Events
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Upcoming Events
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Week of Events
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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.
Free
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OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk
Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.
Free
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Member Preview for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Member Preview for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
You’re invited to the Member Opening for OMCA’s newest exhibition! Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California offers guests a first look at a significant collection that highlights Indigenous endurance and explores the vivid tapestry of contemporary Native California life. Reserved tickets are highly encouraged but not required for Member Preview Hours.
Free for Members
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Member Preview Evening Celebration for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Member Preview Evening Celebration for Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Don’t miss the opening celebration for OMCA’s newest exhibition Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California. We will be convening with the curators and collaborators who have helped make this exhibition possible. Join us for light bites, live music, and a cash bar.
Free for Members
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Special Exhibition Opening of Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Special Exhibition Opening of Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Prepare to bear witness to a powerful expression of Native Californian cultural legacies with the opening of OMCA’s latest special exhibition, Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California, coming Friday, November 8, 2024. Through the lens of celebrated Native photographer Dugan Aguilar, this exhibition offers a first look at his vibrant collection exploring the tapestry of contemporary Native Californian life.
Special Exhibition ticket required
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Member Tours: The Art and Practice of Native Basket Weaving with Featured Basketmaker, Jennifer Bates
Member Tours: The Art and Practice of Native Basket Weaving with Featured Basketmaker, Jennifer Bates
Join us for a tour of the art and practice of Native basketry with Jennifer Bates. Bates (Northern Sierra Mewuk) has been a basketmaker for over four decades. She began learning traditional Mewuk basketry by studying with tribal elders as a child and continues to teach basketry from traditional methods of gathering and processing raw materials into her weaving.
Free for Members
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Gallery Chats at OMCA
Gallery Chats at OMCA
Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Admission ticket required
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 Chats
Knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.