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Oakland Museum of California Announces Holiday Festivities For 2016 and Special Holiday Museum Hours

(OAKLAND, CA) November 10, 2016—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces 2016 holiday events, programs, and exhibitions, including special holiday hours during the last two weeks of the year, with more chances for visitors to share a uniquely California experience with family and out-of-town guests. The Museum is open both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and will  open extra days on Monday, December 26, and Tuesday, December 27, from 11 am–5 pm. The Museum is closed Christmas Day on Sunday, December 25, and New Year’s Day on Sunday, January 1, 2017.

OMCA will honor the traditions of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, during a family-friendly celebration with dance, music, and hands-on activities on Sunday, November 13. The fun continues during an intimate winter season of Friday Nights @ OMCA, including cookie decorating demonstrations on November 11 and Whole Foods Market’s Guide to Gift Giving on November 18.

Visitors can give the gift of shopping when the widely popular White Elephant Sale Preview Sale tickets go on sale on December 1. Or, give the gift of an OMCA Membership and take advantage of the three-day OMCA Store Member Sale on Sunday, December 2–Sunday, December 4. 

The entire family will enjoy OMCA’s upcoming exhibition Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture, opening December 22. Visitors will marvel at sneakerhead collections and learn about the evolution of sneakers as well as their significance to pop culture. Tickets are now on sale for the highly anticipated Perspectives at OMCA | Two Generations of Black Struggle on January 21 with Bobby Seale and Chinaka Hodge tying in with the current exhibition, All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50. For more information, visit museumca.org.

HOLIDAY EVENTS AT OMCA

Friday Nights @ OMCA
Every Friday, 5–9 pm
November 11, 18, and 25
December 2, 9, 16, and 23  
Enjoy the best street market in the Bay with OMCA and Off the Grid! Savor California beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages around the Koi Pond at the Blue Oak beer garden. The event includes half-price admission, live music, hands-on activities for kids, a pop-up art market in the Redwood Burl area, and extended OMCA Store hours. Bring friends and family for a taste of local music, food, and culture at the Oakland Museum of California every Friday Night!

OMCA Family | Celebrate Diwali—Festival of Lights
Sunday, November 13, 1–4 pm
Celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Watch and participate in folk dance by Sahiyar Dance Troupe and enjoy a South Asian a cappella music performance by Stanford Raagapella! Join the author of Lights, Camera, Diwali, Dr. Amita Roy Shah, for a special story time at 2 pm where she will read and autograph her new book. Enjoy a demonstration of diya making on a potter’s wheel, get a henna tattoo on your hand, color rangoli designs, and create your own clay lamp to take home. Included with Museum admission. Admission for Members is always free. No reservations necessary. All ages welcome. Presented in partnership with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

OMCA Store Member Sale
Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4, 2016
Take advantage of a great OMCA Membership benefit at this three-day sale. OMCA Members receive an additional 10% in the OMCA Store, for a total of 20% on regularly priced items. Shop early for the best selection! Pick up an artisanal gift for the holidays, a locally made piece of decor or tableware for your home, or a new book inspired by Art, History, or Science to freshen your shelves for the new year. Members only.

Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture
December 22, 2016–April 2, 2017
The first exhibition to explore the significance, complex design history, and evolution of sneakers, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture opens at the Oakland Museum of California in December 2016. Sneakers have long been a fashion staple and symbol of popular culture, worn by millions of people and transcending generations and socioeconomic status. Within the exhibition, visitors will view more than a 100 pairs of iconic sneakers from the 19th century to the present, including rare collectibles from the archives of brand-name manufacturers such as Adidas, Nike, and Reebok, and selections from renowned sneaker collectors—affectionately known as “sneakerheads”—including hip-hop legend Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia, and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. The exhibition will prompt visitors to reflect on sneakers as a representation of identity and sports fashion, while also incorporating community-inspired elements. Film footage, photographs, design drawings, and interactive media will showcase the history, technical advancements, fashion trends, and marketing campaigns that have played a role in the sneaker’s evolution. Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. The exhibition is curated by Bata Shoe Museum Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack with OMCA Curator of Public Practice Evelyn Orantes as the host curator. There is a $4 charge for this special exhibition in addition to regular Museum admission.

Special Holiday Hours
Friday, December 23, 2016, 11 am–9 pm
Saturday, December 24, 2016, 10 am–3 pm
Monday, December 26, 2016, 11 am–5 pm
Tuesday, December 27, 2016, 11 am–5 pm
Friday, December 30, 2016, 11 am–9 pm
Saturday, December 31, 2016, 10 am–3 pm

While everyone’s on vacation, enjoy the Museum for the holidays! OMCA stays open extra days this holiday season, so you can take advantage of all that the Museum has to offer. Visit major special exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50 and the just-opened Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Don’t miss family-friendly exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact in the Gallery of California Natural SciencesEnjoy the view of Lake Merritt from the gardens and grab a bite at Blue Oak café.

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA’s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $15.95 general; $10.95 seniors and students with valid ID, $6.95 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members and children 8 and under. There is a $4 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. The accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org

 

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