall, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes the community back for its 32nd annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration, a vibrant day honoring the people, traditions, and stories that connect us across generations. Join the Día de los Muertos Committee for a procession that opens the celebration with music, movement, and a collective act of remembrance.

Throughout the day, the Museum comes alive with danza, ceremonia, live music, hands-on activities, and food. Across the campus, discover ofrendas created by community members, each offering a personal reflection on the lives and legacies of loved ones and ancestors.

Browse the mercado for handmade goods, altar items, and Día de los Muertos–inspired art from local makers. Bring a picnic, gather with family and friends, and make a day of it in OMCA’s gardens.

The 32nd Annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration is made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

Gallery Chats at OMCA

Fridays, 5:30–7:30 pm | All Galleries

Gallery Chats puts a twist on the traditional museum tour by encouraging meaningful conversations and fresh interpretations of the artwork, artifacts, and stories in OMCA’s galleries. This informal drop-in experience is an opportunity for visitors to share their personal reflections with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer facilitators.

Visitors can find Gallery Chatters—wearing their blue “Let’s Chat” shirts—and floating between all of OMCA’s galleries during Friday Nights (April-Oct), ThursDates (Jan-March), and the Museum’s community celebrations, including Lunar New Year, Día de los Muertos, and Juneteenth (hours vary).

Whether visitors are curious about something on view or excited to reflect on their own experiences, Gallery Chatters are there to help spark conversation and connection.

First Sundays at OMCA

First Sunday of each month

Every first Sunday of the month, enjoy free admission to the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA)—now including all Special Exhibitions! Explore the Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences, shop for locally made goods, or relax in our garden—all for free.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance to secure preferred entry times and reduce wait times. Tickets are also available at the admissions desk on a first-come, first-served basis.

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

First Sunday of each month at 1 pm

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture, and learn about the history, design, and evolution of this award-winning structure with guides who are passionate about OMCA and Oakland.

No reservations or tickets are required. Walk and Talk begins near the Mid Level ticketing desk and lasts approximately one hour.

If you’d like to visit OMCA’s Galleries or Special Exhibitions, please purchase a ticket online in advance or at the ticketing desk on the day of your visit.

UPCOMING

Closing of Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic

Sunday, November 8, 2026 | Great Hall

With just a few weeks left to experience it, Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites visitors to explore Fairyland’s rich history and impact on Oakland’s cultural landscape with Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic.

Explore a timeline of Fairyland’s journey, a “then-and-now” look at 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 one of Fairyland’s original Jolly Trolly cars for kids and families to climb aboard. Don’t miss this celebration of Fairyland’s lasting legacy and role in shaping Oakland’s cultural landscape before the feature closes.

ALSO ON VIEW AT OMCA

BeHere/ 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration
On View Until December 2026 | Great Hall

“My aim was to peer deeply into photographs…to derive from them more than was visible on the surface.”

—Masaki Fujihata

Can looking closely at photographs change what we see, know, and feel about this history? Japanese artist Masaki Fujihata explores this very question in BeHere / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration. Through immersive installations of historic images and augmented reality (AR) experiences, the exhibition brings visitors into the moments of 1942—before Japanese Americans in Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were transported to concentration camps during World War II.

Fujihata has spent years combing through the archives of famed photographers Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee, who documented the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, respectively. In this exhibition, he enlarges, zooms into, and activates their images to encourage visitors to look more closely—at the emotions of each subject and at the power dynamics at play between the photographer behind the camera and people in front of it.

Originally developed by the Yanai Initiative at UCLA and presented at the Japanese American National Museum in 2022, OMCA’s exhibition features new elements specific to the Bay Area. Highlights include installations that draw from Dorothea Lange’s 1942 photographs of San Francisco and Oakland, some taken directly across the street from what is now Oakland Museum of California. Fujihata also created a new three-screen video featuring local residents, some with connections to the story of Japanese American incarceration and others impacted by present-day anti-immigrant policies. Significantly, BeHere / 1942 extends into Oak Street Plaza, where a life-size image of Japanese Americans lined up to board buses creates the basis for an AR experience. When visitors look at the AR app, they will see images of buses and people moving as they might have in 1942 layered over the plaza.

Konkow Maidu Baskets
Ongoing | Gallery of California History

Learn about historic Konkow Maidu master weavers and their descendants carrying forward the living tradition of basketry from generation to generation. Originally in the Oakland Museum of California’s collection, the baskets from this display are part of a group of items repatriated to the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California in 2024.

The baskets on view represent an intergenerational exchange of knowledge that is essential to Konkow Maidu daily life, food systems, ceremony, and survival. Visitors will encounter Native voices directly through text from members of the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California.

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace
Ongoing | Gallery of California Natural Sciences

Little learners can unleash their curiosity and imagination in 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 build community with other families.

You Are Here: California Stories on the Map
Ongoing | Gallery of California Natural Sciences

We all use maps in our everyday lives—to navigate public transportation, find places to eat, and visualize big data like weather patterns or political opinions. But have you ever considered the deeper stories maps tell us? In You Are Here: California Stories on the Map, you’ll discover there’s more to maps than meets the eye. Showcasing a diverse range of maps from Oakland, the Bay Area, and California—from environmental surroundings and health conditions to community perspectives and creative artworks—experience how maps can be a powerful tool to share unique points of view and imagine a better future. Explore new perspectives of familiar places through maps made by the community, and mark your own stories on the community map inside the exhibition.

Black Power
Ongoing | 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’s role in this national story and the impacts this history continues to have today.

Question Bridge: Black Males
Ongoing | 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 the 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 | 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.

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
Founded in 1969 as a “museum of the people,” 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 rooted in Oakland, 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 located at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. All-inclusive Museum admission is $25 general admission; $22 for seniors; $18 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. 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.