Oakland Museum of California Announces New Free Outdoor Program Series “Lunchtime Sessions: Music, Dance, and Storytelling in the Garden”
(OAKLAND, CA) October 5, 2021—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) today announces a new, free program series open to the public this October through December. After reopening its campus in June following 15 months of closure, this series will be the Museum’s first in-person program, and its first public program held in the newly renovated gardens which were recently completed as part of a multi-year $85 million comprehensive campaign.
Lunchtime Sessions: Music, Dance, and Storytelling in the Garden will feature local artists and performers spanning multiple genres who will engage with visitors through a variety of mediums. The renovated garden now includes a new state-of-the-art stage complete with built-in sound equipment, offering a welcoming and collaborative space for performers to share new work and works in progress with the community.
Performances will include excerpts by the renowned Oakland Ballet Company, live music from the immersive Awesome Orchestra Collective, and conversations between poets and storytellers represented by Nomadic Press. A list of October programs is included below; additional artists and performers will be listed on museumca.org/lunchtime-sessions.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own blankets to sit on as they lounge on the lawn and gather with friends and family safely. Food and beverages from the Museum’s new cafe, Town Fare, will also be available for purchase. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food or picnic baskets.
Lunchtime Sessions are free and open to the public; tickets and reservations are not required. In order to maintain safety for all guests, performers, and staff, capacity may be limited. Please review OMCA’s Safe Community Agreements in advance of visiting.
October Programs
Saturday, October 16
12 pm
Awesome Orchestra Collective
Saturday, October 23
12 pm
In Conversation: James Cagney and Michelle Mush Lee, with music by Azuah
Co-produced in partnership with Nomadic Press
Saturday, October 30
12 pm
Oakland Ballet Company
ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the many stories that comprise California, creating the space and context for greater connection, trust, and understanding between people. Through its inclusive exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, and cultural events, OMCA brings Californians together and inspires greater understanding about what our state’s art, history, and natural surroundings teach us about ourselves and each other. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA brings together its multi-disciplinary collections of art, history, and natural science with the first-person accounts and often untold narratives of California, all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. The Museum 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 for visitors from the region, the state, and around the world.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $16 general; $11 seniors and students with valid ID, $7 youth ages 13 to 17, and free for Members and children 12 and under. There is a $5 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the 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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