OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
OMCA campusWalk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.
Free
Events
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Upcoming Events
12 events found.
Thursday After Hours at OMCA with Sketchboard Co. Live Figure Drawing
OMCA campusBring your sketch pads and appetites to another Thursday After Hours at OMCA. Mix and mingle over music by DJ Mark DiVita and delightful cocktails prepared in OMCA’s Town Fare Café. After bites and beverages, head over to the Gallery of California Natural Sciences for uninstructed live figure drawing sessions hosted by Sketchboard Co.
Admission ticket required
Member Tours: Ancestral Visions with Chelsea Ryoko Wong
OMCA Gallery of California Art 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California, United StatesIn 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.
Free for Members
Thursday After Hours at OMCA | Drag Performances & Trivia Night
OMCA campusThis Thursday, join us at the Gallery of California Art for a fabulous and unforgettable evening featuring a special drag performance with Per Sia and friends! These incredible artists will take over the gallery for a night filled with stunning performances, dazzling costumes, and high-energy entertainment. Between acts, explore OMCA’s award-winning galleries, indulge in delicious bites and drinks from Town Fare Café, and vibe to music curated by DJ Mark DiVita. In anticipation of Oakland Restaurant Week, try your hand at trivia all about California’s food scene, with winners receiving a gift card to the OMCA Shop. It’s the perfect blend of art, culture, and fabulous fun—don’t miss out!
Admission ticket required
Spotlight Sundays: Reimagining Justice — A Conversation with Malkia Devich-Cyril & Jessica Lanyadoo, with Music by Mahsa Vahdat
James Moore TheaterIn 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.The 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.
$1 – $30
Thursday After Hours at OMCA with Sketchboard Co. Live Figure Drawing
OMCA campusBring your sketch pads and appetites to another Thursday After Hours at OMCA. Mix and mingle over music by DJ Mark DiVita and delightful cocktails prepared in OMCA’s Town Fare Café. After bites and beverages, head over to the Gallery of California History for uninstructed live figure drawing sessions hosted by Sketchboard Co.
Admission ticket required
Thursday After Hours at OMCA with Amihan & Trivia Night
OMCA campusThis Thursday, get ready for an unforgettable night at OMCA with Amihan and her band, Diwa. Experience two intimate sets featuring fresh arrangements and new instrumentation, perfectly crafted to complement the exhibits in our Gallery of California Art. With a fusion of jazz, folk, and hip hop influences, Amihan’s music will take you on a journey of soulful storytelling, speaking to the struggles and resistance of working-class communities in the Bay Area. Between sets, explore OMCA’s award-winning galleries, grab tasty bites and drinks from Town Fare Café, and vibe to music curated by DJ Mark DiVita. This is a night you won’t want to miss!
Admission ticket required
Friday Nights at OMCA with Non Stop Bhangra
OMCA campusFriday Nights at OMCA is ready to get into the rhythm with Non Stop Bhangra (NSB), the Bay Area’s ultimate dance party experience! Kicking off the 2025 Friday Nights season with high-energy beats, colorful performances, and an immersive cultural celebration, NSB brings the vibrant rhythms of Punjab, India, to life. Dance lessons, live drumming, and DJ sets will keep the energy flowing all night long, making it the perfect release for the whole family to enjoy.
Free
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.
Free
OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
OMCA campusWalk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.
Free
Friday Nights at OMCA with MacArthur Maze
OMCA campusThis Friday, join us at OMCA for an unforgettable night featuring the vibrant sounds of MacArthur Maze! This East Bay hip-hop ensemble, led by DJ D Sharp, brings together five talented emcees and four producers to deliver a powerhouse performance full of organic Bay Area vibes.
Free
Member Tours: Born of the Bear Dance Tour with Drew Johnson, Curator of Photography & Visual Culture at OMCA
OMCA Great Hall 1000 Oak, Oakland, CaliforniaDrew 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.
Free for Members
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!
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.
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.
Third Sundays
Spotlight Sundays
Every third Sunday, OMCA invites visitors to Spotlight Sundays, a series of conversations, performances, and experiences that showcase California visionaries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gallery Events
Group Tours
Interested in bringing a group to engage more deeply with our gallery content? Sign up for a Group Tour where knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.