Oakland Museum of California (OMCA)

Friday Nights at OMCA Featuring Skip the Needle
2023-06-30 16:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid | Skip the Needle (live music) and DJ Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist

Program Schedule:

5–8 pm – Off the Grid Service6:30-8:30 pm – DJ Music by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (Amphitheater)7–8 pm – Skip the Needle presents Octavia of Earth, Vol. 2 & MORE (Garden)

Oakland-based formidable female powerhouse quartet Skip the Needle brings a depth of personal insight and performing experience to their politically astute hard rock/funk songcraft. If Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Chrissie Hynde, and Chaka Khan all jammed together, this band would be the result.

At Friday Nights at OMCA, Skip the Needle will play an hour-long set of original music, including tracks from their upcoming EP, Octavia of Earth, Volume 2, a docu-musical inspired by the life of black feminist writer Octavia E. Butler. DJ Ren is widely known for his eclectic musical selections and is a highly respected and influential figure in the hip-hop and music community, known for his passion, creativity, and commitment to preserving the legacy of hip hop.

About Skip the Needle

Skip The Needle is an Oakland-based queer female quartet made up of musical superstars of the Bay Area; Vicki Randle (The Tonight Show, Mavis Staples Band) Shelley Doty (Shelly Doty X-Tet, Sistas in the Pit), Kofy Brown (Kofy Brown Band, Sistas in the Pit) and Katie Cash (Katie Cash Band, Year of the Fist). Together, they make politically astute hard rock funk. Their songs are musically diverse and carry a strong, socially conscious message that wants the audience to party while hearing it. Formed in 2014, STN has released two full-length albums and is thrilled to have contributed 6 original tracks for Octavia Of Earth Volume 2.

About DJ Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist

As a Bay Area resident from New York, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (aka Renoir) made his mark as the founder of True Skool (est. ’99). Originally a party which featured Hip Hop legends, emerging artists and world-class turntablists, the brand has evolved into an urban music entertainment guide and event marketing company. As a DJ, Ren is known for his eclectic and diverse musical selections. He has shared billing with world-renowned artists, such as Z-Trip, Jazzy Jeff, Q-Bert, Mixmaster Mike, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Thought, Rakim, KRS-One, to name a few. Overall, Ren the VA is a highly respected and influential figure in the hip-hop and music community, known for his passion, creativity, and commitment to preserving the legacy of hip hop.

About Friday Nights:

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Skip the Needle

Skip the Needle

Friday Nights at OMCA: Cool Down for Summer and Celebrate East Bay Creeks and Waterways
2023-07-07 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid | Cool Down for Summer and Celebrate East Bay Creeks and Waterways

Enjoy the multi-layered songs and stories of musician and story keeper John Paul, dive into making a hands-on watershed model and learn about the intricate nature and history of East Bay creeks and waterways with a team of guest experts. Then, move to the music of DJ Don Reeser.

Program Schedule:

5-8 pm, Hands-On Watershed Model Making, Garden

5-8 pm, Trout Unlimited – John Muir Chapter and Local Watershed Organizations, Garden

6:30 – 7:30 pm, John Paul Hodge, Indigenous folk singer/songwriter, Oak Street Plaza

6:30–8:30 pm, DJ Ron Reeser, Amphitheater

John Paul Hodge is an Indigenous folk musician, singer songwriter and story keeper, and multi-instrumentalist, echoing his soulful and powerful voice wherever his music takes him. John Paul Hodge makes a point to write songs that have many different meanings and interpretations and resonate with all sorts of different folks from here and there. He shares his stories through his music, trading his art with others, as Indigenous people have done throughout time.Dive into making a hands-on model with OMCA’s Education team, and discover how different environments and human activities shape watersheds throughout California. Simulate a year of rainfall and learn how OMCA is doing our part to conserve Oakland’s watersheds, too!East Bay Creeks and Watersheds support an amazing variety of plants and animals. They help clean our air and water. They offer all of us beautiful places to learn, have fun, and find peace.Find out how local watershed groups work to protect these urban refuges to provide homes for wildlife, lessen pollution, and offer all of us crucial ecosystems to enhance wildlife habitat, mitigate pollution, and help adapt our cities for a changing climate.Nature lovers from local groups will share information and host fun activities for the creek-curious of any age! Participating organizations include Friends of Five Creeks, Friends of Sausal Creek, Walnut Creek Watershed Council, Friends of Pinole Creek Watershed, Trout Unlimited – John Muir Chapter, and The Watershed Project/SPAWNERS.

Learn about our accessibility options.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: Musician Jake Zimma, Debajo Sound System collective, and DJ Mai Girl
2023-07-14 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid: Musician Jake Zimma, Debajo Sound System collective, and DJ Mai Girl

Hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and more come together with indie musical artist Jake Zimma; Debajo Sound System collective plays energetic and move-to-it music and song in multiple languages; and DJ Mai Girl electrifies the dancefloor with a hand-picked blend of eclectic music that will keep you moving all night!

Program Schedule:

6:30 – 7:30 pm, Jake Zimma, singer and guitarist, Oak Street Plaza

6:30 – 8:30 pm, DJ Mai Girl, Amphitheater

7–8 pm, Debajo Sound System, hip-hop and world music collective, GardenJake Zimma is an indie artist emerging in The Bay Area. Jake is a singer-songwriter and guitarist with sounds that combine hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and most things funky. His sound combines electronic production with live instrumentation, and is often compared to Jack Johnson, Chet Faker and Post Malone. Despite the comparisons, Jake Zimma’s sound is entirely his own.

Debajo Sound System is a Hip-Hop and World Music collective who plays energetic and danceable songs written in multiple languages. With Hip-Hop as its backbone, Debajo Sound System draws inspiration from a wide assortment of genres including Musica Andina, Afrobeat, Rumba, Dance Hall, Reggaetón, and Cumbia. Debajo Sound System’s music speaks truth to power tackling relevant issues of our time including Indigenous sovereignty, immigration, systemic oppression, and the search for love, peace, and wisdom through ancestral teachings.

DJ Mai Girl plays festivals, clubs, shows, and private events all over the West Coast and beyond. Her unique blend of genres and hand-picked selections– whether it be hip hop, soul, house, jazzy vibes, old school jams, Afro, Caribbean or Latin rhythms– keep people moving all night. She consistently plays one Stevie or Prince song every set to remind herself of why she started DJing in the first place.

Learn about our accessibility options.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Summer of Joy Marketplace
2023-07-16 12:00 - 14:00
First Sundays

Celebrate the summer season and join us for a festive marketplace featuring artwork produced by artists from the three collaborating studios of Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth and NIAD. Support the studios and shop for dazzling prints, ceramics, zines, textiles, buttons, trinkets, jewelry, etc for yourself or as gifts. Artists will showcase existing work and may also create new pieces for sale inspired by the theme of summer and the joy of being together. Artist vendors include Donald Gruneisen, Donzell Lewis, Jean McElvane, Larry Randolph, Lulu Sotelo, and Gerald Wiggins. Come say hello!This event is the joyful launch of OMCA’s new Spotlight Sundays series. Every third Sunday OMCA invites you to explore a deep dive into topics, experiences, and practices generated by California culture makers. From performances, to provocative discussions, to films, workshops, marketplaces and more, Spotlight Sundays offers opportunities to engage with the people and ideas that drive and shape California and beyond.

Learn about our accessibility options.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

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Artist Vendors

Lulu Sotelo

Lulu Sotelo is greatly influenced by her upbringing in Mexico City. In her distinct figurative style, she creates portraits of herself, her friends, and characters from her favorite Mexican sitcom ‘El Chavo del Ocho’. With large heads, exaggerated facial features, and peg-like extremities, her characters are bright and colorful, sometimes accompanied by symbolic imagery. An admirer of fashion, Sotelo pays special attention to the clothing in her drawings, devising festive outfits from her imagination or rendering apparel true to life. In her textile practice, Sotelo combines painting, weaving, sewing, and embroidery (Lulu has invented her own embroidery knots) on clothes, and creates one-of-a-kind garments covered with her signature characters. Sotelo also makes her characters into plush dolls, complete with costumes and removable hats.

Larry Randolph

Larry Randolph works methodically, using nature books or newspapers as reference material to create intricately detailed ecosystems or original comic book strips with elaborate story lines. A devotee of classic animation, Randolph describes his own comics as “a soap opera in a cartoon comic.” He details the adventures of characters like the “Super High Power Team” and the “Wolse-Rode Family,” where Randolph creates dramatic scenes of love and politics. Whether densely colored or black and white, his gifted style of line work and shading make his figures appear animated. Randolph’s work was included in the Best American Comics of 2017. A master of multiple mediums, Randolph is also an accomplished ceramicist. His rough hand-shaped whales, doughnuts, pies, and roasted turkeys have been exhibited at art fairs and galleries internationally.

Jean McElvane

Prior to joining NIAD, Jean McElvane studied art and music at Contra Costa College. She also worked as an artist’s assistant. McElvane’s paintings and drawings tend toward realism, but the majority of her work is in the craft field, creating meticulously built fiber projects or using recycled found materials to build amazing objects that capture the essence of insects or creatures.

Gerald Wiggins

When Gerald Wiggins makes art, he is “not necessarily trying to say something to people. I’m just trying to make them happy, because there is not enough happiness.” Wiggins’ depictions of human figures, animal life, and fantastical creatures are stunningly accomplished. Working with colored pencil, marker, graphite, and watercolor, as well as with digital printmaking software, Wiggins’ drawings are uncluttered and precise and use a spare, controlled line and careful coloring to convey detail. Wiggins also creates ceramic sculptures, from frightening vampiric characters to a rotating cast of life-like city dwellers he calls “the crew.” Occasionally, key portions of a figure or natural element are left unfinished, or isolated parts are collected together in a single piece; these techniques add visual playfulness to his style. “I like the feeling of making something in your head that doesn’t exist,” Wiggins says, “to make it real.” He co-curated Shoerageous in 2014, an exhibition featuring shoes in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Learn more about Wiggins in this video, which debuted at Art Changes Lives 2017.

Donzell Lewis

Donzell Lewis taught himself to knit by watching instructional videos on YouTube. From tiny bits of jewelry to yarn-bombing trees, Lewis has become a master at his craft.

Donald Gruneisen

Donald Gruneisen’s favorite subject matters include horror movies like Halloween, old school Universal Studios monster movies like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and classic TV shows like The Munsters. Donald left CE in March of 2015 to pursue full-time employment, but returned part-time in 2018 to resume his art making practice. Donald’s inspirations have grown to include The Beatles, The Polar Express, and colorful, tie-dyed creatures. He is a big San Francisco Giants fan and a Grateful Dead enthusiast who often wears outfits celebrating these loves. Donald is a positive and peaceful presence in the studio, full of warmth and good humor. Gruneisen’s artwork is characterized by his use of geometry to segment bodies and forms, perhaps alluding to the mish-mash of parts that make up some of his favorite monsters. His movie monsters are typically depicted looking at the viewer or in profile – often inspired by movie posters and including titles in neat cursive.

Example Items

knitting 62 x 7” unique 2019

knitted clothing on a found plastic/ vinyl doll 12 x 3 x 2” unique 2018

recycled materials and paint 5 x 3 x 1” unique 2019

Friday Nights at OMCA: Let’s Lab with mayx/maya, JUJU, Dj Jerry Ross, and Lorenzo on Keys, and DJ Durt
2023-07-21 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Come dance and sing along while simply enjoying another beautiful day of life. There will be songs for OMCA’s multigenerational community to enjoy. And if you have little ones, we’ll have some tunes they will enjoy as well. Musical Performers include JUJU, Dj Jerry Ross, and Lorenzo on Keys on the Garden Stage, Let’s Lab with mayx/maya in Oak Street Plaza and DJ Durt spinning tunes in the Amphitheater.

Program Schedule:

6:30–8:30 pm, DJ Durt, Amphitheater

6–7:30 pm, JUJU, Dj Jerry Ross, and Lorenzo on Keys, Garden Stage

6:30–7:30 pm, Let’s Lab! with mayx/maya, Oak Street Plaza

mayx is a music maker and film scorer from the bay area. They make songs that explore queer love and queer spacetime. Their music has been recognized by San Francisco’s Kearny Street Workshop, Take Care Tapes, and Silicon Valley Pride, among others. mayx’s recent work includes scoring Amyra Soriano’s short film Miss Hot Mess, providing recording sessions and live guitar support for other music makers, and songwriting for upcoming projects. They are caste-privileged and class privileged; and they made subliminals for unlearning to aid their own unlearning processes.JUJU has sung with multiple wedding bands and musical theater groups for over 15 years. Newly embarking on her solo career, JUJU invites visitors to come dance, and sing along with familiar songs for OMCA’s multigenerational community to enjoy.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: Afrobeats Oakland Friday Night Takeover featuring emcee Christina Alexandria, live music by Seyi Sax and Matias, dance lessons with Danaite, DJs Juan G, Koko and TieDye Trippin
2023-07-28 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Afrobeats Oakland is taking over the OMCA for one evening and showcasing various elements of African pop culture. Each corner of the Museum will be activated, highlighting live street music performances, a two–hour dance class focused on the most popular dance moves trending across the continent, and a live performance by Afrobeats Oakland’s DJs in the garden. People of all ages are invited to participate and enjoy this taste of the biggest musical movement in the world.

Program Schedule:

5-6 pm TieDye, Trippin, Garden Stage6-7 pm KoKo, Garden Stage6-7 pm Seyi Sax, Oak Street Plaza6-7 pm Danaite’s Dance Class 1:Intro to Steps, Amphitheater7-8 pm TieDye Trippin and Danaite’s Dance Class 2: Steps to music, Amphitheater7-8 pm Juan G with Matias and Seyi Sax (Live Performance), Garden Stage8-9 pm KoKo, Garden Stage

Learn about our accessibility options.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: The Roots of Hip Hop Culture
2023-08-04 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

For the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture and are curated by Bay Area artist and DJ Jahi, who has lived in Oakland for the last 23 years. This marks the first time OMCA will have a practitioner of Hip Hop culture curating its Friday Nights lineup. Each program takes a deep dive into the many facets, history, relevance, and joy of Hip Hop culture, right at home in Oakland! In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!

Program for August 4

The root of Hip Hop culture is the African continent. As we salute and respect the pioneers of Hip Hop, many of their parents and families come from the Caribbean, by way of various western countries in Africa. As a way to begin our celebration of Hip Hop culture in an authentic way, we lift up the drum, the first instrument, and the power of drums being used as a form of communication. With drum circle, we share a sonic message with the community of culture, confidence, and celebration.This high-energy evening features international Hip Hop artist and Oakland’s own Jahi, spinning an all-vinyl set of classic Hip Hop, breakbeats, Reggae, and African Rhythms. Let’s Lab with The Reef celebrate beatmakers with beloved Bay Area Hip Hop producers and all-stars Andrew Bearford, Ovrkast, OG Jarin, and Demahjiae inviting you to listen, dance, and freestyle. Enjoy film screenings from KQED’s award-winning If Cities Could Dance series showcasing Bay Area dancers and dance-makers. Oakland’s own Diamano Coura hosts a participatory drum circle in the Garden.

Program schedule

5-7 pm Jahi spins an all-vinyl set, 10th Street Amphitheater

5-8 pm Free Hip Hop-inspired photo booth, Koret Plaza

6-7 pm Let’s Lab with The Reef!, Oak Street Plaza

6-7 pm If Cities Could Dance film Screenings, James Moore Theater

7-8:30 pm Drum circle with Diamano Coura, Garden

8:30-8:45 pm Freestyle Cypher, Garden

About the performers

Diamano Coura is a not-for-profit community African arts organization with a cultural focus. Located at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts in the City of Oakland, the Company is dedicated to: The preservation, education, and appreciation of traditional West African music, dance, theater, and culture through public benefit ventures. The mission of Diamano Coura is to provide global audiences access to the richness of the indigenous African cultural tapestry through professional classes, performances, and the accurate depiction and perpetuation of African folklore to indigenous Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, whereby it can be understood and appreciated by all. Diamano Coura is committed to partnering with other artists and community members to use the inherent power of the arts to break barriers that stagnate to open corridors that encourage social and economic development while fostering health and spiritual health and well-being. Diamano Coura in the Senegalese Wolof language means “those who bring the message.” While the directors, Naomi and Zak, are respectively from Liberia and Senegal, Diamano Coura embodies generations of carefully trained male and female company dancers, actors, singers, musicians, stilt walkers, and visual artists. Diamano Coura has also performed extensively in major theater houses and universities in the United States and has been invited to tour internationally, including to Canada and Europe.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: A Celebration of Hip Hop Culture
2023-08-11 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

For the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture and are curated by Bay Area artist and DJ Jahi, who has lived in Oakland for the last 23 years. This marks the first time OMCA will have a practitioner of Hip Hop culture curating its Friday Nights lineup. Each program takes a deep dive into the many facets, history, relevance, and joy of Hip Hop culture, right at home in Oakland! In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!

Program for August 11

Kicking off an evening marking the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, Jahi, an international artist based in Oakland, spins an all-vinyl set of classic Hip Hop, breakbeats, Reggae, and African rhythms. Join 55 Bay Area Hip Hop artists, activists, and educators from the Hip Hop community as they are inducted into the Bay Area Hip Hop Archives in a public ceremony celebrating this historic moment. Inductees include Boots Riley, Digital Underground, Ericka Huggins, Conscious Daughters, Brett Cook, DJ CJ Flash, and Medea Sirkas, to name a few. Young stock-car racing star Cameron “Cam-Man” Carraway welcomes you for a meet-greet and photo opp with him and his car. Telice Summerfield leads a Turf Dance class unlocking the keys to Oakland’s own dance style. Continuous screenings of KQED’s award-winning If Cities Could Dance films will be on view, and legendary DJ Davey D will keep the energy and spirits high in celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday.

Program schedule

5-7 pm Jahi spins an all-vinyl set with guests DJ True Justice & DJ Black, Amphitheater

5-7 pm Cameron “Cam-Man” Carraway meet & greet and photo opp, Oak Street

6-7 pm Turfin’ with Telice Turf Dance Class, Oak Street Plaza

6-7 pm If Cities Could Dance film screenings, James Moore Theater

6-7 pm DJ Davey D, Garden

7-8:30 pm The Bay Area Hip Hop Archives Induction Ceremony—A Celebration of Hip Hop Culture, Garden

8:30-8:45 pm Great Day in Hip Hop Photo, Garden

About the performers

The Bay Area Hip Hop Archives is a repository for Bay Area Hip Hop artists, activists, educators, and culture keepers who have made a 20 year or more significant contribution to the community and world via Hip Hop culture. Participants will create their own “special collections” that will chronicle their life experiences for future generations.

Cameron (Cam-Man) Carraway is a 12-year-old Stock Car and Micro Sprint race car driver from the Bay Area. Cam has been racing since he was six years old and is the only African American driver that races competitively on dirt and asphalt and hip hop has been an inspiration for his driving.Davey D is a nationally recognized journalist, adjunct professor, Hip Hop historian, syndicated talk show host, radio programmer, producer, deejay, media, and community activist. Originally from the Bronx, NY, Davey D’s been down with Hip Hop since 1977 when he started out as an emcee for two crews, TDK [Total Def Krew] out of Co-op City and the Avengers out of the Marble Hill Section of the Bronx. He moved to California and graduated from UC Berkeley.

Davey D is the co-founder and host of some of the most cited Hip Hop radio and online news journalism projects of all time. Hard Knock Radio (HKR) is an award-winning daily syndicated prime-time afternoon show focusing on Hip Hop culture and politics. One of the first of its kind, the show originated in 1999 on KPFA 94.1 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now can be heard in Seattle, Atlanta, Portland, Fresno and is streamed live on KPFA.org, reaching close to a million listeners daily. In 2003, HKR was cited as the best on-air show by the East Bay Express, and Davey D was voted Best On-Air Personality.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

Member Tickets

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Friday Nights at OMCA: Hip Hop Meets Jazz
2023-08-18 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

For the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture and are curated by Bay Area artist and DJ Jahi, who has lived in Oakland for the last 23 years. This marks the first time OMCA will have a practitioner of Hip Hop culture curating its Friday Nights lineup. Each program takes a deep dive into the many facets, history, relevance, and joy of Hip Hop culture, right at home in Oakland! In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!

Program for August 18

Explore, honor, and celebrate two African American art forms that cross-pollinate and without which we would not have modern American culture: Hip Hop meets Jazz. The evening opens with Jahi, an international Hip Hop artist and DJ spinning an all-vinyl set of classic Hip Hop, breakbeats, Reggae, and African rhythms. Aimee Rose leads a TropiCali Dancehall class inspired by Jamaican Dancehall parties. A screening of How Black Women Combat Pimp Culture in Hip-Hop from KQED’s What’s Pimpin’? YouTube series lights up the James Moore Theater. Harpist Destiny Muhammad & Friends give the harp treatment to Bay Area Hip Hop songs with special guests.

Program schedule

5-7 pm International Hip Hop Artist Jahi spins an all-vinyl set, 10th Street Amphitheater

6-7 pm TropiCali Dancehall Class with Aimee Rose, Oak Street Plaza

6-7 pm What’s Pimpin’? KQED YouTube Series Screening: How Black Women Combat Pimp Culture in Hip-Hop, James Moore Theater

7-8 pm Hip Hop Meets Jazz with Destiny Muhhamad & Friends, Garden

8-8:50 pm International Hip Hop artist and DJ Jahi closes the evening with an all-vinyl set, Garden

About KQED: What’s Pimpin’?

In a discussion with hip-hop artists Maddy Clifford (a.k.a. @MADlines), Coco Peila (@CocoPeila) and RyanNicole (@MzRyanNicole) RyanNicole and Coco Peila, survivor advocate Xenia St. Charles explains how struggling young people get lured into exploitation – including in the Bay Area, which is an international hub for sex trafficking. Womanist writer and podcast host Tiara Mbonisi of Big Mouf Woman also offers tools women can use to protect themselves in a misogynistic culture.

About Destiny Muhammad

Destiny Muhammad is a Recording/ Performing Artist, Band Leader, Composer, and Producer. Her genre is Celtic to Coltrane. Destiny Muhammad is cool and eclectic with a feel of Jazz & Storytelling to round out the sonic experience. Destiny has curated concerts for the Grace Cathedral Christmas Concert Series, SFJAZZ Tribute to Jazz Harp Legend Alice Coltrane, and the S F Symphony SOUNDBOX Series. She has been a featured guest for GRAMMY Winner Kanye West ‘Sunday Service’, and has shared the stage with Jazz Masters Denise Perrier, Omar Sosa, and Blue Note Artist Ambrose Akisemuire, to name a few. She has headlined The Healdsburg Jazz Festival and Butchertown Jazz Fest. Destiny is The Healdsburg Jazz Festival 2022 Artist in Residence, a Guest Workshop Presenter for Amateur Music Network, a collaborator with the Santa Cruz Symphony, Harp Ambassador for the Awesome Orchestra Collective,and The Marcus Shelby’s New Orchestra. Destiny is the Governor Emeritus and Educational Chair Emeritus of the Recording Academy, an ASCAP Songwriter Awardee, a SFJAZZ Teaching Artist, a Bay Area Jazz and Blues Award Winner (BAJABA), and a California Arts Council Legacy Fellow.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: Hip Hop as Community Healing
2023-08-25 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

For the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture. Each program takes a deep dive into the many facets, history, relevance, and joy of Hip Hop culture, right at home in Oakland! In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!

Program for August 25

Experience Hip Hop as a tool for communal healing. Let’s Lab with Afterthought and The Top Chefs, part of the “Family Not a Group” collective, brings smooth sounds to the Garden stage. A screening of ‘What’s Pimpin’?’ Real Survivor Stories from Bay Area Pimp Culture lights up the James Moore Theater. Join hands-on art making on Oak Street Plaza, put a fun spin on a traditional museum tour with Gallery Activation Hour.

Program schedule

5–7 pm – Hands-on art making, Oak Street Plaza

5-7 pm – What’s Pimpin’? KQED YouTube Series Screening: ‘What’s Pimpin’?’ Real Survivor Stories from Bay Area Pimp Culture, James Moore Theater

6–8 pm – Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall

6:30–8:30 pm – Black, DJ set, 10th Street Amphitheater

6:30–8 pm – Afterthought & The Top Chefs, Garden Stage

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the program components featuring Seti X and Refa 1 have been postponed until a later date.

KQED: What’s Pimpin?

In a discussion with hip-hop artists Maddy Clifford (a.k.a. @MADlines), Coco Peila (@CocoPeila) and RyanNicole (@MzRyanNicole) RyanNicole and Coco Peila, survivor advocate Xenia St. Charles explains how struggling young people get lured into exploitation – including in the Bay Area, which is an international hub for sex trafficking. Womanist writer and podcast host Tiara Mbonisi of Big Mouf Woman also offers tools women can use to protect themselves in a misogynistic culture.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket. Limited flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA Labor Day Weekend - Reppin’ Rosie The Riveter!
2023-09-01 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA is the place to be for celebratory and meaningful things to see and be part of, with plenty of signature features including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, late-night access to OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science, special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, and more. Reconnect with friends and family and make Friday Nights at OMCA a regular habit!Many of our September programs celebrate Latinx Heritage Month.

Friday Nights at OMCA Labor Day Weekend – Reppin’ Rosie The Riveter!

Friday Nights at OMCA kicks off the Labor Day weekend with hands-on bandana making honoring the legacy of Rosie the Riveter. Let’s Lab introduces Latin/Soul and R&B singer Elisa, whose music tells stories of her personal experiences and emotions drawing on inspiration from artists she grew up listening to.

Program

5—8 pm – Hands-On Rosie the Riveter Bandana Making, OMCA Garden6—7 pm – Let’s Lab with Elisa, Oak Street Plaza6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—8:30 pm – DJ Adonis-Emory, 10th Street Amphitheater

Gallery Activation Hours from 6 to 8 pm puts an informal twist on the traditional museum tour and focuses on the exhibition Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD. Come join the conversation! A Special Exhibition ticket is required.

Throughout the evening, Friday Nights at OMCA revelers can listen and move the night away to the sounds of DJ Adonis-Emory in the 10th Street Amphitheater, and Off the Grid food trucks now span both 10th and Oak Streets!

OMCA educators will host a hands-on design station where you can make your own red Rosie the Riveter bandana to rock all weekend and honor the workers who fought for better work practices in the United States. Learn more about movements and protests in the Radical Acts section in the Art Gallery and the women workers of World War II in the Off to War section of the History Gallery.

About Let’s Lab and Elisa

Let’s Lab is an innovative art platform based in the Bay Area that provides a space for musicians and singers of all kinds to showcase their talent. This week, Let’s Lab features Elisa, a Bay Area based Latin/Soul and R&B singer. Her sound is inspired and infused by the many different voices she grew up listening to, from Stevie Wonder to Alejandro Sanz and Marc Anthony, and from Selena and Shakira to Aretha Franklin and Etta James. Her music tells stories of her personal experiences and emotions with tender vulnerability.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket. Limited flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA with Gambizi & Dos Four
2023-09-08 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA is the place to be for celebratory and meaningful things to see and be part of, with plenty of signature features including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, late-night access to OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science, special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, and more. Reconnect with friends and family and make Friday Nights at OMCA a regular habit!Many of our September programs celebrate Latinx Heritage Month.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Gambizi & Dos Four

Experience an engaging and vibrant environment of social movement and connection. Community activist and dancer Samantha Velazquez will lead an Introductory Salsa & Bachata class, touching on fundamentals of solo technique and rhythm, choreography, and creativity, as well the essence of being present and connected. Gambizi & Dos Four up the energy with their unique sound combining Latin, Hip Hop and other inspirations with Cuban singer/songwriter Leyder Chapman. Innovative DJ Yuka Yu spins dance music all evening in the 10th Street Amphitheater.

6—7 pm – Salsa and Bachata with Samantha Velazquez, Oak Street Plaza6—7:30 pm – Gambizi & Dos Four, OMCA Garden6–8 pm – Free photo booth, near the Redwood Burl6–8 pm – Gallery Activation Hours, Great Halll6:30—8:30 pm – DJ Yuka Yu, 10th Street Amphitheater

About Gambizi & Dos Four

Gambizi & Dos Four blend Caribbean and Afro-Latin rhythms like Salsa, Cumbia, Salsa Choque, Latino House, and Hip Hop. These two local artists have been making music in the Bay Area for a number of years; Gambizi as a Hip-Hop artist and Dos Four as a Latin Artist. Lead singer and songwriter Leyder Chapman was born in Holguín, Eastern Cuba and raised in Havana. Chapman’s talent for performing started at a young age and wrote his first song, “Yo Te Amo Verdad,” at the age of fourteen. After arriving in Oakland, he founded SAOCO, a band specializing in the fusion of Cuban rhythms with popular Reggaeton. It was at this time that Chapman’s name as a musical artist, Dos Four, was formed. Gambizi and Dos Four were introduced by a mutual friend in 2012 and have been working together along with their band ever since.

About Yuka

Yuka became serious about making her own music and started DJing in London in Camden Town, training at the London Sound Academy in 2018. She has opened for electronic artists like Cosmic Gate, The Crystal Method, Audien, Valentino Khan, Poolside, and Eric Prydz, and live bands such as ALO, The California Honeydrops, and Rebirth Brass Band all while playing in premiere venues and nightclubs all over London, East Asia, and North America. Yuka sings and plays the Chinese flute, and DJ’s regularly with live musicians who play the Guzheng (古筝), violin, bass guitar, trumpet, and didgeridoo.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27, 2023. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA with Stewie G. & Coastal Pomo Dancers
2023-09-15 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA is the place to be for celebratory and meaningful things to see and be part of, with plenty of signature features including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, late-night access to OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science, special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, and more. Reconnect with friends and family and make Friday Nights at OMCA a regular habit!Many of our September programs celebrate Latinx Heritage Month.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Stewie G. & Coastal Pomo DancersDJ Ron Reeser Program

Voices of Healing and Inspiration!Start the weekend with a healing drum circle led by Wakan Wiya Two Spirit Drum and engaging conversations about what it means to be Indigenous in post-colonial times with Burn The Wagon Podcast Live in the Gallery of California History. Burn The Wagon host Juan Dominguez (Point Arena Pomo) interviews Indigenous cultural activist Vick on various topics. The Coast Pomo Dancers and Hip Hop artists Stewie G. join forces on the Garden stage and Friday Nights at OMCA favorite DJ Ron Reeser gets everyone moving in the 10th Street Amphitheater.

6—7 pm – Wakan Wiya Two Spirit Drum, Oak Street Plaza6 and 6:30 pm – Burn The Wagon Podcast Live with Vick, History Gallery6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6—8 pm – Cali Native Night with Stewie G. and Coastal Pomo Dancers, OMCA Garden6:30—8:30 pm – DJ Ron Reeser, 10th Street Amphitheater

About Burn The Wagon

Burn The Wagon, hosted by Juan Dominguez (Point Arena Pomo), interviews Indigenous Bay Area cultural artist & activist, Vick Montaño, on various provocative, contemporary topics of what it means to be an Indigenous person in post colonial times. Join this conversation of Burn The Wagon in OMCA’s California First Nations exhibit “Before The Other People Came” located in the History Gallery on the Mid Level. Gallery tickets can be purchased in the Mid Level ticket booth. General gallery admissions for Native/Tribal identified folx are free when you sign up for our email list at check-in at the Mid Level ticket booth.Burn The Wagon is directed at amplifying people of color’s voices, telling our stories ourselves, and talking about history the way it’s not talked about in history books. Here to verbally burn the wagon that is capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialism.

About Vick Montaño

Vick Montaño (They/Them) is a first generation, Two-Spirit, Yoe’me (Yaqui), Mexikah, ​​interdisciplinary artist borned and raised in the Village of Huchiun ( Present day known as Oakland, Ca) Victoria is a Po-scholar, Storyteller and Land Steward with the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. Victoria’s work sheds light on Indigenous Solidarity across seas and false man made borders, Queer liberation, land rematriation, restoration and the reawakening of ancestral knowledge.

AccessibilityOakland 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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Vibrations of Awesomeness: Films & Fashion
2023-09-17 12:00 - 14:30 | James Moore Theater and OMCA Garden
First Sundays

Join this playful, colorful, and lively pair of events celebrating films and fashion created by the superstar artists of our wildly popular current exhibition, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD.

Films showcasing vibrant textiles and wearable art from artists featured in the exhibition kick off the afternoon. Next up will be a live exhibition of fashions modeled by more than two dozen artists from these studios in an informal, salon-style presentation with music and fun! This program is part of OMCA’s Spotlight Sundays series that presents innovative and engaging programs the third Sunday of each month.

MEMBER TICKETS

General Tickets

Program

1–2 pm – Film screenings, James Moore Theater (ticket required)

2:15–3:30 pm – Artists model their own fashion, OMCA Garden (free admission)

Artists Wearing Fashions

Joseph Omolayole, Joseph “JayD” Green, Kevin Roach, Donna Osborn, Camille Holvoet, Katherine Finn-Gamino, Samedi Djeimguero, Ade Lewis, Deatra Colbert, Christian Vassel, Raven Harper, Heather Hamann, Dorian Reid, Elizabeth Rangel, Rosena Finister, Casey Byrnes, Jorge Gomez, Natascha Haehlen, Nicole Storm, Christine Szeto, Lulu Sotelo, Peter Salsman, Lynn Pisco, Carol Fullen, Dinah Shapiro, James Freid, Mayra Gonzalez, Malia Ramsey, Theresa Lambert, Diana Lo, Tanisha Warren, and Larry Randolph.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

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Friday Nights at OMCA La Mezcla presents Convivencia
2023-09-22 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA is the place to be for celebratory and meaningful things to see and be part of, with plenty of signature features including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, late-night access to OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science, special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, and more. Reconnect with friends and family and make Friday Nights at OMCA a regular habit!Many of our September programs celebrate Latinx Heritage Month.

Friday Nights at OMCA La Mezcla presents Convivencia

Activism in Music and MovementLet’s Lab makes a welcome return to Friday Nights at OMCA with Filipino American musical artist Ian Santillano. High-energy Bay Area dance company La Mezcla combines tap, Son Jarocho, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and movement and jazz for a dance performance rooted in Pachuca history and activism. Tenth Street Amphitheater will be hopping all evening to the sounds of DJ Karlita.

6—6:50 pm – La Mezcla presents Convivencia, James Moore Theater6:30—7:30 pm – Let’s Lab with Ian Santillano!, OMCA Garden6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—8:30 pm – DJ Karlita, 10th Street Amphitheater

About Let’s Lab

Let’s Lab is an innovative art platform based in the Bay Area California that provides a space for musicians and singers of all kinds to showcase their talent. This week, Let’s Lab presents Ian Santillano, a Bay Area Filipino American Musician with influences like Thundercat, John Mayer, Yebba, and Faye Webster..

About La Mezcla

La Mezcla is a polyrhythmic, San Francisco-based dance and music ensemble rooted in Chicana, Latina, and Indigenous traditions and social justice. Founded in 2015 by Dance/USA fellow Vanessa Sanchez, their work brings together Tap dance, Son Jarocho and Afro-Caribbean rhythms to bring the often-unseen histories and experiences of communities of color to stages, streets, and fields. Their production “Pachuquísmo,” an all-womxn Tap dance and Son Jarocho performance about Pachucas and the Zoot Suit Riots, received the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Production. Their new work “Ghostly Labor,” explores the legacy of labor in the US-Mexico borderlands and the joy of collective resistance and the associated film was named Best Short Documentary at the Los Angeles Dance Camera West Festival. The full-length premiere of “Ghostly Labor” will take place at Brava! For Women in the Arts in November 2023.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket. Limited flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Creek to Bay Day: Beautify Sausal Creek
2023-09-23 08:00 - 11:00 | Dimond Park Historical Scout Hut, Dimond Park, Oakland
First Sundays

Creek to Bay Day 2023 is a day of watershed cleanups, education, and commitment to practices to keep our city and water clean, from creek, to bay, and beyond! This year, we are teaming up with our buddies at Friends of Sausal Creek to host a Creek to Bay Day event at Dimond Park from 9 am to noon. Activities for all ages include litter pick up, invasive plant weeding, education booths, and nature bingo.

Sign up to join the festivities at Dimond Park on September 23 using the link below:

REGISTER

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Friday Nights at OMCA with Esotérica Tropical
2023-09-29 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Friday Nights at OMCA is the place to be for celebratory and meaningful things to see and be part of, with plenty of signature features including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, late-night access to OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science, special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, and more.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Esotérica Tropical Program

Joyful Sounds and Magical Movement!

Get your body going with a Cuban salsa class taught by Bay Area dancer mover and shaker Diana Aburto Vega. Cuban Salsa style is based in the original form of Salsa rooted in Cuba. It is characterized by Afro Cuban style body movement which includes body isolation and hip movement. In this class we briefly go through the basic movements and steps to apply these influences. Esotérica Tropical casts healing spells with a luminous and healing voice blending folk harp, Afro-Puerto Rican bomba rhythms, and electronics. Get your pulse pumping to DJ Father Taj in the 10th Street Amphitheater.

6—7 pm – Cuban Salsa Class with Diana Aburto Vega, Oak Street Plaza6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—7:30 pm – Esotérica Tropical, OMCA Garden6:30—8:30 pm – DJ Father Taj, 10th Street Amphitheater

About The Performers

Esotérica Tropical casts spells with a luminous voice and songs that invoke full-spectrum healing. Blending folk harp, Afro-Puerto Rican bomba rhythms, and electronics, her music is rooted in a continuous process of discovery and care where trauma is transformed into art. Esotérica Tropical’s songs are a soundtrack for liberatory practices and joyous moods– a space for ritual and ceremony through song and dance.

Boricua bruja Esotérica Tropical draws inspiration from over 20 years of experience as a healer including studying bodywork, and practicing traditional medicine and acupuncture.“My songs come from a deep state of listening and meditation—a communion with nature, while at the river, the beach, or staring at a tree or the sky; or from a very emotive disposition, like the grief over my paternal grandmother’s death and the rage I feel from being a colonial subject. They help me remember my essence, the love and care that is available, the strength of my ancestors, and my own agency.”

Traveling from Santa Cruz California, DJ Father Taj is a disciple of the groove. His eclectic style evokes New York City Café’s as well as major all night parties. Beats for days this raver turned DJ is at home on any dancefloor. Father Taj spins music for your mind, your body, and your soul!

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night between April and October. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket. Limited flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27, 2023. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA in Celebration of Por el Pueblo with Let’s Lab and AstraLogik!
2023-10-06 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Please note: The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Details below.

Friday Nights at OMCA in Celebration of Por el Pueblo with Let’s Lab and AstraLogik

Make October fun and memorable with hands-on artmaking including DIY printmaking in celebration of our new exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya (opening October 6) or try your hand at figure drawing with a live model! Let’s Lab introduces AstraLogik, a Bay Area Queer Pinay musical duo that redefines “success” and “happiness” through a healing lens. Complete the evening with A-100 photo booth, insightful conversation as part of Gallery Activation Hours and dance the night away to the high-energy sounds of DJ Benet. All this and two streets of tempting and innovative Off the Grid food trucks.

Program Schedule

5—7 pm – Hands-On Screenprinting, Garden5—8 pm – A-100 Photo Booth, Redwood Burl6—8 pm – Sketchboard Community Figure Drawing, California Room6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—7:30 pm – Let’s Lab with AstraLogik!, Garden Stage6:45—8:45 pm – DJ Benet, 10th Street Amphitheater

More on the Programming

Let’s Lab is an innovative art platform based in the Bay Area that provides a space for musicians and singers of all kinds to showcase their talent. This week Let’s Lab introduces AstraLogik, a Queer Pinay musical duo from the Bay Area. Their chill-folk-electronic-soul music is shaped by their story of redefining what “success” and “happiness” means, especially through their lens as Filipino-Americans, a Queer couple, healers, survivors of violence and homelessness.Create your own art from a life model with Sketchboard in the California room! Sketchboard is a collective that has run multiple weekly figurative drawing events in SF and Oakland for 10 years, with the mission of bringing artists and bodies from underrepresented minorities to the arts. The workshop is for all ages and includes two hours of clothed, life drawing with a professional art model. Art supplies will be provided. Space is limited to 40 seats, first come, first served. We ask participants to refrain from taking pictures, as we will have a publicity photographer onsite.

In celebration of the opening of Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya, join OMCA educators in a hands-on printmaking station where you’ll create your own poster centered around inspiration, justice, and empathy. Explore the living impact of Chicano artist Malaquías Montoya, and learn more about other California activists and artists through a selection of social justice posters on view in the Radical Acts section of the Art Gallery.

Gallery Activation Hours puts a twist on the traditional museum tour. Using an informal approach, OMCA facilitators combine content knowledge with lived experience. Centering community voices and encouraging dialogue in our galleries provides meaningful and fresh interpretations of our Special Exhibitions. Come join the conversation!

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights with Off the Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community during Friday Nights at OMCA. These free events provide a gathering place each week, including live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Limited flat-rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid (OTG) will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024. During the Friday Nights break, OMCA will remain open to the public during the Museum’s regular business hours, including admission to special exhibitions, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD and Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Fall Teacher Night
2023-10-13 15:30 - 18:00
First Sundays

Fall Teacher Night

OMCA celebrates teachers during our Fall Teacher Night. Explore liberatory and creative education practices with Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? Creative Education for Social Change authors Mariah Rankine-Landers and Jessa Brie Moreno. Join a facilitated conversation on the role of love in education and try out some strategies during interactive workshops. Then hang out to enjoy Friday Nights at OMCA, including live Cuban music and dance with Rumbaché and CaliDance, contribute to the Oak Leaf Community Art Project by Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, enjoy late-night gallery access including exhibitions Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD and Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya, and Off the Grid food trucks.

Schedule of events

4:30 pm – Teacher Night check-in table opens

5 pm – Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? book reading and teacher conversation on the role of love in education, with Mariah Rankine-Landers and Jessa Brie Moreno.

6 pm – Drop-in workshops inspired by Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? and Borderline community art project by Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood

6:30 pm – Live Cuban music and dance with Rumbaché and CaliDance, Garden Stage

7 pm – Teacher Night check-in table closes. Friday Nights continues, with Off the Grid food trucks closing at 8 pm and OMCA galleries closing at 9 pm.Bring your team or make some new friends at neighboring schools. This event is free for teachers and chaperones, no RSVP required. Free gallery admission for all attendees, plus Off the Grid and bar tickets for the first 100 arrivals.

SUBSCRIBE TO EDUCATOR NEWS

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Friday Nights at OMCA featuring Havana Nights SF, presented by Rumbaché and The CaliDance!
2023-10-13 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Please note: The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Details below.

Friday Nights at OMCA featuring Havana Nights SF, presented by Rumbaché and The CaliDance!

Get ready to move and groove with Havana Nights SF, a celebration of Cuban music and dance with Rumbaché and The CaliDance fusing salsa, timba, bomba, funk, and whatever else they can find to spice up the mood! Families and children are invited to participate in a Community Art Project by creating an oak leaf that will be featured in an upcoming art installation by Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood.

4:30—7 pm – Fall Teacher Night, check in at Oak Street Plaza6—7:30 pm – Oak Leaf Community Art Project6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—8 pm – Havana Nights SF, presented by Rumbaché and The CaliDance, Garden6:45—8:45 pm – DJ True Justice, 10th Street Amphitheater

More on the Programming

OMCA celebrates teachers during our Fall Teacher Night. Explore liberatory and creative education practices with Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? Creative Education for Social Change authors Mariah Rankine-Landers and Jessa Brie Moreno. Join a facilitated conversation on the role of love in education and try out some strategies during interactive workshops.

OMCA is working with Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood to create an installation that will be part of an upcoming exhibition in June 2024. Children and families are invited to participate in the Oak Leaf Community Art Project by tracing their hands on an oak leaf that will be used in the installation. Oak leaves will be used in the installation to honor the earth and they are meant to symbolize the role that family and place have in holding and creating memory. After tracing their hands, participants will be invited to draw, color, or write inside of their handprints to convey their feelings, hopes, thoughts, memories, and mark their family’s impact in the Bay Area.

Rumbaché and The CaliDance are joining forces once again for a special celebration of live Cuban music and dance! Rumbaché, known for performing deep timba and salsa grooves for all the bailadores out there, returns to OMCA fusing salsa, timba, bomba, funk, and whatever else they can find to spice up the mood! CaliDance, led by Yismari Tellez Ramos, will perform a special Cuban and Tropicana style dance throughout the evening. Do not miss their specialized choreography and collaboration, and what they are planning for the end of the night!

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights with Off the Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community during Friday Nights at OMCA. These free events provide a gathering place each week, including live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Limited flat-rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid (OTG) will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024. During the Friday Nights break, OMCA will remain open to the public during the Museum’s regular business hours, including admission to special exhibitions, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD and Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA featuring Live Beatmaking with SETI X
2023-10-20 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Please note: The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Details below.

Friday Nights at OMCA featuring Live Beatmaking with SETI X

Join groundbreaking Hip Hop innovator SETI X for a hands-on beatmaking workshop in the Garden. On Oak Street Plaza, smoldering style and pop/rock sensibility are the hallmarks of musician/model Christopher Kenji’s performances, introduced to Friday Nights by our partners at Let’s Lab. Dance to DJ Bitesize! in the 10th Street Amphitheater or join other museumgoers in the Great Hall for spirited and insightful conversation as part of Gallery Activation Hours. Remember to come with an appetite and visit Off the Grid food trucks on both 10th and Oak Streets!

5—8 pm – Live Beatmaking with SETI X, Garden6:30—7:30 pm – Let’s Lab with Christopher Kenji!, Oak Street Plaza6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:45—8:45 pm – DJ Bitesize!, 10th Street Amphitheater

More on the Programming

Let’s Lab is an innovative art platform based in the Bay Area that provides a space for musicians and singers of all kinds to showcase their talent. The perfect place to discover new talent and connect with like-minded individuals in the artistic community. This evening, Let’s Lab introduces Christopher Kenji, a Pop/Rock Artist and Model!J Dilla Academy Music Tech Beatmaking Workshop with SETI XJ Dilla Academy music tech grantee Seti X invites participants of the OMCA community for a night of creative expression through a beatmaking workshop. In this guided workshop, participants will create their own beat using an iPad, a midi controller, and additional production equipment. Participants will have the opportunity to share their beats with the community at the end of the workshop.Ancestral Divinity Manifested in Real Time. SETI X provides a rare glimpse into the time and space continuum, sharing sounds and vibrations that resonate and heal our original DNA. SETI X has toured internationally, sharing the stage with the likes of Yasiin Bey [Mos Def], Talib Kweli, RZA, Ziggy Marley, Punjabi MC and most recently Prophets of Rage. SETI X’s accomplishments include appearing on CNN’s Emmy Award Winning Show “United Shades of America” with W. Kamau Bell. On the episode, W. Kamau and SETI discuss what it means to be a South Asian American Sikh Hip Hop artist from California.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights with Off the Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community during Friday Nights at OMCA. These free events provide a gathering place each week, including live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Limited flat-rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid (OTG) will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024. During the Friday Nights break, OMCA will remain open to the public during the Museum’s regular business hours, including admission to special exhibitions, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD and Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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Friday Nights at OMCA: SambaFunk! With King Theo Ogum
2023-10-27 16:00 - 20:00
First Sundays

Please note: This is the final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023. Details below.

Friday Nights at OMCA: SambaFunk! With King Theo Ogum

Bring on the funk and dance to the samba with King Theo Ogum and company! But first, learn the ins and outs of sultry samba dancing with Queen Joy Brussard in a community dance class that will get you moving and ready to party Brazil style.

Families and children are invited to participate in a Community Art Project by creating an oak leaf that will be featured in an upcoming art installation by Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood.

For those in the mood for a reflective moment, join in the Gallery Activation Hours conversation in the Great Hall, then dance the night away to the sounds of DJ Siyah in the 10th Street Amphitheater as we say farewell to the 2023 season of Friday Nights at OMCA—join us when we return in April 2024 after our usual winter break.

5—6:30 pm – Oak Leaf Community Art Project, Oak Street Plaza6—7 pm – Introduction to Brasilian Samba Community Dance Class with Queen Joy Brussard, Oak Street Plaza6—8 pm – Into the Brightness Gallery Activation Hours, Great Hall6:30—7:30 pm – SambaFunk! With King Theo Ogum, Garden6:45—8:45 pm – DJ Siyah, 10th Street Amphitheater

More on the Programming

Oak Leaf Community Art Project OMCA is working with Chicana artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood to create an installation that will be part of an oncoming exhibition in June 2024. Children and families are invited to participate in the Oak Leaf project by tracing their hands on an oak leaf that will be used in the installation. Oak leaves will be used in the installation to honor the earth, and they are meant to symbolize the role that family and place have in holding and creating memory. After tracing their hands, participants will be invited to draw, color, or write inside of their handprints to convey their feelings, hopes, thoughts, memories, and mark their family’s impact in the Bay Area.Introduction to Brasilian Samba. A Community dance class with Queen Joy Brussard

African Brasilian dance and drum through a uniquely Funky African American lens. Come dance, sing, and celebrate Oakland with the Funkquarians. Founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Theo Aytchan Williams, SambaFunk! has grown into a beloved and multi-faceted cultural arts organization with diverse programming ranging from weekly dance instruction, stage performances, original music creation, costume production, parades, festivals, and participation in political, social justice, healing circles, and arts advocacy. SambaFunk!’s mission is to preserve and present African Diaspora art and culture to underserved communities of color. Its goal is to create new intersections of the arts, health, and wellness and sees its work as an essential element in the healing of the Nation.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

About Friday Nights with Off the Grid

Reconnect with family, friends, and community during Friday Nights at OMCA. These free events provide a gathering place each week, including live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.

Limited flat-rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.

As we enter the holiday season, Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid (OTG) will begin its seasonal break. The final Friday Nights at OMCA with OTG of 2023 will be October 27. Oakland’s favorite weekly block party will resume in April 2024. During the Friday Nights break, OMCA will remain open to the public during the Museum’s regular business hours, including admission to special exhibitions, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD and Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.

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OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
2023-11-05 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-12-03 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-01-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Town Fare Cafe, 1000 Oak, Oakland, California, 94607
First Sundays

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.

GET TICKETS

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Spotlight Sundays: Holiday Marketplace and Collage-Fest
2023-12-17 12:00 - 14:00 | James Moore Theater
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First Sundays

Lower Level – Marketplace, Lillie Education Center; Collage activity, California Room

Usher in the winter holidays and join us for a festive marketplace to shop for artwork produced by Into The Brightness artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, and the NIAD Art Center. Artists will showcase and sell a large offering of original artwork, making it a wonderful opportunity to find unique and meaningful gifts for your loved ones this holiday season. Artist vendors include Isaiah Jackson, Jean McElvane, Dorian Reid, Karen Ridge, Yukari Sakura, Isaac Haney-Owens, and more.

We also invite you to get hands-on with a delightful winter collage activity that uses recycled materials. This program has free admission, and all ages and skill levels are welcome.

If you’d like to see our Special Exhibitions while you’re at OMCA, you can purchase advance tickets below.

GET TICKETS

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

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MORE

Karen Ridge, artist at Creative Growth

Jane Mc Elvane, artist at NIAD

Isaiah Jackson, artist at Creative Growth

Dorian Reed, artist at NIAD

First Sundays
2024-01-07 10:00 - 16:00
First Sundays

First Sundays

Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences is free and tickets to Special Exhibitions in our Great Hall are offered at a discounted price of $6.

In between exploring the galleries, pick up some locally-made goods from our shop, or relax outside in our updated garden.

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

GET GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

GET SPECIAL EXHIBITION TICKETS

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Highlights

Into the Brightness Garden Lights Celebration
2024-01-24 16:00 - 19:00
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First Sundays

Come brighten up your week at the OMCA Garden, transformed with radiant light structures that pay homage to the aesthetic themes of Into the Brightness.

This pool of light and joy will be accompanied with a backdrop of music, toasty hot drinks, and a free sweet treat for the first 25 tickets purchased for Special Exhibition, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD.

Access to the light-filled Garden is free of charge while cost for the special exhibition is $25.

The Garden will be lit and galleries open 5pm- 8pm January 24 – January 27 and 5pm – 7pm January 28.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

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Into the Brightness Garden Lights Celebration
2024-01-25 16:00 - 19:00
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First Sundays

Come brighten up your week at the OMCA Garden, transformed with radiant light structures that pay homage to the aesthetic themes of Into the Brightness.

This pool of light and joy will be accompanied with a backdrop of music, toasty hot drinks, and a free sweet treat for the first 25 tickets purchased for Special Exhibition, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD.

Access to the light-filled Garden is free of charge while cost for the special exhibition is $25 and also includes access to our core galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences.

The Garden will be lit and galleries open 5pm- 8pm January 24 – January 27 and 5pm – 7pm January 28.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

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Into the Brightness Garden Lights Celebration
2024-01-26 16:00 - 19:00
First Sundays

Come brighten up your week at the OMCA Garden, transformed with radiant light structures that pay homage to the aesthetic themes of Into the Brightness.

This pool of light and joy will be accompanied with a backdrop of music, toasty hot drinks by Town Fare Cafe, and a free sweet treat for the first 25 tickets purchased for Special Exhibition, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD.

Access to the light-filled Garden is free of charge while cost for the special exhibition is $25.

The Garden will be lit and galleries open 5pm- 8pm January 24 – January 27 and 5pm – 7pm January 28.

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 visitor@museumca.org at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.

Return to Events
