BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) - ECPv6.15.16.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://museumca.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Oakland Museum of California (OMCA)
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20230312T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20231105T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20240310T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20241103T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241117T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241117T150000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241010T191425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241113T000009Z
UID:10001724-1731848400-1731855600@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Celebrating Maize Through Screenprinting and Conversation with Xicanx Artists\, Melanie Cervantes & Elizabeth Blancas
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Celebrating Maize Through Screenprinting and Conversation with Xicanx Artists\, Melanie Cervantes & Elizabeth Blancas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for an engaging event. This program will explore Indigenous Xicanx heritage and its deep connection to maize (corn). Engage with a screenprinting poster activity and informal talk with featured artist\, Melanie Cervantes & guest artist\, Elizabeth Blancas\, who will delve into the themes presented in our special exhibition\, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples. We invite you to connect\, learn\, and celebrate with us! \n\n\n\nThis event is free and open to the public. \n\n\n\nNote: Masks required to attend this program. Masks will be available upon request. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nArtists\n\n\n\nMelanie Cervantes (Xicanx) makes her home in San Leandro\, California where she creates visual art that is inspired by the people around her and her communities’ desire for radical social transformation. Her intention is to create a visual lexicon of resistance to multiple oppressions that will inspire curiosity\, raise consciousness and inspire solidarities among communities of struggle. Melanie’s practice includes the production of screen prints\, political posters and multimedia projects that are grounded in Third World and indigenous movements that build people’s power to transform the conditions of fragmentation\, displacement and loss of culture that result from histories of colonialism\, patriarchy\, genocide\, and exploitation. The purpose of this work is to illustrate stories of struggle\, resistance and triumph into artwork that can be put back into the hands of the communities who inspire it. \n\n\n\nElizabeth Blancas (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist working in mediums including: muralism\, ceramics\, illustration\, printmaking and florals. She utilizes art as a tool for resistance as well as a celebration of the communities she comes from and is in solidarity with. Through her practice\, she explores themes of culture\, spirituality\, healing\, justice\, sexuality\, and womanhood. Blancas holds a B.A. from UCLA in Chicanx Studies and Art History. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-celebrating-maize-through-screenprinting-and-conversation-with-xicanx-artists-melanie-cervantes-elizabeth-blancas/
LOCATION:OMCA Lecture Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/img_2415-1-e1728683085928.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241120T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241120T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241010T214542Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241120T224207Z
UID:10001725-1732125600-1732132800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Before You Are Here: Decolonial Cartographies and the Indigenous Bay Area
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBefore You Are Here: Decolonial Cartographies and the Indigenous Bay Area\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis event is sold out. \n\n\n\nCelebrate Native Heritage Month with the release of the Before You Are Here map and event uplifting Ohlone voices and perspectives exploring the histories and representations of Bay Area Indigenous territories and their present manifestations. \n\n\n\nThe Before You Are Here map challenges traditional cartographic paradigms by weaving together multiple spaces and times to depict the Bay Area as an ambiguous\, relational\, and deeply contested site focusing on the where\, rather than the when.  \n\n\n\nSpeakers will include Corrina Gould\, Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation\, Gregg Castro\, T’rowt’raahl Salinan / Rumsien-Ramaytush Ohlone\, and Quirina Geary\, Tamien Nation\, along with UC Berkeley cartographer Clancy Wilmott. Hosted By Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. \n\n\n\n\n Sold out\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\nCorrina Gould (Tribal Chair for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation)\, was born and raised in the village of Huichin\, now known as Oakland CA. She is the Co-Founder and Lead Organizer for Indian People Organizing for Change\, a small Native-run organization\, and the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust\, an urban Indigenous women-led organization within her ancestral territory. Through the practices of rematriation\, cultural revitalization\, and land restoration\, the Land Trust calls on Native and non-Native peoples to heal and transform legacies of colonization\, genocide\, and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. \n\n\n\nGregg Castro [t’rowt’raahl Salinan/rumsien-ramaytush Ohlone]\, has been involved in preservation of his cultural heritage for nearly three decades\, for both his late Mother’s rumsien Ohlone heritage\, and on his late Father’s side\, the since ended ‘Salinan Nation Tribal Council’ (serving two terms as Tribal Chair) and currently the non-profit organization\, Salinan T’rowt’raahl. Gregg is a member of the Society for California Archaeology (SCA). Gregg is a Co-Facilitator for the annual California Indian Conference\, a 30+ year gathering about California Indigenous heritage. Gregg is a writer and activist within the California indigenous community\, on issues regarding cultural preservation\, protection\, education and traditional practices. \n\n\n\nClancy Wilmott is an Assistant Professor in Critical Cartography\, Geovisualization and Design in the Berkeley Centre for New Media and the Department of Geography. She comes to UC Berkeley from the Department of Geography at the University of Manchester\, where she received her PhD in Human Geography with a multi-site study on the interaction between mobile phone maps\, cartographic discourse and postcolonial landscapes. \n\n\n\nQuirina Luna Geary is an enrolled citizen and Chairwoman of the Tamien Nation of the Santa Clara Valley. She is a board member for the Advocates of Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS) and studied linguistics at the University of California Davis. She has worked for over 26 years revitalizing the language of her great-grandmother and has co-authored several academic publications. She is an advocate for the protection and preservation of Tamien cultural and sacred landscapes and has received the KQED American Indian Heritage Local Hero Award for her community service. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Sogorea Te’ Land Trust\n\n\n\nSogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. Through the practices of rematriation\, cultural revitalization\, and land restoration\, Sogorea Te’ calls on Native and non-native peoples to heal and transform the legacies of colonization\, genocide\, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/before-you-are-here-decolonial-cartographies-and-the-indigenous-bay-area/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater\, 1000 Oak St\,\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Ticketed,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/BeforeYouAreHere_Event_Image_640x425px-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241206T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241208T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241121T173623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241121T173624Z
UID:10001823-1733482800-1733677200@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Semi—Annual Member Shop Sale
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIt’s sale time! Join us onsite and online for the semi-annual Member sale at the OMCA Shop. Starting Friday\, December 6 through Sunday\, December 8\, OMCA Members enjoy double their regular discount on regularly priced items in our Shop–that’s 20% off! \n\n\n\nExplore our full range of gifts available at the OMCA Shop and show your Membership card at check-out. The OMCA Shop is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. \n\n\n\nFor our online shoppers\, be sure to check your Member emails for exclusive coupon codes that unlock your discounts when you shop online. \n\n\n\nPerfect Holiday Gifts \n\n\n\nThe perfect gift doesn’t exist. Or does it? This season\, limited edition ornaments\, laser cut cards\, puzzles\, housewares\, jewelry\, and more are sure to make your spirits bright!  \n\n\n\nTreat Yourself \n\n\n\nNeed a break from the holiday hustle and bustle?  Soothe your body and soul with scented candles\, natural soaps\, and thought-provoking reads. Take home books featuring Angela Davis\, Edith Heath\, or the Bay Area Ridge Trail and give your senses a treat. \n\n\n\nPet Pampering \n\n\n\nFur-babies enjoy treats too and OMCA has you covered! Squeaky toys\, bandanas\, and collars are guaranteed to show off your pet’s sparkling personality this season. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLET’S SHOP\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\n*20% off applies to regularly priced items only. A limited number of items are available online. For the full collection of OMCA products\, please visit the OMCA Shop onsite during regular Museum hours. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/semiannual-member-shop-sale-12-24/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Shop,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023_OMCA_Shop_Visitor_Staff_PhotoCredit_LeopoldoMacaya5N2A0625-Enhanced-NR-1-1-e1719965294283.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241214T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241214T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241112T173656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T235811Z
UID:10001742-1734177600-1734181200@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Art that Asks Questions
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Art that Asks Questions \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this installation of Member Tours\, OMCA’s experienced Gallery Chats facilitators will guide guests through inquiries of who we are\, how we see the world\, and what we even consider to be art. These selected works from OMCA’s Gallery of California Art—from different eras\, in different genres and styles—aim to challenge how we see our world and expand our understanding of how art functions in our everyday lives. Come join us! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator Bio\n\n\n\nAvril Angevine is an OMCA Gallery Chats Facilitator and a lifelong art aficionado with a particular interest in modern\, contemporary\, and California art. She speaks on art subjects at various locations in the Bay Area\, including the OLLI programs at Santa Clara University\, Dominican College\, San Francisco State\, and the Fromm Institute. Avril has a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and taught English and Humanities at local colleges. She is also a museum guide at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art\, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art\, and the Oakland Museum of California. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-art-that-asks-questions/
LOCATION:OMCA Gallery of California Art\, 1000 Oak St\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/header-sept-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241215T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241215T150000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241112T174923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241120T233639Z
UID:10001743-1734267600-1734274800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Weaving Identity through Generations with Consuelo Jimenez Underwood and The Butterfly Effect
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Weaving Identity through Generations with Consuelo Jimenez Underwood and The Butterfly Effect\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThrough the lens of ancestral tapestries Weaving Identity through Generations will explore homelands and the experience of belonging. This intergenerational offering will begin with an artist’s presentation and conversation in OMCA’s James Moore Theater with Calli: Art of Xicanx Peoples featured artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood and Chair of the Latinx Research Center at UC Berkeley\, Laura E. Pérez.  \n\n\n\nThen we will move out into our beautiful garden for a power wand making activity led by Consuelo and youth from The Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect is an art and activism project led by Bay Area youth. The project started as an effort to raise awareness and inspire a permanent end to immigrant child detention.  \n\n\n\nThe power wand has roots in many cultures and is a symbol of healing\, power\, and peace. Visitors of all ages are welcomed to the garden to weave and wrap individual wands with textiles that include the names of friends\, family\, and/or ancestors to create an object that imbues distinctive and personal meaning. Please join us for this fun and inspiring day.   \n\n\n\nJames Moore Theater is Sliding Scale ($1–$30) \n\n\n\nOMCA Garden is Free and Open to the Public \n\n\n\n\nGeneral TICKETS AVAILABLE 12/3\n\n\n\nMEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-weaving-identity-through-generations-with-consuelo-jimenez-underwood-and-the-butterfly-effect/
LOCATION:OMCA campus
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190728173909359_COVER-1-e1731433680846.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250111T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250111T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241210T235141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241211T004856Z
UID:10001826-1736596800-1736600400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Oakland Nature Walk with OMCA’s Curator of Natural Science\, Ryder Diaz
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Oakland Nature Walk with OMCA’s Curator of Natural Science\, Ryder Diaz\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis month’s installation of Member Tours at OMCA is calling for nature lovers (and the nature curious) to wear your walking shoes\, pack your binoculars*\, and come ready to explore the wonders of Oakland’s natural history. Join us for a special nature walk led by OMCA’s Curator of Natural Science\, Ryder Diaz.  \n\n\n\nThe tour will begin at the Mid Level ticketing desk and then will move through the OMCA Garden to learn more about the habitat in our own backyard. Next\, Ryder will lead the group out of our 12th Street entrance to learn more about the natural history of Lake Merritt and its surrounding creeks. Without venturing too far off\, the group will be prompted to notice the various birds and critters along the way! The walk will conclude back at OMCA’s Gallery of California Natural Sciences with a chance to integrate what visitors saw during the tour. Come join us in the new year for a fun and engaging way to connect with each other and our surroundings—Oakland is better in person. \n\n\n\n*Please note that tour spots are limited and that a small number of binoculars will be available. Participation and binoculars will be first come first serve. In the event of rain\, this program will be rescheduled. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRyder Diaz (he/they) is OMCA’s Natural Sciences Curator. They have helped to develop science-related exhibitions at Bay Area museums for the past decade. Ryder brings an interdisciplinary background and approach to his work: He has degrees in Science Communication\, Population Biology\, Metropolitan Studies\, and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Outside of OMCA\, Ryder co-organizes a monthly bird walk for queer and trans people of color\, as well as facilitates an all-volunteer\, creekside habitat-restoration project in the Fruitvale. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-oakland-nature-walk-with-omcas-curator-of-natural-science-ryder-diaz/
LOCATION:Gallery of California Natural Sciences\, 1000 Oak St\,\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/HIRES_5N2A2826-Enhanced-NR_adrian-edit.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250119T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250119T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20241210T234125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250115T210816Z
UID:10001825-1737284400-1737291600@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Community Conversations: Reclaiming Democracy\, Building Belonging
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCommunity Conversations: Reclaiming Democracy\, Building Belonging\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOMCA’s Spotlight Sundays is excited to introduce “Community Conversations\,”  a new series in partnership with The Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI). This new series of conversations will create a space to foster public dialogue and engagement around emerging community topics.  \n\n\n\nThe program’s first installment this January will explore the topic of Reclaiming Democracy\, Building Belonging. The panel will include john a. powell\, Director of OBI and Professor of Law\, African American and Ethnic Studies at the University of California\, Berkeley\, Ernestine Nettles\, President of the Oakland League of Women Voters\, and Olivia Richardson Feldman who is the Co-Chair of the Oakland Youth Commission. The panel will be moderated by Ashley Gallegos who leads the Places of Belonging work at OBI and will feature open remarks from Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and former Congresswoman Barbara Lee. .  \n\n\n\nThis interactive experience will encourage audience participation and will be grounded by an opening performance by the Belonging Residency Company that will orient the space toward our shared humanity through the arts. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ngeneral tickets\n\n\n\nMEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGet 15% off a signed copy of john e. powell’s book\, The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong when you purchase a ticket to the event online. Limited supply.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPresenters\n\n\n\njohn a.powell is Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute and Professor of Law\, African American\, and Ethnic Studies at the University of California\, Berkeley. He was previously the Executive Director at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at the Ohio State University\, and prior to that\, the founder and director of the Institute for Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota. John formerly served as the National Legal Director of the American Civil  Liberties Union (ACLU). He is a co-founder of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council and serves on the boards of  several national and international organizations. john led the development of an “opportunity-based” model that connects affordable housing to education\, health\, healthcare\, and employment and is well-known for his work developing the frameworks of “targeted universalism” and “othering and  belonging” to affect equity-based interventions. john has taught at numerous law schools including Harvard and Columbia  University. His latest books are Belonging Without Othering\, How We Save Ourselves and the World\, and The Power  of Bridging\, How to Build a World where we all Belong.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nAshley Gallegos leads the Places of Belonging work at the Othering and Belonging Institute. Her work focuses on advancing belonging in collaboration with people\, groups\, and institutions through a place-based approach with global connection. Ashley believes in the power of belonging and is inspired by its ability to invite people and places to build for the betterment of ourselves\, our communities\, and our shared world. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nErnestine Nettles is the first Black president of the League of Women Voters Oakland\, and has been an active member of the Oakland League for the past 12 years and has served on the board of directors for 10 years. She has spent most of her professional life promoting and supporting small businesses. Her position as a Contract Compliance Officer for the City of Oakland has placed her at the forefront of small business advocacy. She is the first point of entry for a company that wants to get certified with the City of Oakland.  She works to help ensure businesses are prepared to receive Oakland’s promise of diversity\, equity and inclusion. Her expertise has helped countless professionals and small businesses get a foothold in Oakland and prepared for opportunities throughout the business world. She gained this experience and became an advocate for small business while working for Golden State Business League and Sysco Foods. Additionally\, while working as an Equal Employment Opportunities Officer and as a Chief Legislative Analyst for the City of Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority in addition to working to establish the Tom and Ethel Bradley Foundation\, she obtained a deep passion for equity and inclusion.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOlivia Richardson Feldman is currently a senior attending Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco. As an Oakland native\, she serves as Co-Chair of the Oakland Youth Commission alongside other Oakland youth to voice concerns to city government. Her leadership extends to activism in her founding of her school’s anti-hate speech campaign\, Black Student Union presidency\, and as Editor-in-Chief of her student newspaper. As a creator of the Civil Discourse circles in her high school\, she aims to hold thoughtful conversations across differences to create a community where everyone is seen. In her free time\, she enjoys writing poems and music as well as playing shortstop on the softball field. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/community-conversations-reclaiming-democracy-building-belonging/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Ticketed,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/BRC_conference-image_1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250216T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250216T153000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250109T005651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250215T013202Z
UID:10001838-1739714400-1739719800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Gospel at the Museum
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Gospel at the Museum\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSOLD OUT\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis Black History Month\, join us for a powerful night of gospel music at the museum created by Dr. Adam “Ology” Rogers—radio station owner\, music producer\, and community organizer. Hosted by KPOO radio personality DJ Sherita (Re Re) Evans\, this performance uplifts the deep ties between gospel music and African American history. \n\n\n\nFeaturing renowned gospel artists\, the performance musically reflects various key dynamics in African American history\, from antebellum hymns of resistance to Civil Rights anthems and modern gospel; it’s a celebration of how gospel music has inspired hope\, sparked change\, and connected generations. \n\n\n\nThe event kicks off at 2 pm\, and Town Fare by Michele McQueen on OMCA’s Mid Level (open from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) is prepared to offer a rounded Sunday experience. McQueen’s menu\, inspired by her Southern roots and Oakland upbringing\, offers the perfect complement to this celebratory day. \n\n\n\nThis event has sold out. \n\n\n\n\nSOLD OUT\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPerformer Bio\n\n\n\nA musical prodigy\, Dr. Adam Rogers began playing multiple instruments at age 8. By age 12\, he became the jurisdictional organist for Northern California’s 1st Jurisdiction in the Church of God in Christ. Dr. Adam has accompanied gospel legends like Kim Burrell and Marvin Sapp. He earned a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Religion from San Francisco State University and two Associate degrees from Laney College. Dr. Rogers directed the gospel choir at UC Berkeley as well as the M.D. for Saint Mary’s College &Contra Costa College gospel choir while serving as minister of music at Ephesians COGIC Berkeley. In 2023\, he received a Doctorate in Sacred Music. \n\n\n\nFounder of Believe Radio Media Group LLC\, BRMGroup Films\, and SyncHouseMedia LLC Dr. Rogers has produced award-winning content\, charted on Billboard. He is collaborating with networks like Impact Network and Tubi. In 2025\, he was appointed Communications Coordinator for the NAACP Vallejo branch\, Western Regional Media Specialist\, California State President of the National Association of Gospel Radio. His accolades include Stellar Award nominations in radio\, Spin Awards winner and Gospel Choice Business Owner of the Year honors. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-gospel-at-the-museum/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Gospel-image-1-e1736384158296.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250308T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250308T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250210T192101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250226T220542Z
UID:10001863-1741435200-1741438800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Ancestral Visions with Chelsea Ryoko Wong
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Ancestral Visions with Chelsea Ryoko Wong\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn celebration of Women’s History Month\, this month’s Member Tour will feature a special guest\, Chelsea Ryoko Wong\, the 2024 Harker Fund Artist-in-Residence. On this tour\, Wong will share about her exciting new installation titled Ancestral Visions on view in the Gallery of California Art. \n\n\n\nInspired by textiles from the OMCA collection\, Wong’s research focused on the wardrobes\, photographs\, and ephemera of six 20th-century Chinese American women—Rose Setzo\, Sophia Chang Wong\, Grace Dea\, Lei Kim Lim\, Sun Fung Lee Wong\, and Chop Chin Chum.  \n\n\n\nThis unique project highlights Wong’s colorful paintings in an immersive environment that will showcase the dresses the women wore\, known as qipao or cheongsam\, as well as illuminate what is known of their lives. Ancestral Visions: An Installation by  Chelsea Ryoko Wong is supported by the Harker Fund Artist Residency Program. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nChelsea Ryoko Wong (b. 1986\, Seattle\, WA) attended Parsons School of Design\, New York and received her BFA in printmaking from California College of the Arts. In 2024\, she was awarded the Harker Fund Residency at the Oakland Museum of California where she will enjoy a solo exhibition in 2025. She was a 2022 finalist for SFMOMA’s esteemed SECA Art Award and was included in Yerba Buena Center for the Art’s 2023 Bay Area Now 9 triennial. She has participated in recent group exhibitions at the de Young\, San Francisco; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts\, San Francisco\, CA; Creativity Explored\, San Francisco\, CA; Chinese Cultural Center\, San Francisco\, CA; and Bolinas Museum\, CA. She has been commissioned for large-scale projects and murals in San Francisco at SFMOMA; Asian Art Museum; Asana; La Cocina; Facebook Artist in Residence Program. Her work has been acquired by institutional and private collections including the de Young\, San Francisco; Crocker Art Museum\, Sacramento\, CA\, and Bolinas Museum\, CA. Wong lives and works in the Mission District of San Francisco. She is represented by Jessica Silverman\, San Francisco.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-ancestral-visions-with-chelsea-ryoko-wong/
LOCATION:OMCA Gallery of California Art\, 1000 Oak St\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/6U4A0266-Enhanced-NR.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250316T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250316T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250210T191337Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250304T010444Z
UID:10001862-1742130000-1742135400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Reimagining Justice — A Conversation with Malkia Devich-Cyril & Jessica Lanyadoo\, with Music by Mahsa Vahdat
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Reimagining Justice — A Conversation with Malkia Devich-Cyril & Jessica Lanyadoo\, with Music by Mahsa Vahdat\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn celebration of Women’s History Month\, join us for an interactive conversation with Black liberation advocate\, Malkia Devich-Cyril\, and activist-astrologer\, Jessica Lanyadoo. They will discuss how moments of great personal and collective challenges can become transformative forces in the fight for social justice and liberation. \n\n\n\nThe event will begin with a call-and-response musical performance by internationally acclaimed Iranian Bay Area based singer Mahsa Vahdat and musician\, Atabak Elyas. Vahdat\, a passionate advocate for women’s rights\, has courageously defied restrictions on female singers in Iran. Her voice blends her rich cultural heritage with universal themes of resistance and resilience. Together\, we’ll engage in a collective experience to imagine a more equitable and just world. \n\n\n\n\nGENERAL TICKETS\n\n\n\nMEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPanelist Bios\n\n\n\nMalkia Devich-Cyril is a Left movement strategist and facilitator\, writer\, public speaker and award winning activist on issues of collective grief\, Black liberation\, narrative change and power building. As the founding and former director of Media Justice\, Malkia spearheaded national grassroots efforts for abolition and access in a digital age\, galvanizing communities of color for an open Internet and media accountability. After two decades of media justice leadership\, and in an era of devastating mass loss\, Devich-Cyril has launched the Radical Loss Project\, a Black-led change lab transforming how modern freedom movements face loss and build collective power through collective grief.  \n\n\n\nJessica Lanyadoo is a Humanistic Astrologer\, psychic medium\, and animal communicator with over three decades of professional experience. Known for her grounded and accessible approach\, she helps individuals cultivate emotional intelligence and navigate life with clarity. Lanyadoo is the author of Meditations for Your Sign (2025) and Astrology for Real Relationships (2020) and hosts the acclaimed podcast Ghost of a Podcast. Her work has been featured in CNN\, The Today Show\, Rolling Stone\, Vogue Italia\, Time Magazine\, Oprah Magazine\, and more. In 2022\, Lanyadoo contributed an immersive installation to the Hella Feminist exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California\, inviting visitors to release emotions tied to systemic inequities. Through her multidisciplinary practice\, she explores the intersection of astrology\, accountability\, and social justice. Her work can be found at lovelanyadoo.com. \n\n\n\nMahsa Vahdat\, an internationally acclaimed singer and musician from Iran living in the San Francisco Bay area\, is dedicated to both her personal\, lifelong musical and artistic path and the greater cause of freedom of expression. Her artistic work has offered audiences around the globe a deeper appreciation of Iranian poetry and music. With her enchanting voice deeply rooted in the heritage of her beloved country Iran\, and her innovative musical expression and wide-ranging repertoire\, she has fearlessly defied the bans on music and solo women singers imposed by Iranian authorities after the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979. She continues to interact with a diverse international audience that highly appreciates her art. \n\n\n\nBeyond her musical achievements\, Mahsa Vahdat is a passionate vocal educator and advocate for women’s rights. Her life’s work\, in particular\, empowers women by encouraging them to raise their voices. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-reimagining-justice-a-conversation-with-malkia-cyril-devich-jessica-lanyadoo-with-music-by-mahsa-vahdat/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/spotlight-sundays-March-300-x-200-px-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250412T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250412T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250313T005740Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250313T184647Z
UID:10001871-1744459200-1744462800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Born of the Bear Dance Tour with Drew Johnson\, Curator of Photography & Visual Culture at OMCA
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Born of the Bear Dance Tour with Drew Johnson\, Curator of Photography & Visual Culture at OMCA\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDrew Johnson\, curator of Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California\, will illuminate the powerful communities and stories behind the exhibition’s captivating images. Join Johnson as he shares the collaborations and partnerships that brought Aguilar’s remarkable photographic collection to OMCA\, resulting in this impactful display.  \n\n\n\nExplore the creative process behind the project and discover how these photographs reflect the vibrancy\, resilience\, and rich cultural heritage of Native communities in California. We hope you’ll join us for this special program and gain a deeper understanding of the work’s significance. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\nPlease note that tour spots are limited. A sign up sheet will be available at the Ticketing Desk when checking in so get here early to grab your spot! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nDrew Heath Johnson is Curator of Photography & Visual Culture at the Oakland Museum of California\, where he has worked since 1989. His many exhibitions at the Museum include Capturing Light: Masterpieces of California Photography\, 1850 – 2000\, Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California\, and Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing which traveled to venues in Europe and the United States. Among his duties is stewardship and public sharing of the Dorothea Lange Archive\, which holds more than 6\,000 vintage prints and 40\,000 negatives\, along with personal correspondence\, field notes\, proof sheets\, and working documents from the artist. His publications include Silver & Gold: Cased Images of the California Gold Rush and the award-winning exhibition catalog for Capturing Light. Born and raised in Oakland\, he has been a student of photography since purchasing his first daguerreotype at the age of fourteen. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-born-of-the-bear-dance-tour-with-drew-johnson-curator-of-photography-visual-culture-at-omca/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/5N2A6235-Enhanced-NR-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250420T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250420T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250313T004913Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250328T085701Z
UID:10001870-1745154000-1745159400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Celebrating Native Heritage through Photography—A Conversation with Ashley Salaz and Haley Day Rains
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Celebrating Native Heritage through Photography—A Conversation with Ashley Salaz and Haley Day Rains\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for this month’s Spotlight Sundays as we dive into the power of photography in honoring and amplifying Native heritage. This thought-provoking panel discussion features two dynamic Native creatives: Oakland-based Coharie and Nahua photographer Ashley Salaz and Mvskoke photographer\, scholar\, and filmmaker Haley Day Rains. Moderated by Drew Johnson\, OMCA Curator of Photography & Visual Culture\, the conversation will explore how photography serves as a vital tool for storytelling\, cultural preservation\, and community connection.This program is part of the exhibition Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California—on view through June 2025—and draws on Dugan Aguilar’s legacy of documenting the vibrancy and resilience of Indigenous communities. The discussion will address key themes of representation\, reciprocity\, and the ways in which photography can be rooted in and shaped by community. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage in this meaningful conversation.  \n\n\n\n\ngeneral TICKETS\n\n\n\nMEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPanelist Bios\n\n\n\nAshley Salaz is an Indigenous storyteller living in the occupied Ohlone territory of Huchiun (Oakland\, CA). She is an enrolled member of the Coharie Tribe (North Carolina)\, but was born and raised in the urban sprawl of the East Bay Area. Ashley began photographing Indigenous people in California as a way to connect to a culture that she didn’t know growing up\, and to tell modern stories of the people who have tended to this land since time immemorial. \n\n\n\nAshley is a self-taught photographer and is passionate about photographing political actions in the Bay Area. She uses her medium to highlight Indigenous activism\, community work and kinship. Ashley has a keen eye for capturing raw emotion and an unromanticized authenticity of Native peoples through her photos. \n\n\n\nShe is currently shooting freelance photography as well as directing her first documentary short film about her tribe’s Native-run school and the lasting effects of its closure on the community. \n\n\n\nHaley Day Rains (Mvskoke) is an exhibiting and published photographer\, scholar\, filmmaker\, and current UC President’s/Andrew Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Film and Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz. She earned her Ph.D. in Native American Studies at the University of California\, Davis. Haley’s research and creative practice center on cultural and economic self-determination in historically underrepresented and underserved communities. \n\n\n\nDrew Heath Johnson is Curator of Photography & Visual Culture at the Oakland Museum of California\, where he has worked since 1989. His many exhibitions at the Museum include Capturing Light: Masterpieces of California Photography\, 1850 – 2000\, Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California\, and Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing which traveled to venues in Europe and the United States. Among his duties is stewardship and public sharing of the Dorothea Lange Archive\, which holds more than 6\,000 vintage prints and 40\,000 negatives\, along with personal correspondence\, field notes\, proof sheets\, and working documents from the artist. His publications include Silver & Gold: Cased Images of the California Gold Rush and the award-winning exhibition catalog for Capturing Light. Born and raised in Oakland\, he has been a student of photography since purchasing his first daguerreotype at the age of fourteen. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-celebrating-native-heritage-through-photography-a-conversation-with-ashley-salaz-and-haley-day-rains/
LOCATION:OMCA Lecture Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IMG_7840-Ashley-Salaz.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250425T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250425T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250318T194708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250320T141525Z
UID:10001872-1745600400-1745609400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Friday Nights at OMCA\nSpecial Members Lounge
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCalling all Members! Join us for a special members lounge on the Upper Level terrace\, overlooking our Garden. Mingle with fellow OMCA enthusiasts while enjoying light refreshments\, sidewalk chalk\, and games for the entire family. Plus\, we’ll be playing bingo and giving away awesome OMCA merch! \n\n\n\nFriday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid \n\n\n\nFriday\, April 25 | 5-9 pm \n\n\n\nThis Friday\, join us at OMCA for a night of Latin rhythms\, dance\, and vibrant energy! Dos Four\, a dynamic fusion of Caribbean and Afro-Latin sounds\, will take the stage\, blending Salsa\, Cumbia\, Salsa Choque\, Latino House\, and more. Plus moving with an Intro to Disco class: Friday Night Fever! led by community activist\, dancer\, and creative\, Soulchild. DJ Fasho will keep the beats flowing with a mix of R&B\, Afro beats\, Reggae\, Pop\, and Reggaeton\, ensuring a high-energy atmosphere throughout the night. Don’t miss this celebration of creativity and culture—join us for a vibrant day at OMCA. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLEARN MORE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/friday-nights-at-omca-special-members-lounge-4-25/
LOCATION:OMCA Garden\, 1000 Oak Street\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Family,Free,Friday Nights at OMCA,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2022_OMCA_Gardens_FridayNights_Games_Visitor_Families_PhotoCredit_MariahBerdiago52142566424_6cfd9584c2_c-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250415T001329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250502T221629Z
UID:10001881-1746878400-1746882000@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: California AAPI History
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: California AAPI History\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month\, come share your questions and reflections on key moments in California Asian American history and explore how the causes and consequences of these events still reverberate today. What are the many ways Asian Americans have contributed to the “Becoming California” story in OMCA’s Gallery of California History? How might more Asian American stories be uplifted and heard? Come join the conversation in this month’s Member Gallery Chat with Margaret Yee. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\nPlease note that tour spots are limited. A sign up sheet will be available at the Ticketing Desk when checking in so get here early to grab your spot! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nMargaret Yee has been volunteering at OMCA since 2017\, first as a History gallery docent and now as a School Programs and Gallery Chats Facilitator. A former high school teacher and museum educator\, Margaret enjoys doing Gallery Chats because she loves the OMCA community and always learns something new from every conversation she has with a visitor. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-california-aapi-history/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2022_OMCA_HistoryGallery_Visitor_PC_AndrewJorgensenOAKLAND_MUSEUM_CA_JORGPHOTO_20220708_151343_7568-4-e1744675986463.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250515T230000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250518T225959
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250415T190245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250513T162547Z
UID:10001883-1747350000-1747609199@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Bonus Reciprocity Weekend with Gardens of Golden Gate Park
DESCRIPTION:Member Bonus Reciprocity Weekend: The Gardens of Golden Gate Park \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCelebrate two incredible Bay Area institutions\, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) and Gardens of Golden Gate Park\, with a bonus reciprocity weekend\, May 16 to 18! OMCA Members will enjoy free admission for themselves and a guest to three remarkable gardens—Conservatory of Flowers\, Japanese Tea Garden\, and San Francisco Botanical Garden.  \n\n\n\nExplore the beauty of rare and unusual plants at the Conservatory of Flowers\, find serenity at the historic Japanese Tea Garden\, and marvel at the world of plants at the SF Botanical Garden—all in one park. Simply present your OMCA membership card at the ticketing kiosk and enjoy. No reservation is required. \n\n\n\nPlus\, enjoy 20% off tickets to Noticing Nature with Local Artist Hollis Callas and Sketching with Sami on Saturday\, May 17. Check your email for the promo code. \n\n\n\nQuestions or comments? Please contact the OMCA Membership team at membership@museumca.org or 510-318-8520. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\nPhoto credit: courtesy of Gardens of Golden Gate Park
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-bonus-reciprocity-weekend-with-gardens-of-golden-gate-park/
LOCATION:Gardens of Golden Gate Park\, 1199 9th Avenue\, San Francisco\, California\, 94122\, United States
CATEGORIES:Offsite,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ezgif.com-animated-gif-maker-6.gif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250518T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250518T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250415T003004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250516T183448Z
UID:10001882-1747573200-1747578600@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Screening of The School: The Legacy of Hintil Ku’u Ca and Panel Talk with School Participants and Film Director
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Screening of The School: The Legacy of Hintil Ku’u Ca and Panel Talk with School Participants and Film Director\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for the premiere of The School: The Legacy of Hintil Ku’u Ca\, a powerful film created and directed by an all-Native team. This documentary traces the origins of Oakland’s first urban Native child development center\, which began during the All-Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island (1969-1971) and is still in operation today. \n\n\n\nThe afternoon will begin with a traditional drum and dance offering from J.J. Ahboah (Kiowa/Cheyenne) and Teresa Littlebird (Northern Cheyenne)\, followed by the film screening. \n\n\n\nAfterward\, a panel featuring those who attended\, taught\, and shaped The School—Linda Aranaydo (Muscogee Creek/Kialegee Tribal Town/Bear Clan & Filipina)\, Lisa McKay (Pomo/Wailaki/Wintun)\, Kevin Nez (Navajo)\, and language carrier for her Tribe\, Deja Gould (Chochenyo/Confederated Villages of Lisjan)—will engage in a discussion about cultural reawakening and language preservation. The conversation will be moderated by the film’s director and Hintil Ku’u Ca student and teacher\, Mike J. Marin (Navajo/Laguna Pueblo/Washoe). \n\n\n\nThis event is part of our exhibition programming for  Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California—on view through June 2025. Don’t miss it! \n\n\n\n\ngeneral TICKETS\n\n\n\nMEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPanelist and Performer Bios\n\n\n\nDeja Gould (Chochenyo/Confederated Villages of Lisjan) was born and raised in her traditional territory in the East Bay\, in the village of Huchiun. Deja is a core member of the administrative office team and a land team lead. Deja is the Chochenyo language carrier for her Tribe the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation\, she enjoys bringing her children to the land to connect with soil and life around them\, seed save and learn about traditional plant use. \n\n\n\nMike J. Marin (Navajo/Laguna Pueblo/Washoe) is an award-winning indie filmmaker who attended Hintil in the mid 1970’s and  returned back to Hintil as a teacher from 1998 – 2002.  \n\n\n\nKevin Nez (Navajo) has worked for Southwest Airlines for over 30 years and attended Hintil in the  mid 1970’s.  \n\n\n\nLisa McKay (Pomo/Wailaki/Wintun) currently works in health care for Alameda County and attended The School  (which became Hintil) when it was founded on Alcatraz Island during the occupation in  the early 1970’s.  \n\n\n\nLinda Aranaydo (Muscogee Creek/Kialegee Tribal Town/Bear Clan/Hillubee Ceremonial Ground) was a teacher at Hintil in the 1970’s. Her brother Kanuto “Sonny” Aranaydo helped establish Hintil in East Bay when it moved from Alcatraz in the 1970s. \n\n\n\nTeresa Littlebird (Northern Cheyenne) is an Oakland native and carries the Cheyenne name Vóemé’ėhné’e\, meaning “First Appearing Woman.” She is a northern traditional dancer\, wearing a hand-crafted buckskin dress adorned with beadwork in traditional Cheyenne colors and designs — all of which she designs and creates herself. Each summer she travels the powwow trail celebrating culture. Beyond her cultural work\, Teresa serves her community as a special education paraprofessional in Oakland Unified School District and supports special needs children in their homes and communities. \n\n\n\nThomas Phillips (Kiowa/Muscogee Creek/Hualapai/Navajo)\, lives in California’s San Joaquin Central Valley and is a proud father of six. As a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan and President of the Silver State Gourd Society\, he is dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich culture of the southern plains. Alongside his work as an operations manager\, Thomas teaches cultural classes\, including powwow dance styles and protocols\, to Native youth. He is honored to have served in many roles on the powwow trail—including head dancer\, head singer\, arena director\, and head judge. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-screening-of-the-school-the-legacy-of-hintil-kuu-ca-and-panel-talk-with-school-participants-and-film-director/
LOCATION:OMCA Lecture Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250712T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250712T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250606T183237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250606T183238Z
UID:10002170-1752321600-1752325200@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Women Artists of the OMCA Gallery of California Art
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Women Artists of the OMCA Gallery of California Art\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a woman-focused walk through the art gallery with Gallery Chats facilitator\, Avril Angevine. Take a deep dive into the background of some of California’s best—and least—known women artists. Delight in their mesmerizing work and hear stories about their lives\, practices\, and challenges. Featuring artists Sonia Getchoff\, Viola Frey\, Carmen Lomas Garza\, Hung Liu\, Margaret Peterson\, and Ann Weber. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\nPlease note that tour spots are limited. A sign up sheet will be available at the Ticketing Desk when checking in so get here early to grab your spot! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nAvril Angevine is an OMCA Gallery Chats Facilitator and a lifelong art aficionado with a particular interest in modern\, contemporary\, and California art. She speaks on art subjects at various locations in the Bay Area\, including the OLLI programs at Santa Clara University\, Dominican College\, San Francisco State\, and the Fromm Institute. Avril has a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and taught English and Humanities at local colleges. She is also a museum guide at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art\, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art\, and the Oakland Museum of California. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-women-artists-of-the-omca-gallery-of-california-art/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2021_OMCA_Gallery-of-California-Art_Hung-Liu_Photo-Cedit_-Leopoldo-Macaya_6U4A1563-1-e1749234706910.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250717T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250717T163000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250515T202458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250715T170810Z
UID:10002165-1752750000-1752769800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Preview for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Member Preview Hours\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou’re invited to the Member Opening for OMCA’s newest exhibition! Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain navigates the braided histories of displacement\, resistance\, and resilience within Black American communities in Oakland and the East Bay. Through works from the OMCA permanent collection alongside new commissions by artist Adrian Burrell\, architect June Grant with blinkLAB architecture\, as well as the Archive of Urban Futures and Moms 4 Housing\, the exhibition traces how Black communities have creatively resisted dispossession and reimagined spaces of home and belonging. Reserved tickets are highly encouraged but not required for Member Preview Hours. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRESERVE MEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain is provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n*Header image: Marion Coleman\, Homes On Fire\, 2014\, Textile\, Hayward Area Historical Society \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Oakland Museum Women’s Board. This project was also made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-preview-for-black-spaces-reclaim-remain/
LOCATION:California
CATEGORIES:Ticketed,Opening,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Homes-on-Fire-e1747332754145.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250717T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250717T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250515T202556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T180704Z
UID:10002164-1752775200-1752786000@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Preview Evening Celebration for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Member Preview Celebration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDue to popular demand\, our evening celebration is at capacity. We are thankful for the overwhelming support and excitement around this new exhibition. We still have availability for the Daytime Preview Hours from 11–5 pm\, or join us at Friday Nights for the public opening! \n\n\n\nBlack Spaces: Reclaim & Remain navigates the braided histories of displacement\, resistance\, and resilience within Black American communities in Oakland and the East Bay. Through works from the OMCA permanent collection alongside new commissions by artist Adrian Burrell\, architect June Grant with blinkLAB architecture\, as well as the Archive of Urban Futures and Moms 4 Housing\, the exhibition traces how Black communities have creatively resisted dispossession and reimagined spaces of home and belonging. \n\n\n\nWe will be celebrating with the curators and collaborators who have helped make this exhibition possible. Join us for light bites\, live music\, and a cash bar. \n\n\n\nRSVP required for the evening celebration. Capacity is limited. QUESTIONS? Email membership@museumca.org or call 510-318-8520. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSOLD OUT\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain is provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n*Header image: Marion Coleman\, Homes On Fire\, 2014\, Textile\, Hayward Area Historical Society \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Oakland Museum Women’s Board. This project was also made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-preview-evening-celebration-for-black-spaces-reclaim-remain/
LOCATION:California
CATEGORIES:Ticketed,Opening,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Homes-on-Fire-e1747332754145.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250720T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250720T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250606T181338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T233859Z
UID:10002169-1753016400-1753021800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: I Was There Too: A Performance by Meres-Sia Gabriel\, Child of the Black Panther Party Revolution
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: I Was There Too: A Performance by Meres-Sia Gabriel\, Child of the Black Panther Party Revolution\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI Was There Too is a unique multimedia performance about one woman’s inner revolution as she struggles to understand what it means to have been born into the Black Panther Party. Daughter of two Black Panthers (Emory Douglas and Gayle Dickson)\, Meres-Sia Gabriel shares a first-hand account of what it was like to grow up in a revolution that changed the course of history.  \n\n\n\nThrough family photographs\, archival images\, personal narratives\, live jazz and blues music\, and original poetry reminiscent of the Black Arts Movement\, Gabriel takes the audience on a soul-stirring journey. This performance weaves together a coming-of-age story shaped by powerful Black leaders and the impact of impoverishment\, secrecy\, and adults navigating the enormity of the movement. Gabriel’s showcase gives voice to the often-overlooked experience of the children of the Black Panther Party\, bringing awareness and healing to this softer side of the resistance.  \n\n\n\nI Was There Too is written\, performed\, and produced by Meres-Sia Gabriel. Directed by Ajuana Black and Musical Direction by Dr. Yafeu Tyhimba.  \n\n\n\n\nGENERAL TICKETS\n\n\n\nmember tickets\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Meres-Sia Gabriel\n\n\n\nMeres-Sia Gabriel was born and raised in Oakland\, California. A graduate of Howard University and Middlebury College School in France / Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle\, Meres-Sia received her master’s in French and has taught French\, Language Arts\, Writing\, and Literature at various institutions. In addition to her artist practice\, she is a college French instructor\, a teacher consultant for the Bay Area Writing Project at UC Berkeley\, and the founder of Life-Changing Writing where she helps writers discover their literary voice.  \n\n\n\nShe has performed in the Kehinde Wiley and Lhola Amira exhibitions at the de Young Museum of San Francisco and the Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum of san Francisco. Her poetry is featured in the “Black Power” installation at the Oakland Museum of California. Her poetry has also been featured in exhibitions of the Zapantera Negra project in Cuba\, Chiapas\, Vienna\, and Spain. She is the bestselling author of a book of poetry and prose entitled I Twirl in the Smoke. And she is the co-author of the KQED and BE-IMAGINATIVE watch guide for the Emmy-nominated film When the Waters Get Deep.  \n\n\n\nShe contributed to the foreward of her father’s book Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas (Rizzoli Press) and toured with him for his exhibitions at Los Angeles MOCA\, New Museum in New York\, Urbis in Manchester\, UK\, and Universidad de la Tierra in Chiapas\, MX. As a child of the Black Panther Party\, Meres-Sia grew up in a movement that believed art should have a social message. Likewise\, her work as a writer and performer beckons us to an inner revolution of self-reflection and personal healing.  \n\n\n\nMeres-Sia is a 2023 recipient of grant awards from the California Arts Council\, Center for Cultural Power\, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts\, which have allowed her to write and produce this one-woman show about her experiences growing up in the Black Panther Party. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Ajuana Black\n\n\n\nAjuana Black is a powerhouse performer whose vibrant presence lights up every stage she touches. With over two decades of musical theater experience\, she has starred in productions such as Dreamgirls (Lorrell)\, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Charlene)\, Once on This Island (Ti Moune)\, and Go Down Garvey. Ajuana also brought her dynamic storytelling to the screen\, playing young Johnnie Gibson in the CBS movie The Johnnie Gibson Story\, directed by Bill Duke and featuring Lynn Whitfield. Alongside her work in television and commercials\, she wrote\, produced\, and performed her own deeply personal one-woman show MamaHOOD Wings\, chronicling her journey into motherhood. Black’s creative impact extends behind the scenes as well—she directed and produced five full-scale middle school musicals\, including The Wiz and Annie. This season marks her second as director of I Was There Too  the powerful and revealing one-woman show written and performed by Meres-Sia Gabriel. When she is not onstage or directing\, audiences can catch her bringing down the house as the lead vocalist with some of the most entertaining\, top-tier cover bands in the Bay Area. Whether on stage or behind the scenes\, Black continues to uplift\, electrify\, and leave audiences moved—through both her commanding performances and her visionary collaborative work. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-i-was-there-too-a-performance-by-meres-sia-gabriel-child-of-the-black-panther-party-revolution/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Perfomance-Image.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250808T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250810T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250710T195509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250729T213756Z
UID:10002194-1754650800-1754845200@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Semi—Annual Member Shop Sale
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIt’s sale time! Join us onsite and online for the semi-annual Member sale at the OMCA Shop. Starting Friday\, August 8 through Sunday\, August 10\, OMCA Members enjoy double their regular discount on regularly priced items in our Shop–that’s 20% off! \n\n\n\nExplore our full range of gifts available at the OMCA Shop and show your Membership card at check-out. The OMCA Shop is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and Friday Nights until 8:30 pm. \n\n\n\nFor our online shoppers\, be sure to check your Member emails for exclusive coupon codes that unlock your discounts when you shop online. \n\n\n\nOakland PrideShow your Oakland love with locally made art\, exclusive branded beanies\, hoodies\, and tees—rooted in community pride. \n\n\n\nBlack Spaces: Reclaim & RemainCelebrate our newest exhibition with thoughtfully curated books\, prints\, and gifts that honor Black stories\, spaces\, and voices. \n\n\n\nSummer VibesAdventure awaits! Discover field guides\, birding books\, and summer reads perfect for exploring Oakland’s neighborhoods and beyond. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLET’S SHOP\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\n*20% off applies to regularly priced items only. A limited number of items are available online. For the full collection of OMCA products\, please visit the OMCA Shop onsite during regular Museum hours. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/semi-annual-member-shop-sale-8-25/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Shop,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Omca_july17_july18-134-e1753825064831.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250809T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250809T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191315
CREATED:20250710T200838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T163552Z
UID:10002195-1754740800-1754744400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Cancelled—Member Tours: Students on Strike Curator Walkthrough 
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCancelled—Member Tours: Students on Strike Curator Walkthrough \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis event has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date. We apologize for the inconvenience and invite you to join our Gallery Chats happening on both Friday and Saturday.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for a walkthrough of the Gallery of California History feature Students on Strike with OMCA Curator Ryder Diaz. This exhibition explores the enduring legacy of student activism at San Francisco State University by highlighting the similarities and differences between the historic 1968-1969 student strike that established the nation’s first Black Studies Department and first College of Ethnic Studies and the contemporary campus protests against the war in Gaza. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\nPlease note that spaces are limited. A sign up sheet will be available at the Ticketing Desk when checking in. Arrive early to grab your spot! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nRyder Diaz (he/they) is OMCA’s Natural Sciences Curator. They have helped to develop science-related exhibitions at Bay Area museums for the past decade. Ryder brings an interdisciplinary background and approach to his work: He has degrees in Science Communication\, Population Biology\, Metropolitan Studies\, and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Outside of OMCA\, Ryder co-organizes a monthly bird walk for queer and trans people of color\, as well as facilitates an all-volunteer\, creekside habitat-restoration project in the Fruitvale. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-students-on-strike-curator-walkthrough/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Illegal-speaker-near-AD-Building-1-e1743023095519.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250817T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250817T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250710T195958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T200929Z
UID:10002193-1755435600-1755441000@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Rituals of Care Celebration with Artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong\, Cut Fruit Collective\, and Teaphile
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Rituals of Care Celebration with Artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong\, Cut Fruit Collective\, and Teaphile\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis month\, Spotlight Sundays welcomes guests to join artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong for a free\, all-ages celebration in OMCA’s Oak Street Plaza. Wong’s colorful paintings amplify the diversity of her Asian heritage and the vibrant family histories of the AAPI women depicted in them. Under her playful mural\, titled Calling Home\, this lively event will explore rituals of community care with Wong and OMCA’s community partners Cut Fruit Collective and Teaphile.  \n\n\n\nEnjoy a traditional Gongfu tea ceremony while choosing from an assortment of fun activities\, including ‘make a wish’ origami\, handmade elder care cards\, and kite decorating. Visitors will be invited to write hopeful messages on beautifully designed cards and paper hearts to be distributed to seniors in Chinatown and Little Saigon.  \n\n\n\nThis event is a part of our feature programming for Ancestral Visions\, on view through February 2026\, and is made possible by the Harker Fund Artist Residency Program. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Chelsea Ryoko Wong\n\n\n\nChelsea Ryoko Wong (b. 1986\, Seattle\, WA) is a painter and muralist known for vibrant\, joyful celebrations of community\, ritual\, and seasonality. Inspired by Northern California and international travels\, the scenes in Wong’s paintings are infused with fantasy\, humor\, and imagination. Translating her printmaking background to the realm of painting\, Wong’s paintings are composed through a meticulous layering of form and figure.  \n\n\n\nWong attended Parsons School of Design\, New York and received her BFA in printmaking from California College of the Arts. She is the first recipient of the Hamaguchi Emerging Artists Fellowship award at Kala Art Institute\, Berkeley and was a 2022 finalist for SFMOMA’s esteemed SECA Art Award. She has participated in recent group exhibitions at the de Young\, San Francisco; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts\, San Francisco\, CA; Creativity Explored\, San Francisco\, CA; Chinese Cultural Center\, San Francisco\, CA; and Bolinas Museum\, CA. She has completed large-scale mural projects in San Francisco at Asana; La Cocina; Facebook Artist in Residence Program; and the Asian Art Museum. She was awarded the Harker Fund Residency in 2024 and will present a solo exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California in February 2025. Her work has been acquired by institutional and private collections including the de Young\, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Crocker Art Museum\, Sacramento\, CA\, and Bolinas Museum\, CA. Wong lives and works in the Mission District of San Francisco. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-rituals-of-care-celebration-with-artist-chelsea-ryoko-wong-cut-fruit-collective-and-teaphile/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CRW-member-tour-header.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250827T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250831T235959
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250818T210049Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T225505Z
UID:10002203-1756252800-1756684799@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Bonus Reciprocity Week at BAMPFA
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us in a celebratory partnership between the Oakland Museum of California and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) with this bonus reciprocity week-long event!  \n\n\n\nFrom August 27–31\, OMCA Members enjoy free admission for 2 guests per membership and 50% off of current and future film screenings! Use code OMCA25 for film reservations online. \n\n\n\nBAMPFA is open 11 am–7 pm\, Wednesday through Sunday. \n\n\n\nNot a Member yet? Join Today! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCurrent Exhibitions Include:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRouted West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California \n\n\n\nRouted West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California traces the flow and flourishing of quilts in the context of the Second Great Migration through approximately one hundred quilts representing the work of eighty individuals\, many of them women. It is the first group show drawn from a transformative bequest of African American quilts that the museum received in 2019. \n\n\n\nGuided tours offered on 8/27 and 8/31 are first come\, first serve as there are no reservations. Please arrive at least 30 minutes in advance.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLee ShinJa: Drawing with Thread\n\n\n\nLee ShinJa: Drawing with Thread is the first North American survey of the work of the historically under-recognized Korean artist Lee ShinJa (b. 1930\, Uljin\, South Korea; lives and works in Seoul). Spanning more than five decades\, from the 1950s to the early 2000s\, the exhibition showcases the artist’s bold innovations in fiber through forty monumental textile works\, woven maquettes\, and preparatory sketches. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMATRIX 287 / Berenice Olmedo: To ti ên einai\n\n\n\nMATRIX 287 / Berenice Olmedo: To ti ên einai is the first museum exhibition in the United States for artist Berenice Olmedo (b. 1987\, Oaxaca\, Mexico; lives and works in Mexico City). Olmedo’s intimate yet commanding anthropomorphic assemblages with fused prostheses and orthotics urge a reconsideration of standardized expectations of bodies. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor gallery admission\, simply present your OMCA membership card at the Visitor Experience welcome counter and enjoy.   \n\n\n\nQuestion or comments? Please contact us at membership@museumca.org or 510-318-8520. Please note that BAMPFA is closed on Labor Day\, September 1. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto credit: Daria Lugina/BAMPFA
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-bonus-reciprocity-at-bampfa-2025/
LOCATION:Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\, 2155 Center St\, Berkeley\, California\, 94720\, United States
CATEGORIES:Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/237A0019-copy-e1755644051772.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250808T230325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T230353Z
UID:10002201-1757764800-1757768400@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Tours: Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain Curator Walkthrough
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Tours: Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain Curator Walkthrough\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin OMCA’s Associate Curator of History\, Dania Talley\, for a walkthrough of Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain. Talley will share insights and stories behind this exciting must-see exhibition\, which documents and honors how Black communities have creatively resisted displacement and continue to shape spaces of belonging in the East Bay. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBECOME A MEMBER\n\n\n\n\nPlease note that spaces are limited. A sign-up sheet will be available at the Ticketing Desk when checking in. Arrive early to grab your spot! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacilitator\n\n\n\n\n\nDania Talley is an experienced archaeologist with a Master of Arts in Historical Archaeology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Nevada\, Reno. Her professional background includes extensive work in collections management and public history\, with a particular emphasis on African American and Native American cultural heritage. As the Associate Curator of History at the Oakland Museum of California\, Dania leads the development of exhibition concepts and gallery installations\, oversees the stewardship of cultural collections\, and engages with community partners\, including the Museum’s Native Advisory Council. She plays a central role in research\, documentation\, and advancing inclusive\, community-centered curatorial strategies. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-tours-black-spaces-reclaim-remain-curator-walkthrough/
LOCATION:OMCA Great Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Gallery Chats at OMCA,Family,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Omca_july17_july18-146-e1754694137268.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T193000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250821T000213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T184553Z
UID:10002204-1758303000-1758310200@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Friday Nights at OMCA\nSpecial Members Lounge
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCalling all Members! Join us for a special members’ lounge on the Upper Level Terrace\, overlooking our Garden in celebration of you! Mingle with fellow OMCA enthusiasts while enjoying light refreshments\, games\, and bingo\, where we’ll be giving away some amazing items from the OMCA Shop. Bring your friends and family and enjoy Friday Nights together! \n\n\n\nFriday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid \n\n\n\nFriday\, September 19 | 5-9 pm \n\n\n\nFriday Nights at OMCA are teaming with music\, art\, and lively conversation. Experience the vibrant sounds of Cuba with Yeny Valdés & TeamBahia\, blending timba\, salsa\, son\, and tropical fusion in an electrifying live set. Known as the former lead singer of the legendary Los Van Van\, Yeny’s powerhouse vocals bring soul\, rhythm\, and joy to the stage. In the Gallery of California Art\, Sketchboard Co. hosts open figure drawing sessions where all are welcome to sketch\, reflect\, and celebrate the beauty of the human form. Later\, DJ Digital KitKat keeps the energy high with groove-heavy mixes of funky edits\, smooth house\, and global beats. Throughout the evening\, Gallery Chats invite visitors to join meaningful conversations with OMCA facilitators\, offering fresh perspectives on the museum’s exhibitions. It’s not just a Friday night—it’s your Friday night at OMCA. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEVENT DETAILS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/friday-nights-members-lounge-9-2025/
LOCATION:OMCA Garden\, 1000 Oak Street\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Family,Free,Friday Nights at OMCA,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSF7836-e1755734501535.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T143000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250808T231435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T182854Z
UID:10002202-1758459600-1758465000@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: A Conversation on Black Fatherhood
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: A Conversation on Black Fatherhood with Siyah Mgoduka\, Jordan Thierry of the Black Fatherhood Project\, and Chris Johnson\, Co-Creator of Question Bridge: Black Males \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis month’s Spotlight Sundays invites you to a powerful exploration of Black fatherhood through the lens of three visionary artists\, each offering a unique perspective on its complexity and depth. Through film\, conversation\, and artistic reflection\, we’ll engage with some of the most nuanced and resonant realities of Black fatherhood today. \n\n\n\nWe’ll begin with the short film It’s a Pleasure to Meet You (2016)\, co-produced by South African filmmaker Sue Williamson and artist Siyah Mgoduka. In this film\, Mgoduka grapples with the loss of his father at the hands of Apartheid police and navigates what it means to step into fatherhood himself. \n\n\n\nAfter the screening\, the conversation continues with a dynamic panel featuring Mgoduka alongside Jordan Thierry\, whose acclaimed documentary The Black Fatherhood Project traces the history and evolution of the Black family\, and Chris Johnson\, co-creator of Question Bridge: Black Males\, a moving video installation where Black men share deeply personal reflections on family\, identity\, and generational wisdom. \n\n\n\nThis gathering is a celebration of intergenerational healing and Black father fellowship—an invitation to witness\, reflect\, and connect. \n\n\n\n\nGET TICKETS\n\n\n\nmember tickets\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCollaborator Bios\n\n\n\nSiyah Mgoduka After studying Media Communication and Culture at NMMU\, Mgoduka went on to further his studies at City Varsity\, Cape Town\, in Film and Television Production. He then pursued a career in Fine Arts as an artist\, gallery assistant\, and museum preparator. His relocation from South Africa to the US has given him an advantageous insight regarding cross cultural discourses within South Africa and the Diaspora. Mgoduka is featured in artist Sue Williamson’s film shorts:  Can’t Remember\, Can’t Forget (2016)\, What is This Thing Called Freedom? (2016)\, and It’s a Pleasure to Meet You (2016) \, which examines how Mgoduka grapples with the loss of his father to the Apartheid police.  He is currently a museum preparator at The Oakland Museum of California. \n\n\n\nChris Johnson is a photographic and video artist\, educator\, curator\, and writer who studied photography with Ansel Adams\, Imogen Cunningham\, and Wynn Bullock. He served for 11 years as Chair of the Photography Program at the California College of the Arts\, where he is now Professor Emeritus\, and in 2025 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts. His work has been widely published and exhibited\, with pieces in the collections of the Center for Creative Photography\, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston\, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 2022\, his fine art photographic portraiture was featured in a solo exhibition at the Monterey Museum of Art. \n\n\n\nJohnson has held leadership roles including President of SF Camerawork Gallery\, Chair of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission under Jerry Brown\, and Director of the Mother Jones International Fund for Documentary Photography. He currently serves on the Board of the Oakland Museum of California and as Board President of the Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. He is the author of The Practical Zone System: for Film and Digital Photography (now in its 6th edition)\, and his public art projects are featured in Art as Social Practice: Technologies for Change. Johnson originated the Question Bridge concept in 1996\, later co-producing Question Bridge: Black Males—a project that won the International Center of Photography’s 2015 Infinity Award and\, in 2016\, was inducted into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. \n\n\n\nJordan Thierry is a filmmaker\, writer\, and activist. He is the owner and Creative Director of Dream Chase Media LLC\, a multimedia production company that uses culture\, creativity and community as inspirations for compelling storytelling. His most recent feature film\, GRANDMA’S ROSES (2021) is a raw\, intimate documentary exploring the labor & love women invest in their families and communities. His first feature film\, THE BLACK FATHERHOOD PROJECT (2013) received wide community acclaim for its breakdown of the history of the Black family. His first short film\, the regional Emmy-nominated FOOTPRINTS IN THE STRUGGLE (2006) tells the story of Beatrice Cannady. \n\n\n\nHis book tilted\, A Kids Book About Systemic Racism was made to help kids understand what systemic racism is and how it’s built into laws\, schools\, stories\, and other institutions in a way that collectively makes life much harder for people of color. \n\n\n\nSue Williamson is a Cape Town-based artist whose work explores memory\, resistance\, and social justice. Her recent retrospective\, There’s something I must tell you\, opened at the Iziko South African National Gallery in February 2025. She has exhibited at major biennales and is held in collections including MoMA\, New York\, Tate Modern\, and Centre Pompidou. Williamson is the author of Resistance Art in South Africa (1989) and founder of ArtThrob online magazine. She is a recipient of the Ellen Kuzwayo Award and a Living Legend honouree by South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-a-conversation-on-black-fatherhood/
LOCATION:OMCA Lecture Hall\, 1000 Oak\, Oakland\, California\, 94607
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BTM_Mr_Dunbar_Photo_Cornell_Watson-e1754694849642.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T151500
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20250911T222325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T180704Z
UID:10002216-1760878800-1760886900@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Spotlight Sundays: Russell City Remembered
DESCRIPTION:Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n		            \n				                    \n\n				                Your browser does not support the video tag.\n            \n		\n    \n\n    \n        \n            \nSpotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpotlight Sundays: Russell City Remembered — Film Screening & Panel Discussion\, Moderated by Alexis Madrigal\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us as October’s Spotlight Sunday wades into the powerful story of Russell City. We will start with a screening of The Apology\, a feature-length documentary that highlights Russell City’s deep history while outlining the 1963 forced relocation of the community’s residents and makes clear the harmful impacts of eminent domain.  \n\n\n\nRussell City\, home to 13 businesses\, several churches\, and 205 families\, was lost to claim the 200 acres for an industrial park. Alameda County’s calculated and utter dismantling of this beloved village pushed upwards of 1\,400 residents from their homes and from the land. \n\n\n\nFollowing the film\, Aisha Knowles—a descendant of Russell City families and the film’s producer—will be joined by fellow descendants Marian Johnson and Vena Sword-Ratliff for a panel discussion. The conversation will be moderated by journalist Alexis Madrigal\, author of The Pacific Circuit: A Globalized Account of the Battle for the Soul of an American City\, which maps racialized capitalism in Oakland and the powerful resistance movements that confront it. \n\n\n\nIn light of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ recent approval of ‘redress funds’ (distinct from reparations) to the former residents of Russell City\, this is a critical moment to explore what it means to make amends for a past that remains present and to acknowledge the dangers of eminent domain for Black and Brown communities.  \n\n\n\nThis program is a part of our exhibition programming for Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain on view through March 1\, 2026 \n\n\n\n\nGET TICKETS\n\n\n\nmember tickets\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAccessibility\n\n\n\nOakland 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events
URL:https://museumca.org/event/spotlight-sundays-russell-city-remembered/
LOCATION:James Moore Theater\, 1000 Oak St\,\, Oakland\, California\, 94607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Spotlight Sundays,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Still_Image_Streaming_SDFF.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T163000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20251006T204127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T204552Z
UID:10002220-1762426800-1762446600@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Preview for Good Fire: Tending Native Lands
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Preview Hours\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou’re invited to the Member Opening for OMCA’s newest exhibition! Good Fire: Tending Native Lands explores the past\, present\, and future of fire in California through Native practices. For centuries\, Native communities have used intentional\, low-intensity fires to renew the land and support biodiversity. This tradition was disrupted by colonial laws and fire suppression\, leading to today’s destructive megafires. Good Fire shows how Native communities are reviving these vital practices to cultivate more resilient landscapes and uphold traditions. Reserved tickets are highly encouraged but not required for Member Preview Hours. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRESERVE MEMBER TICKETS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDon’t miss the opening celebration on Thursday\, November 6\, 6-9 pm. Join us for an evening of celebration with live music\, delicious bites\, and festive refreshments—an inspiring preview honoring the vital knowledge of Native California communities that you won’t want to miss! RSVP required. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Good Fire: Tending Native Lands is provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n*Header image: Steven Saiz (Hupa) uses liquid fuel from a drip torch to spread fire. Photo by Maddy Rifka.
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-preview-for-good-fire-tending-native-lands/
LOCATION:California
CATEGORIES:Ticketed,Opening,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/unnamed-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T191316
CREATED:20251006T204103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251029T201027Z
UID:10002219-1762452000-1762462800@museumca.org
SUMMARY:Member Preview Evening Celebration for Good Fire: Tending Native Lands
DESCRIPTION:Spotlight Sundays: Community Conversations in Radical Public Imagining\n\n        \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMember Preview Evening Celebration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDue to popular demand\, our evening celebration is at capacity. We are thankful for the overwhelming support and excitement around this new exhibition. We still have availability for the Daytime Preview Hours from 11–5 pm. \n\n\n\nBe among the first to experience this powerful exhibition alongside the curators\, collaborators\, and community members who brought it to life. Join us for an evening of celebration with live music\, delicious bites\, and festive refreshments—an inspiring preview honoring the vital knowledge of Native California communities that you won’t want to miss! \n\n\n\nGood Fire: Tending Native Lands explores the past\, present\, and future of fire in California through Native practices. For centuries\, Native communities have used intentional\, low-intensity fires to renew the land and support biodiversity. This tradition was disrupted by colonial laws and fire suppression\, leading to today’s destructive megafires. Good Fire shows how Native communities are reviving these vital practices to cultivate more resilient landscapes and uphold traditions. \n\n\n\nRSVP required for the evening celebration. Capacity is limited. QUESTIONS? Email membership@museumca.org or call 510-318-8520. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAT CAPACITY\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCan’t make the Member Preview Evening celebration?Join us for our Daytime Preview Hours from 11–5 pm and experience OMCA’s newest exhibition before it opens to the public! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReturn to Events\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSponsors\n\n\n\nMajor support for Good Fire: Tending Native Lands is provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n*Header image: Steven Saiz (Hupa) uses liquid fuel from a drip torch to spread fire. Photo by Maddy Rifka.
URL:https://museumca.org/event/member-preview-evening-celebration-for-good-fire-tending-native-lands/
LOCATION:California
CATEGORIES:Ticketed,Opening,Members
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://museumca.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/unnamed-1.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR