First Sundays
2024-08-04 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-09-01 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-06 11:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

First Sundays

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

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

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

GET GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

GET SPECIAL EXHIBITION TICKETS

Return to Events

Highlights

Related Events

Search

Filter by
Year

All Years

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.

Learn More

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.

Learn More

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.

Learn More

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.

Learn More

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.

Learn More

Load More

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
2024-08-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-01 13:00 - 14:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture, and learn about the history, design, and evolution of this award-winning structure with guides who are passionate about OMCA and Oakland.

No reservations or tickets are required. Walk and Talk begins near the Mid Level ticketing desk and lasts approximately one hour.

If you’d like to visit OMCA’s Galleries or Special Exhibitions, please purchase a ticket online in advance or at the ticketing desk on the day of your visit.

GET Museum Admission TICKETS

Return to Events

Care-Van: Get Out the Vote Campaign
2024-08-07 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-08 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-09 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-10 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-11 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-14 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-15 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-16 11:00 - 17:00 and 2 more dates | Oak Street Plaza, 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California, 94607, United States
Your browser does not support the video tag.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Care-Van: Get Out the Vote Campaign

Ease your election stress—get civically engaged with your community!

OMCA has teamed up with Care–Van, a traveling interactive artwork envisioned by artist Autumn Breon and inspired by the work of Bernice Robinson, a beautician who taught Black communities to read and write in order to vote during the Civil Rights Movement.

Breon’s Care–Van is a bright pink phone booth—you can’t miss it!—that will be stationed in OMCA’s Oak Street Plaza from August 7 to August 18, after making multiple stops across the nation in advance of the 2024 U.S. elections. You’re invited to enter the booth and anonymously record your questions about ballot measures and voter barriers. Enhance your civic engagement with some onsite community care by stopping by Friday Nights at OMCA on August 9 and August 16 for a resource fair and personal care station activities.

Come back for answers to your questions on August 18 at the Care-Van: Get out the Vote Campaign Town Hall as part of OMCA’s Spotlight Sundays monthly series. Emceed by West Oakland artist Tahirah Rasheed and community builder Taylor Nanz, join us at the Town Hall to get crucial election information, responses to your anonymous questions, and enjoy refreshments, giveaways, and care-centered activities!

Care–Van is presented in partnership and with support by For Freedoms, an artist-led organization that centers art as a catalyst for creative civic engagement, discourse, and direct action.

Get Museum Tickets

Accessibility

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with Artelia Green & The Bandanas
2024-08-09 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music Performances by Artelia Green & The Bandanas, Care Van Resource Fair, DJ set with DJ BlackWoman!, and Gallery Chats

Friday Nights at OMCA is offering up powerful vibrations with live music performances from Artelia Green & The Bandanas. Artelia Green & The Bandanas craft an immersive sound experience that brings audiences to a different time and space. Blending together gospel and funk, Artelia Green & The Bandanas invites audiences to contend with grief on the road to transcendence.

DJ BlackWoman! is a fitting pairing as she brings together a diverse tapestry of musical stylings that result in surprising yet irresistible beats. Her vibrations featuring Hip Hop, R&B, Afrobeats and more will keep the energy elevated as the Care Van’s Resource Fair offers up a host of ways to get civically engaged this election year. In partnership with OMCA and For Freedoms, Autumn Breon’s Care Van project joins Friday Nights to share out information about local organizations including ECHO Housing, Lao Family Community Development, The Unity Council, The Center for Art Esteem, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and Bay Area Legal Aid, that are committed to building just, healthy communities where everyone can thrive.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. Cultivate and spread good energy with us this Friday Nights at OMCA!

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5—8:00 pm Care Van Resource Fair | Oak Street Plaza

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6:30—7:30 pm Artelia Green & The Bandanas | OMCA Garden Stage

6:45—8:50 pm DJ BlackWoman! | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Member Gallery Chats: The Art and Life of Carlos Villa
2024-08-10 12:00 - 13:00 | OMCA Gallery of California History, 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California, 94607, United States
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Join us for an interactive discussion of two of Carlos Villa’s artworks in the Gallery of California Art and learn about his life, his teaching, and his activism. We’ll also read one of Villa’s poems and create a group poem together!

Gallery Chats put a twist on the traditional museum tour by encouraging meaningful conversations and fresh interpretations to connect with the artwork, artifacts, and stories in our galleries.

OMCA Member Gallery Chats take place every second Saturday of the month from noon to 1 pm, no reservation necessary.

BECOME A MEMBER

Facilitator

Margaret 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.

Accessibility

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with Orchestra Gold
2024-08-16 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by Orchestra Gold, TropiCali Dancehall Lesson w/ Aimee, DJ set by Teao Sense, Gallery Chats, Care Van: Personal Care Stations

Join us for another sensational installation of Friday Nights at OMCA! This Friday, OMCA is honored to welcome Orchestra Gold to the OMCA Garden stage. Spearheaded by the dynamic Mariam Diakite—known for her raw, hypnotic vocals and poetic Bambara lyrics—Orchestra Gold pays homage to Malian musical traditions while crafting a fierce new sound with heavy swinging rhythms, a funky fresh brass section, and cosmic guitar licks. Their most recent album, Medicine, mobilizes dance-inducing music to invoke the spirit and spread healing and community. DJ Teao Sense and their highly eclectic stylings with music from all over the world also celebrate how our diversity can create powerful and groovy waves.

The TropiCali Dancehall Lesson w/ Aimee will keep your mind and body activated as this workshop focuses on not only the signature steps of Dancehall, but also its culture, history, and context. As you sweat it out on the dance floor, don’t miss your opportunity this election year to garner community care and civic awareness with Care Van at OMCA by artist Autumn Breon. In partnership with OMCA and For Freedoms, Care Van will be providing free chair massages from Hit the Spot and a chance to bedazzle your smile with tooth gems from Dulce Diente on a first come first served basis, as well as a mindful coloring station. Care Van will also be inviting visitors to anonymously record their questions about ballot measures and voter barriers which will be answered at a town hall on August 18 at OMCA.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions.

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5—8:00 pm Care Van: Personal Care Stations | Oak Street Plaza and Glimmer Terrace

5:30—6:30 pm TropiCalli Dancehall Lesson w/ Aimee | Amphitheater

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6—7:30 pm Orchestra Gold | OMCA Garden

6:45—8:50 pm DJ set by Teao Sense | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Spotlight Sundays | Care-Van: Get Out the Vote Campaign Town Hall
2024-08-18 13:00 - 15:30 | OMCA Lecture Hall, 1000 Oak, Oakland, California, 94607
Your browser does not support the video tag.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Spotlight Sundays | Care-Van: Get Out the Vote Campaign Town Hall

This election year, learn everything you need to know to make the best choices for you and your family at Care-Van’s Town Hall on Sunday, August 18. Envisioned by artist Autumn Breon, Care-Van is traveling interactive artwork, promoting civic engagement and is inspired by the work of Bernice Robinson, a beautician who taught Black communities to read and write in order to vote during the Civil Rights Movement.

After multiple stops across the U.S. the Care-Van booth will be stationed in OMCA’s Oak Street Plaza from August 7 to August 18 during which visitors are invited to anonymously record their questions about ballot measures and voter barriers. On August 18, Care-Van and OMCA will host a public Town Hall using the comments from the booth to demystify voters’ concerns. Emceed by West Oakland artist Tahirah Rasheed and community builder Taylor Nanz from Solid Grounds, the Town Hall will be followed by a reception with refreshments, giveaways, and a self-affirming postcard-writing interactive. Community care takes many forms, we hope you will join us for this day of care-centered civic engagement.

Care–Van is presented in partnership and with support by For Freedoms, an artist-led organization that centers art as a catalyst for creative civic engagement, discourse, and direct action.

This program is free and open to the public (no tickets required).

GET Museum Admission TICKETS

Schedule:

1–2:30 pm Town Hall in Lecture Hall

2:30–3:30 pm Reception in Lillie Education Center & Postcard interactive in California Room

Accessibility

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA Special Members Lounge
2024-08-23 17:00 - 19:30 | OMCA Garden, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, California, 94607, United States
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Calling all Members! Join us for a special members’ lounge on the 3rd Level Terrace, overlooking our Garden. Mingle with fellow OMCA enthusiasts while enjoying light refreshments. Plus, we’ll be raffling off some awesome OMCA merch!

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid

Friday, August 23 | 5-9 pm

Reconnect with family, friends, and community during our launch party for the new season of Friday Nights at OMCA. This exciting weekly event includes live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions. Member tickets are free!

Get Museum Tickets

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA | Afrobeats Oakland Takeover
2024-08-23 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Afrobeats Oakland Takeover, Live Figure Drawing with Sketchboard, and Gallery Chats

Come join us for the Afrobeats Oakland Friday Nights Takeover! Oakland’s most exciting arts and culture brand is partnering with OMCA to host the welcome party for their Annual Afrobeats at the Lake Festival. Afrobeats Oakland shares a taste of their main festival by coloring Friday Nights with a melding of various African cultures, music, and dance. Between the dance tutorials and dance party, the Ethiopian tea ceremony, the live DJ set and the performances from Juan G, KOKO, Christina Alexandria, Asaba, and other special guests, OMCA is set to welcome guests of all ages and backgrounds to a Friday Nights like none other!

Our Gallery of California Art will also be activated with a Friday Night classic, Sketchboard Live Figure Drawing.

OMCA welcomes all skill levels, including those who have never drawn before and want to try drawing. Art supplies and clipboards will be available for use, and your artwork will be yours to take home or exchange with others. A costumed model representing the diversity of the Bay Area will be posing in the Gallery of California Art for times ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Since drawing will take place in the gallery, please be mindful of the space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite or charcoal pencils.

Sketching in the gallery is included with the price of general Museum Gallery access and free for Museum Members.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. Come see OMCA in a new light this Friday Nights!

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5:30— 8:30 pm Afrobeats Oakland Takeover | OMCA Garden

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

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

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

6:45—8:50 pm Afrobeats DJ | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Afrobeats Oakland is a collective that has sought to democratize the experience of Afropop and African culture while simultaneously deconstructing the spaces it has thus far been relegated to. It aims to utilize these newfound spaces to create opportunities for cultural diversity, deeper understanding of the African continent and encourage dialogue among its diaspora, all while ushering in a new approach to public celebration and togetherness.

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

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA | Dance Battle w/ Telice Summerfield
2024-08-30 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Dance Battle w/ Telice Summerfield and Music Set with DJ Nick Fury and Gallery Chats

Come through to Friday Nights at OMCA to be a part of a magical moment rooted in Oakland! OMCA is excited to host WHO GOT THE MOVES, a turf dance battle with community leader Telice Summerfield. Featuring not only various competition structures including 1v1 battles, youth battles, and an all style tournament, but also a free prize giveaway with a chance to win free food at some of Oakland’s best restaurants, this event is set to fill the OMCA Garden space with authentic Oakland culture. The second of its kind and once again driven by Telice’s passion for community, the turf battle is also meant to support the exposure, connection, and collaboration of Oakland businesses and organizations. This unforgettable Friday Nights at OMCA will be backdropped with killer beats from DJ Nick Fury who blends Hip Hop, Afro Beats, House, and Bounce to craft a sonic atmosphere where everyone feels the beat and moves as one!

In addition to an outstanding event experience every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions.

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5—8:30 pm WHO GOT THE MOVES: Turf Dance Battle | OMCA Garden

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6:45—8:50 pm DJ set with Nick Fury | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with Kev Choice Ensemble
2024-09-06 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music with Kev Choice Ensemble, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Screen Printing, music set with DJ Lady Ryan, and Gallery Chats

Come bring the family on a rhythmic journey through the many sounds of the Black diaspora this Friday Nights at OMCA! Kev Choice and his all-star ensemble of musicians kick up a vibe as they spotlight past, present, and future Bay Area artists with a unique musical blend of Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, Soul, and Classical styles. Further ignite that good spark set by Kev’s conscious and introspective lyrical beats with an inspiring reading of Jonah Winter’s, Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children by none other than the captivating Per Sia.

After a fun reading celebrating the importance of children and our collective future come channel those creative energies and design your own custom screen print! Bring the whole family to the amphitheater for more collective joy-making facilitated with an irresistibly smooth set by the legendary DJ Lady Ryan.In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions, and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our galleries.

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5:15—5:40 pm Drag Storytime with Per Sia | OMCA Garden

5:30—7:30 pm Screen Printing | OMCA Garden

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6:45—8:00 pm Kev Choice Ensemble | OMCA Garden stage

6:45—8:50 pm DJ Lady Ryan | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with Audiopharmacy World Hip Hop Ensemble
2024-09-13 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music Performances by Audiopharmacy World Hip Hop Ensemble and Let’s Lab w/ Marika Sage!, DJ set with the evening star, and Gallery Chats

This Friday Nights at OMCA the Garden stage will be transformed into a multimedia musical experience! Audiopharmacy crafts an enchanting soundscape by combining Hip Hop, Soul, and Jazz with global music genres and turntablism and then pairs it with Indigenous chanting and knowledge, movement, and visual projection that come together to cultivate healing and unity to inspire change.

Let’s Lab w/ Marika Sage! will add to the swell of rhythmic healing with an alternative and highly expressive solo set that encourages creative vulnerability and authentic expression. And then get ready to flow with the evening star, spinning Traditional Indigiqueer Earthlodge Disco, the evening star compels you to dance and remember what freedom actually is, even if you’ve never experienced it yourself.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. Cultivate and spread good energy with us this Friday Nights at OMCA!

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5:15—6 pm Let’s Lab w/ Marika Sage! | OMCA Garden stage

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

7—8:30 pm Audiopharmacy World Hip Hop Ensemble | OMCA Garden stage

6:45—8:50 pm the evening star | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Member Gallery Chats: Felicia Montes: Behind the Botanica
2024-09-14 12:00 - 13:00 | OMCA Gallery of California History, 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California, 94607, United States
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Member Gallery Chats: Felicia Montes: Behind the Botanica

Join healing arts practitioner, Felicia Montes of Mujeres de Maíz & La Botanica del Barrio as she takes you through a tour of her installations in OMCA latest special exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples. Felicia will share the inspiration, background, and stories behind the pieces with song, spoken word and special heart medicine.

OMCA Members have access to Member Gallery Chats every second Saturday of the month from noon to 1 pm. Take this opportunity to dive deeper into a rich and nuanced exhibition!

BECOME A MEMBER

Accessibility

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

Return to Events

Good Medicine: A Night of Live Native Stand-Up
2024-09-14 18:00 - 22:00 | OMCA Great Hall, 1000 Oak, Oakland, California, 94607
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

After selling out venues throughout the country, the smash-hit, all-Native comedy show, Good Medicine, returns to OMCA for the third year in a row for a night of live stand-up from the best and brightest Native comedians across North America. Hosted and produced by comedian Jackie Keliiaa (Netflix) the year’s showcase features headliner Kasey Nicholson (ABC), Ryan Moccasin (The Feather News), and dk echohawk (Indigequeer).

Arrive early for live tunes by John Paul Hodge, food by Wahpepah’s Kitchen and a Native artisan market, featuring handcrafted jewelry, beadwork and accessories. Alcoholic drinks and other beverages will also be available for purchase. Guests are welcome to bring their own food; however, no outside alcoholic beverages are allowed in the venue.

Held outdoors in the OMCA Garden, “Good Medicine” is the perfect opportunity to grab your favorite picnic blanket and dine al fresco before enjoying 90 minutes of hilarious live Native comedy. As the venue for “Good Medicine” is an open, grassy field, the organizers recommend that guests bring blankets or low chairs that rest on the ground with a low back. Tall chairs are not permitted as they obstruct views of the stage. Lawn space is first-come, first serve. Accessible seating is also available. To request accessibility accommodations, please call 510-318-8427 Wednesday through Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., or email OMCA at visitor@museumca.org.

General Tickets

Member tickets

Accessibility

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Assistive listening devices and wheelchairs 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.

Return to Events

Spotlight Sundays: Making Music and Medicine for Health and Healing
2024-09-15 13:00 - 14:30 | OMCA Garden, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, California, 94607, United States
Your browser does not support the video tag.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Spotlight Sundays: Making Music and Medicine for Health and Healing

Join healing arts practitioner and featured artist in OMCA special exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples, Felicia Montes of Mujeres de Maíz and La Botanica del Barrio for Barrio Botanica & Beats a bilingual herbal medicine demonstration on making and using natural, holistic and healing methods and traditions. Montes will share the custom of flor y canto or flower and song, as she is joined by the Xicana musical group, In Lak Ech in a ritual ceremony.

This Spotlight Sundays program is a part of our exhibition programming for Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples

This program is free and open to the public (no tickets required).

GET Museum Admission TICKETS

Accessibility

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

*Header images: courtesy of the artists

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with La Misa Negra
2024-09-20 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by La Misa Negra, Dance Lesson with Queen Joy Broussard, music set by DJ Fasho, and Gallery Chats

The grooves are too powerful this Friday Nights at OMCA! The Garden stage is set to amplify the electrifying sounds of La Misa Negra. An 8 piece band from California, La Misa Negra is known for their horns, accordion-driven riffs, and a fierce rhythm section that power an infectious high-energy Afro-Latin cumbia sound.

A friendly and high energy dance lesson! Samba Fusion and Fun! w/ Queen Joy Broussard will provide you with all the smooth Brazilian Samba moves you need to take in and amplify the flowing good summer energy. A rich and textured set from Oakland-local DJ Fasho will sustain the vibe with a skillful blend of R&B, Afrobeats, reggae, pop, and reggaeton.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions.

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

5:30—6:30 pm Samba Fusion and Fun! w/ Queen Joy Broussard | Amphitheater

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6—7:15 pm La Misa Negra | OMCA Garden

6:45—8:50 pm Set by DJ Fasho | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with CABANIJAZZ PROJECT
2024-09-27 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | CABANIJAZZ PROJECT, Live Figure Drawing with Sketchboard, DJ set with LA FEMME PAPI, and Gallery Chats

This Friday Nights at OMCA we are thrilled to welcome back CABANIJAZZ PROJECT to our garden stage. Led by Grammy Award-winning composer and conga player, Javier Cabanillas, CABANIJAZZ PROJECT is a seven-piece band of highly talented musicians that play a unique and captivating blend of Jazz harmonies and Afro-Caribbean dance rhythms. After being featured with networks such as NPR and PBS and is a fan favorite in the San Francisco Bay Area, this national and local favorite is projected to totally transform the stage!

Of course Friday Nights at OMCA is coming with even more as we welcome LA FEMME PAPI to our amphitheater as they spin a bumping DJ set. This will be just the energy you’ll need to fuel some creative exploration in our activated galleries. That’s right! Sketchboard Live Figure Drawing is back!

OMCA welcomes all skill levels, including those who have never drawn before and want to try drawing. Art supplies and clipboards will be available for use, and your artwork will be yours to take home or exchange with others. A costumed model representing the diversity of the Bay Area will be posing in the Gallery of California Art for times ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Since drawing will take place in the gallery, please be mindful of the space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite or charcoal pencils.

Sketching in the gallery is included with the price of general Museum Gallery access and free for Museum Members.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. Come see OMCA in a new light this Friday Nights!

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

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

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

6—7:30 pm CABANIJAZZ PROJECT | OMCA Garden

5:30—7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

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

6:45—8:50 pm DJ set with LA FEMME PAPI | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events

Friday Nights at OMCA with Cuicacalli Ballet Folklórico & La Familia Peña Govea
2024-10-04 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA campus
Friday Nights at OMCA with The Whoadees and Special Guests

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music with Cuicacalli Ballet Folklórico & Familia Peña Govea, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Clay Art Making, music set with DJ Chagga Star, and Gallery Chats

Bring the whole family and dive into the vibrant rhythms of Mexico with Cuicacalli Ballet Folklórico and Familia Peña Govea this Friday Nights at OMCA! This amazing mash-up will bring Aztec Dance, Zapateados, Faldeos, and Sombreros to life on the garden stage and transport you through the magical culture of México with a captivating blend of music and dance.

Next, get ready for Drag Storytime with the enchanting Per Sia, who will read Just A Minute!: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales. This lively trickster tale, adorned with vivid illustrations and engaging text, celebrates Mexican cultural traditions while introducing counting in both English and Spanish.

Don’t forget to create a memory with a creative clay art making session and then take a moment to get civically involved! The City of Oakland will be a featured table this Friday Nights to inform the public of the updates to its General Plan. Oaklands General Plan Update is an exciting chance for everyone in Oakland to help plan what we want Oakland to be like in twenty years. Come talk to City planning staff about your ideas to improve parks, neighborhoods, transportation, jobs, and anything else you want your local government leaders to consider for the future.

After showing your Oakland pride hit the dance floor again with the electrifying beats of DJ Chagga Star. DJ Chagga Star’s set features a global blend of Afro-diasporic club sounds, including amapiano, baile funk, kuduro, soukous, dembow, and house, with a special focus on African artists, women, and queer and non-binary performers.

In addition to an outstanding event experience, every Friday Nights at OMCA also offers guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions, and connect with our OMCA facilitators who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our galleries.

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Get Museum Tickets

Program Schedule:

Program Schedule:

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

5–8 pm City of Oakland Table | Garden

5:15–5:40 pm Drag Storytime with Per Sia | OMCA Garden

5:30–7:30 pm Clay Art Making | OMCA Garden

5:30–7:30 pm Gallery Chats | Gallery of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences

6:45–8:00 pm Cuicacalli Ballet Folklórico & Familia Peña Govea | OMCA Garden stage

6:45–8:45 pm DJ Chagga Star | Amphitheater

About Friday Nights:

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

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

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

Accessibility

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

Performers

Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup

Sponsors

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

Return to Events
