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Events

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Upcoming Events

Gathering in the Garden

Act fast—get your tickets today! Join us on June 1 as comedian W. Kamau Bell and artists Rafael Casal and Faviana Rodriquez take to the OMCA Garden stage to discuss Oakland’s legacy and future as a hub for filmmaking. The program will be followed by a celebratory reception featuring music and complimentary light bites and libations. Show up in your finest for a sensational evening to support the Oakland Museum of California!

Sliding scale

Arts Education Curriculum Slam

OMCA Lecture Hall 1000 Oak, Oakland, California

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to invite educators and enthusiasts alike to join in a night of celebration and inspiration at the Curriculum Slam. Co-presented with the California Art Education Association and Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area, this event shines a spotlight on the innovative practices educators bring to their classrooms.

Inspired by the format of quick-paced presentations like PechaKucha, the Curriculum Slam offers a platform for educators to share creative practices across the arts and education community. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase how they integrate creativity, critical thinking, and innovation into their teaching.

Free for teachers

Friday Nights at OMCA | Krudas Cubensi & Drag Storytime with Per Sia

OMCA campus

Come out with Pride to Friday Nights at OMCA! Krudas Cubensi brings a blend of rap and poetry and Afro-Cuban music beats, like salsa, rumba, and Jazz from their album “They/Them Les Elles” and uplifts the resiliency of non-binary and trans people. The album being a collaboration between Krudas, Greg Landau and many local and international artists is an interwoven sonic tapestry that inspires reflection and action in the service of a better future for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.

Free

Member Gallery Chats at OMCA

OMCA Gallery of California History 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California, United States

Join us for Member Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.

Free for Members

Special Guest Gallery Chats: Julio Salgado

OMCA Great Hall 1000 Oak, Oakland, California

Join us for the final days of Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya at a special edition of Gallery Chats led by artist Julio Salgado, whose artwork is featured in the exhibition. Julio will lead visitors in a guided tour experience that centers his work and the themes of Unlearning Machismo, which is the title of his commission.

Admission ticket required

Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples Opens!

OMCA Great Hall 1000 Oak, Oakland, California

Mark your calendars for the much anticipated opening of our latest special exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples coming Friday, June 14. Just in time for pride month, this multimedia exhibition navigates the interwoven threads of queer, feminist, intergenerational, and Xicanx-Indigenous stories that offer ancestral forms of liberation, healing and being.

Special Exhibition ticket required

Friday Nights at OMCA with Reyna Tropical

OMCA campus

Mark your calendars for another blockbuster evening at Friday Nights at OMCA! The Garden stage will host the distinct and spellbinding, Reyna Tropical. Uplifting the sounds of the tropical diaspora, Reyna Topical is not only a musical exploration and celebration of the pulse of the tropical diaspora, but the band also represents a commitment to creating abundant spaces for Black, Indigenous, and Queer joy. 

Free

Ongoing & Annual events

Evening hours Thursday After Hours

Experience Thursday After Hours at OMCA – your weekly night out at the Museum rich with cocktails, culture, and community. Mingle at Town Fare Cafe by Chef Michele McQueen, where you can enjoy drinks and light bites against a backdrop of music, or explore the galleries  which come alive at night with a mix of pop-up performances, chats, live drawings, and more–  just for adults! 

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Evening hours Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland’s favorite free weekly block party is back, April—October!

Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday 5—9 pm for live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.

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Gallery Events Gallery Chats at OMCA

Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.

 

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Third Sundays Spotlight Sundays

Every third Sunday, OMCA invites visitors to Spotlight Sundays, a series of conversations, performances, and experiences that showcase California visionaries.

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First Sundays First Sundays

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

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Community Celebration Lunar New Year

OMCA celebrates the Lunar New Year and explores the shared connections between the diverse Asian cultures of the Bay Area. These family-friendly programs will include both virtual and in-person offerings that celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through storytelling, performances, activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. OMCA holds space for our AAPI communities to come together and uplift each other with both in-person and virtual healing circles.

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Community Celebration Día de los Muertos

In collaboration with OMCA’s Día de los Muertos Committee, we honor Day of the Dead every October and November.

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Community Event White Elephant Sale

The Oakland Museum Women’s Board started the White Elephant Sale over sixty years ago. The annual event is not-to-be-missed.

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Gallery Events Group Chats

Knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.

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