Friday Nights at OMCA | Bolo Music Group Presents Live Music by Ruby Ibarra & Ian Santillano

This iteration of  Friday Nights at OMCA, the Garden Stage will host not only a colorful blend of hip hop, rock, and jazz, but a movement of Filipino-American musical storytelling that cuts through the norm like a bolo! The Bolo Music Group led by Ruby Ibarra and producer LASI are set to light up the stage and pull audiences into authentic Filipino musical storytelling that engage with Ruby’s identity as both a woman and as a 1.5 generation immigrant that encourages global connection. 

Further connection is to be had as OMCA invites back a quickly growing classic, Sketchboard Live Drawing! Bring your sketch pads and your perspective to the Museum’s Gallery of California Art and be inspired with live drawing sessions.

OMCA welcomes 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 gallery, please be mindful of the space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite or charcoal pencils.

Sketching in the gallery is included with the price of general Museum Gallery access and free for Museum Members. In addition, Gallery Chats will be activating our  Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya with facilitated community conversations that brings new light to the work with every iteration. All this creative engagement will be framed with the rhythmic stylings of DJ Sake One.

Program Schedule:

5—9 pm Core Galleries and Special Exhibitions  evening hours with Museum ticket

5:30—6:15 pm Sketchboard Live Drawing | Gallery of California Art

6:15—8 pm Bolo Music Group Presents: Ruby Ibarra & Ian Santillano | Garden Stage 

6—8 pm Gallery Chats | The Great Hall 

6:45—7:30 pm Sketchboard Live Drawing | Gallery of California Art 

6:45—8:45 pm DJ Sake One | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday at 5 pm for free live music and hands-on activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and late night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.

Bring your own or grab dinner from any one of the 8 Off the Grid food trucks on 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets. Beer, wine, mixed and non-alcoholic drinks are available for sale. After grabbing a meal from a wide and weekly changing menu of culinary creations, head to the OMCA Garden where you’ll find picnic tables and blankets to enjoy your local eats. Play lawn and table games, enjoy weekly rotating Museum programming, and create new memories at one of the Town’s most treasured spaces right in the heart of Oakland.

No outside alcohol permitted. Performances are subject to change. Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm.

Accessibility 

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

Ruby Ibarra is a rapper, songwriter, and performer from the Bay Area, CA. In 2023, she co-founded Bolo Music Group, a new record label and platform which aims to support and highlight Filipino-American talent. Her latest single, “Switch,” is featured on NBA2K24 video game, and her other new music can also be heard across Seasons 1-3 of the Fox Network’s hit television show, The Cleaning Lady.

​​Ian Santillano, pronounced “San-Till-Yeah-Know”, is a Filipino-American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer known for his commanding guitar solos and soulful vocals that unveil his deepest emotions, creating a musical refuge where listeners can revel or seek solace. Through his music, Ian liberates his thoughts and feelings, fostering a sense of shared humanity among his audience.

Sketchboard is a BIPOC figure drawing collective, curating eclectic, diverse, and affordable events in the Bay Area over the last 10 years. Their mission is to feature the bodies of people at the intersection of multiple identities, offer living wages to our art models, and create an inclusive environment for the artists in Sketchboard’s community.

Sponsors

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is sponsored by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Bank of America.