Oakland Museum Of California Announces Public Programs And Events For August 2022
(Oakland, CA) July 21, 2022 — A variety of provocative, thought-provoking, and fun public programs and events will engage visitors at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) throughout the month of August. The popular Friday Nights at OMCA continues to bring people together with activities, music, programs, and Off the Grid food trucks every Friday evening from 5 to 9 pm. The theme for August programming is “Remix,” including a pop-up talk by Carin Adams, co-curator of the upcoming exhibition Hella Feminist, as well as a collaborative workshop with the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland and a hand-weaving demonstration featuring local artists Kalingafornia Laga Weaving Collective and Sheng Lor. A special film screening of Black Panther presented by Shaolin Jazz and a performance by the Bay Area’s own Awesöme Orchestra are not to be missed. Two hands-on programs with Merritt Ceramics invite visitors to “Play with Clay” on August 7 and 21, in conjunction with Edith Heath: A Life in Clay.
OMCA’s latest exhibitions on view will include the newly-opened Hella Feminist, OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace, and Edith Heath: A Life in Clay in the OMCA Gallery of California Art. The newly-launched Town Fare by Michele McQueen includes a 45-seat sun deck with food and drink to enjoy Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 9 pm. A complete schedule of August events at OMCA may be found below. For more information, visit museumca.org.
AUGUST PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS AT OMCA
Friday Nights at OMCA
Reconnect with family, friends, and community every week during Friday Nights at OMCA. These free, family-friendly events provide a gathering place each week, including live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and the newly-launched Town Fare sun deck, featuring an outdoor bar and select bar bites from the cafe menu. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket, or bring a blanket and lounge in our garden, now open with direct access to Lake Merritt.
Friday, August 5, 5—9 pm
DJ Sake One; Quilt Show & Tell with African American Quilt Guild of Oakland
Honor the legacy of feminist artist Faith Ringgold with the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland. Meet members of the guild and engage with museum educators to contribute to a collaborative quilt. This free program is held in conjunction with the de Young Museum’s Faith Ringgold: American People exhibition and OMCA’s Hella Feminist exhibition. Don’t miss the dance party with DJ Sake One in the amphitheater, kicking off at 5 pm.
Friday, August 12, 5—9 pm
DJ Juan G; Awesöme Orchestra
Join Awesöme Orchestra Collective on our Garden Stage for a special live performance during Friday Nights at OMCA. The Collective brings together Bay Area music-lovers for orchestral adventures, bringing classical music out of the symphony concert halls into the streets, parks, and rock venues throughout the Bay Area. Awesome Örchestra sessions are open to any musicians who want to join. Visit awesomeorchestra.com for information about how to sign up to play. Head out to the amphitheater to catch DJ Juan G for a Afrobeats dance party from 5 to 7 pm.
Friday, August 19, 5—9 pm
DJ Ron Reezer; Textiles Re-Mixed with Kalingafornia Laga Weaving Collective, Sheng Lor, and Amadi Greenstein
This program explores the rich and layered practice of textile art with a series of demonstrations in our garden, featuring local artists Kalingafornia Laga Weaving Collective and Sheng Lor. Kalingafornia Laga is a weaving collective of Filipino American women in the San Francisco Bay Area who preserve, promote, and maintain indigenous backstrap weaving traditions from Kalinga. Sheng Lor is a Hmong American fiber artist whose practice is motivated by a desire to connect to cultural practices of her elders, which are rooted in shamanism and land stewardship. Amadi Greenstein is a passionate textile artist originally from Northern Virginia who creates original textile works that explain the narratives of her cultural identities and personal memories, along with discoveries of narratives from other identities. The artists and makers will remix concepts of identities, mythologies, and healing through braiding, weaving, and wrapping. Following the demonstrations, Carin Adams, OMCA Curator of Art and co-curator of Hella Feminist, will lead a conversation about the ways textiles are central to the fabric of intersectional feminist thought. Gallery access to the pop-up talk is available with the purchase of a Museum ticket.
Friday, August 26, 5—9 pm
DJ X-Ro; Can I Kick It? Film Experience Presented by Shaolin Jazz with a screening of Black Panther
Head to OMCA’s expansive outdoor garden for a special film experience. Can I Kick it? caters to the lovers of Kung-Fu and action films, the music they inspired, and everything else in between. At the screening, watch the popular film Black Panther scored with a live mixed blend of hip-hop, soul, funk, and more, by DJ 2-Tone Jones. Be sure to check out DJ X-Ro in our amphitheater from 5 to 7 pm.
Play with Clay at OMCA
Sunday, August 7 and Sunday, August 21
12-4 pm
OMCA Learning Center, Lower Level
Tickets: “Open Studio” drop-in; pay at the door, $1–$30 sliding scale; limited capacity
Develop an appreciation for the wonderful material of clay at OMCA. Join us for one of two hands-on workshops led by teaching artists from our Oakland neighbor across the lake: Merritt Ceramics. Learn the basics of pottery, experiment with patterns, colors, and textures, and create your own original pottery to take home. Watch a demonstration by teaching artists on how to throw shapes and forms on the pottery wheel.
All ages and skill levels are welcome.
After you finish channeling your inner Edith Heath, make sure to stop by the Gallery of California Art to view Edith Heath: A Life in Clay before it closes October 30, 2022.
On View at OMCA in August
Hella Feminist
Great Hall
On View until January 8, 2023
Feminism. It’s a loaded word; as empowering to some as it is challenging for others. OMCA takes on this complex and timely topic with Hella Feminist, celebrating the lesser-known stories of feminism here in Oakland and the Bay Area. Bringing together historic objects from the Museum’s collection such as posters, pins, and photographs, alongside newly commissioned works by artists, Hella Feminist is rooted in the idea that discrimination against all elements of identity (gender, class, race, sexual orientation, physical ability, education, age, etc.) is interlinked and that no element can be addressed in isolation. The exhibition aims to challenge, provoke, and inspire visitors to reconsider and expand their understanding of feminism and its complicated history.
OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace
Gallery of California Natural Sciences
Ongoing
Little learners can unleash their curiosity and imagination in the newly-created OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace. Located in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, the playroom is focused on the unique needs of children ages 2 to 5, along with their families and caregivers. Play is critical to every child’s healthy development and the playroom offers something for everyone, from building materials and nature-themed puzzles to hands-on activities that spark creativity, wonder, and joy. Our youngest museum visitors can also discover the animals that make their homes in Oakland’s streams, hills, and backyards. The playroom gives families a fun, safe place to play and to build community with other families. Admission to OMCA is free for kids 12 and under.
Edith Heath: A Life in Clay
Gallery of California Art
On View until October 30, 2022
Trailblazer. Rebel. Revolutionary. Discover the story of Edith Heath, founder and designer of Heath Ceramics. Heath transformed the ceramics industry, creating dinnerware from California clay for “Sunday best” and everyday use. Driven by the power of good design, and a commitment to her craft, Heath’s vision continues to live on through her stoneware and tile over 70 years later. Durable, not delicate, simple, yet stylish, Heath Ceramics is an icon of American design.
Town Fare by Michele McQueen
Town Fare, the cafe at OMCA, is now open and we welcome new chef and manager Michele McQueen, formerly of Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles. Featuring a new menu and beverage program, Town Fare will be open during regular museum hours, Wednesday–Sunday, 11–5 pm.
Town Fare’s sun deck, a brand new addition located directly outside of the cafe, is open for service every Thursday–Saturday, 5–9 pm. Surrounded by OMCA’s terraced gardens, the 45-seat sun deck features an outdoor bar as well as all-new patio couches and dining furniture for guests to enjoy year-round. Select items from McQueen’s cafe menu will be served along with craft cocktails, wine and beer.
McQueen’s new menu for Town Fare pays homage to her family roots and Oakland upbringing and aims to bring together flavors from the diverse cultures within the local community. The menu is made up of shared plates, salads and sandwiches, and entrées, including vegan options, for on-site dining only. A smaller kids menu is also available.
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 multidisciplinary collections of art, history, and natural science with 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. For details and admission, visit museumca.org. For current COVID information and requirements, visit museumca.org.
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