Oakland Museum of California Announces New Installation Celebrating the Oakland Athletics’ 50th Anniversary Season
(OAKLAND, CA) July 2, 2018—In celebration of the Oakland Athletics’ 50th anniversary season, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) and Oakland A’s announce Homegrown Heroes: Oakland A’s at 50, a dedicated 350-square-foot installation honoring three iconic homegrown players—Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, and Dave Stewart. Opening July 13 in the OMCA Gallery of California History, Homegrown Heroes will give Museum visitors and the community an opportunity to get up close with rare photographs, high school yearbook images, and sports memorabilia worn by the players to learn about their roots in The Town and notable contributions to the team. The exhibition will run through the fall.
A 1989 “Battle of the Bay” World Series poster from the OMCA Collection will also be on view, marking a historic moment when the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area and Candlestick Park. Eleven days after the earthquake, the A’s beat the San Francisco Giants to win the 1989 World Series. Interactive features will invite visitors to contribute their own baseball memories of playing America’s favorite pastime or attending an A’s game, and prompts will inspire conversation and reflection about the team and the three players.
“The Oakland Museum of California is pleased to join in the celebration of this team and the A’s organization, who have shown their commitment to being ‘Rooted in Oakland’ and this community,” says OMCA Director & CEO Lori Fogarty. “What better way to honor this significant milestone than by highlighting three of the team’s icons, all Bay Area natives who were instrumental in securing the 1989 World Series win and in demonstrating the incredible history of baseball in Oakland. We’re grateful to the A’s for teaming up with us on this show and we welcome fans of both the A’s and OMCA to join us in celebrating our Homegrown Heroes.”
“Our 50th anniversary in Oakland is an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the tremendous achievements of our club. We are proud to partner with the Oakland Museum of California to showcase not only iconic moments in our history but also the athletes, personalities, and hometown heroes who make up our great franchise,” says A’s President Dave Kaval. “The Oakland Museum of California is a strong community pillar who joins us in being ‘Rooted in Oakland,’ and we thank them for their support and partnership.”
This exhibition is supported in part by the Oakland Athletics. For more on Homegrown Heroes: Oakland A’s at 50, visit museumca.org.
MEDIA PREVIEW
WHAT: Media interested in covering Homegrown Heroes: Oakland A’s at 50 are invited to attend a special advance preview, including representatives from the A’s and OMCA.
WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 4–6 pm
WHERE: Oakland Museum of California’s Gallery of California History
RSVP YOUR COVERAGE TO LINDSAY WRIGHT: [email protected]; 510-318-8467
ABOUT THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS
We have always been innovators. Since our founding in 1901, the Athletics franchise has pushed the boundaries of our club and our sport in a relentless pursuit of victory. Our nine World Series titles and 15 American League Pennants make us one of the most storied clubs in Major League Baseball. We take great pride in the achievements of our past, and we view them as a challenge to push ourselves further. As our club moves into a new chapter in Oakland, we are committed to creating winning experiences that encompass the many aspects of our game and our community. For more information, visit athletics.com.
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. 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 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 $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 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
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
Around the Block: A Day of Neighborhood Stories
September 29, 2018
Go beyond the walls of the Oakland Museum of California to experience Around the Block: A Day of Neighborhood Stories. Visit five engaging pop-up projects within a three-block radius of OMCA, for one day only on Saturday, September 29, 2018. Explore dynamic and interactive events created by artists and community organizers through shared storytelling, literature, dance, art, performances, and photography.
Listen, learn, and contribute your own story to these discussions about the many important issues facing of Oakland today, including cultural legacy, gentrification, homelessness, and processing emotions around loss of life. Pick up a map at OMCA to find your way to each of the five locations and be a part of a special one-day celebration of Oakland’s culture. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The World Of Charles and Ray Eames
October 13, 2018–February 17, 2019
Fueled by their belief in design as a way of life, the innovative husband and wife duo Charles and Ray Eames were two of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. Go beyond their most well-known designs in this intimate and inspiring exhibition portraying their legacy and lives in California. The Eameses—who founded The Eames Office—valued knowledge and discovery, embraced the joy of trial and error, and saw no separation between life and work. Through multi-media installations, films, rare prototypes, photography, furniture, toys, products, as well as personal letters, drawings, and artwork, discover the story of the Eameses from a fresh perspective. Explore the breadth of their work across many fields in this interactive exhibition that brings their ideas and playful spirit to life. The World of Charles and Ray Eames was curated and organized by Barbican, London. There is an additional $4 admission fee for this special exhibition.
November 10, 2018–March 17, 2019
Drop back in time to see the natural environment of California in a new way. Discover the connections between art and science through fantastically colorful renderings by artist Ray Troll and the research of paleontologist Kirk Johnson, who made an incredible journey to map the ancient world with a fresh perspective. Together, the fossil-loving scientist and his artist friend paint a vivid picture of the land and creatures that once roamed the West Coast thousands of years ago. Learn how fossils teach us about how California’s landscape, plants, and animals have evolved over millions of years. With the addition of sculpture, maps, a giant sloth—or Paramylodon harlani— and other fossils and bones from the collections of OMCA and the California Academy of Sciences, and a fun hands-on activity, this exhibition will thrill fossil fans and curious culture-seekers alike. Cruisin’ The Fossil Coastline was organized by the Anchorage Museum.
ON VIEW
RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom
Through August 12, 2018
Hip-Hop is one of the widest reaching cultural and social movements of the last 50 years. Discover the unexpected story of how Hip-Hop changed the world, starting from its roots on the streets, before rap, DJing, street art, breakdancing, and street fashion launched into mainstream popular culture. Learn about the West Coast’s and San Francisco Bay Area’s influences on this global phenomenon. Hear first-person accounts from artists and experts about how, beyond big business, Hip-Hop continues to provide a platform for creative expression, activism, youth development, and education. There is a $4 charge for this special exhibition in addition to regular Museum admission.
J.B. Blunk: Nature, Art & Everyday Life
Through September 9, 2018
Discover northern California’s best kept secret in design and craft: J.B. Blunk (1926–2002), a mid-century artist whose connection to nature governed his daily life. Inspired by Japanese philosophies of nature and art’s inseparability, and influenced by rural utopian communities, Blunk’s muse and often his source of materials was the beautiful natural environment of Inverness, California. Blunk’s home property was his ultimate work of art, filled with his handcrafted furniture, ceramics, sculptures, and other functional objects used by his family. His remarkable craftsmanship also took the form of large-scale public works of art, including The Planet, a redwood sculpture commissioned by the Oakland Museum of California in 1969. J.B. Blunk: Nature, Art & Everyday Life brings together a comprehensive survey of the artist’s works. See northern California’s landscape anew through Blunk’s eyes, and get inspired to find the beauty of nature and art in your own daily life.
Take Root: Oakland Grows Food
Through January 13, 2019
Unearth Oakland’s multi-layered world of food in Take Root: Oakland Grows Food, an exhibition exploring aspects of growing food in Oakland. Enjoy this hands-on exhibition with the entire family to understand what factors determine where, how, why, and what is grown throughout the city. Hear personal stories from farmers and growers within the community, see compelling illustrations and maps, and meet the diverse flavors of Oakland. Learn what motivations Oaklanders have for growing food—including access to healthy and delicious ingredients, environmental and social justice values, or simply the joy of tending a garden. Visitors will be invited to share personal stories, explore interactive activities, and gain a deeper understanding of Oakland’s agriculture.
* * *