OMCA Announces Public Programs and Events for August 2025

July 8, 2025

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces its schedule of public programs for August 2025, including a powerful film screening and discussion with Cheo Tyehimba Taylor, filmmaker of “Legacy of Love” and “East Oakland Rising,” and Carolyn Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone. This month’s Spotlight Sunday invites visitors to celebrate community care through kite-making, a tea ceremony, and card writing for elders with artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong, Cut Fruit Collective, and Teaphile. And of course, OMCA announces another lineup of standout performances for Friday Nights, featuring KULARTS, Agua Pura, Amihan, SambaDá, NOODLES, and more fun for the whole community! See the full calendar below or at www.museumca.org.

OMCA PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS FOR AUGUST 2025

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is Back!

Every Friday, April–October | 5–9 pm | OMCA Campus

Starting at 5 pm every Friday from April to October, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites visitors to an unforgettable night of free live music and activities for the whole family. Bring a blanket and settle down on the lawn, or take advantage of exclusive late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions (Museum ticket needed for gallery access).

Guests can enjoy an eclectic mix of food from ten Off the Grid food trucks, located along 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets; beer, wine, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. After enjoying food and drink, visitors can relax in the OMCA Garden, featuring picnic tables and blankets for dining, along with lawn games and engaging Museum programs. The lively community atmosphere makes Friday Nights at OMCA a perfect way to experience Oakland’s cultural heartbeat.

OMCA also offers a $10 flat-rate parking in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Please note that outside alcohol is not permitted, and event details and performances are subject to change.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the OMCA website.

Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by the Oakland Museum Women‘s Board and Bank of America.

Friday, August 1 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music and Dance by KULARTS, DJ set by Amal, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Zine Making, and Gallery Chats

Friday Nights at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) offers an evening of music, movement, and storytelling that celebrates vibrant community culture across generations. The Museum welcomes guests to experience the vibrant rhythms and cultural traditions of the Pilipino diaspora with live performances by KULARTS, featuring ritual dance, Indigenous warrior choreography, and joyful folk dance that invites everyone to movement.

The OMCA Garden will be activated with Drag Storytime with Per Sia, featuring The World We Can Build by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin, a warm tale about friendship, accessibility, and creating inclusive spaces for all.

Drop in for a zine-making activity inspired by summertime at OMCA, and get creative with prompts, collage materials, and more in this hands-on art session for all ages. Then the vibes will keep going with Amal, who’ll be spinning a genre-blending set of funk, house, R&B, global beats, and more—all rooted in joy, culture, and community.Friday Nights at OMCA also offer a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike traditional museum tours, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators, who combine deep content knowledge with lived experience to encourage fresh interpretations of the Museum’s exhibitions.

Friday, August 8 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music Performance by Agua Pura, Bachata Dance Lesson by Pamé Ortiz and Kayla Jones – with In Lak’ech Dance Academy, DJ Dailo Mac Music Set, Pop-up Talk with Cheo Tyehimba Taylor and Carolyn Jonson, and Gallery Chats

This Friday Night, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites you to an evening of music, movement, and celebration of identity and culture! Agua Pura, a Bay Area-based salsa band composed entirely of femme and queer musicians, will ignite the stage. Their high-energy set blends salsa classics, cumbia, timba, rumba, and son, pairing it with Agua Pura originals that preview their upcoming debut album. Rooted in tradition and driven by community, Agua Pura is here to set the stage with joy and inclusive energy for expression and connection.

Friday Nights is poised to warm visitors’ spirits and bodies with a lively Bachata dance lesson led by Pamé and Kayla with In Lak’ech Dance Academy, a queer and POC-led Afro-Latin studio in Oakland. This beginner-friendly class welcomes everyone to jump in and enjoy the rhythm, whether solo or with a partner.

Then DJ Dailo Mac will take listeners on a global musical journey through R&B, Latin, K-pop, EDM, hip-hop, and more. With more than 20 years of experience, she’s here to create powerful, high-energy dance floors that get everyone moving.Plus, in honor of Black August, join us for a Gallery Chats pop-up with special guests Cheo Tyehimba Taylor and Carolyn Johnson in OMCA’s Black Power feature. These community influencers will explore Tyehimba Taylor’s short films, “Legacy of Love” and “East Oakland Rising,” in the context of Black collective determination, activism, and cultural legacy in Oakland. Their conversation will amplify the themes of OMCA’s latest special exhibition, Black Spaces: Reclaim and Remain, on view in OMCA’s Great Hall. OMCA is the place for a meaningful evening of culture, creativity, and celebration!

Friday, August 15 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by Amihan, Sketchboard Co. Live Figure Drawing, DJ Set by Jenset, and Gallery Chats

Friday Night at OMCA brings Oakland an evening of rhythm, resistance, and creative expression! In the OMCA Garden, visitors will experience a powerful live set from Frisco Pinay rapper, singer, and musician Amihan, whose unique blend of folk, hip-hop, and revolutionary chants channels stories of migration and solidarity. Performing alongside her band, Diwa—a collective of Bay Area artists and organizers—Amihan’s music honors her Filipino roots and the collective fight for justice.

In the Gallery of California Art, Sketchboard Co. invites you to dive into your creativity with uninstructed live figure drawing! All are welcome to sketch, reflect, and connect in this open studio-style session celebrating the beauty and diversity of the human form.

We welcome all skill levels, including those who have never drawn before and want to try drawing. Art supplies and clipboards will be available for use, and your artwork will be yours to take home or exchange with others. A costumed model representing the diversity of the Bay Area will be posing in the Gallery of California Art for times ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Since drawing will take place in the galleries, please be mindful of space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite, charcoal, or conté pencils.

As the evening heats up, there’s a dynamic DJ set from Jenset, bringing high-energy mixes that span hip-hop, R&B, and original remixes. A nurse and DJ, Jenset brings healing and hype in equal parts, turning the dance floor into a space of joy, release, and connection. Friday Nights at OMCA also offer a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike traditional museum tours, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators, who combine deep content knowledge with lived experience to encourage fresh interpretations of the Museum’s exhibitions.

Friday, August 22 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | Live Music by SambaDá, House Dance Lesson with Terrence Paschal, DJ Set by Gomorrah Dawn, and Gallery Chats

Friday Nights at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents an evening of rhythm, roots, and movement! The vibrant energy of SambaDá will transform the OMCA Garden with an infectious, high-energy show blending samba, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, funk, cumbia, and reggae. Calling upon deep roots in Brazil and the African diaspora, SambaDá brings 25 years of joyful, Carnival-inspired performance to the stage—guaranteed to get you and your crew dancing!

Terrence Paschal is facilitating a house dance lesson that invites visitors to jump into a beginner-friendly session. This Bay Area dancer, rooted in street styles, will guide guests through grooves and foundational steps in a welcoming, upbeat session focused on self-expression and fun.

Then Gomorrah Dawn turns up the vibe with a genre-blurring DJ set of soulful house, deep house, disco, and R&B remixes. Known for her bold, ancestral, and high-spirited sound, her sets are pure movement magic—fresh, nostalgic, and totally danceable.

Friday Nights at OMCA also offer a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike traditional museum tours, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators, who combine deep content knowledge with lived experience to encourage fresh interpretations of the Museum’s exhibitions. It’s a night to explore global traditions, find your flow, and celebrate community through music, dance, and inquiry.

Friday, August 29 | 5–9 pm

Friday Nights at OMCA | DJ Set by NOODLES, DJ Sucia Music Set, and Gallery Chats

The beat drops at OMCA this Friday with two DJs bringing bold sounds and big energy. On the Garden Stage, NOODLES delivers a DJ set featuring a genre-bending mix of hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and global sounds. Known for her bold style and creative vision, she’s rocked everything from underground clubs to international festivals.

In the Amphitheater, DJ Sucia lights up the space with a high-energy fusion of Latin beats, house, EDM, and today’s hip-hop hits. Rooted in their indigenous Mexican and Spanish heritage, Sucia’s sets transform the dancefloor into a shared celebration of culture and connection.

Special Guest Gallery Chats with “Legacy of Love” and “East Oakland Rising” filmmaker, Cheo Tyehimba Taylor and Carolyn Johnson of Black Cultural Zone

Friday, August 8, 2025 | 6-7pm | Gallery of California History

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) honors Black August with a Gallery Chats pop-up featuring special guests filmmaker Cheo Tyehimba Taylor and Black Cultural Zone CEO Carolyn Johnson. Within Black Power in OMCA’s Gallery of California History, the two will discuss Taylor’s films “Legacy of Love” and “East Oakland Rising,” which focus on the impact of the collective determination of African American communities in the Bay Area. They will explore topics such as launching the first Black-led health center, tackling environmental racism, and a 10-year battle against unfair housing policies and gentrification in East Oakland. Johnson, who is featured in the film, will share highlights from her lifelong commitment to the Black Arts and Culture legacy in Oakland. This conversation will leave visitors inspired, motivated, and focused on possibility.

Spotlight Sundays: Rituals of Care Celebration with Artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong, Cut Fruit Collective, and Teaphile

Sunday, August 17, 2025 | 1–2:30 pm | Oak Street Plaza
Free and open to the public

This month, Spotlight Sundays welcomes guests to join artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong for a free, all-ages celebration in OMCA’s Oak Street Plaza. Wong’s colorful paintings amplify the diversity of her Asian heritage and the vibrant family histories of the AAPI women depicted in them. Under her playful mural, titled Calling Home, this lively event will explore rituals of community care with Wong and OMCA’s community partners Cut Fruit Collective and Teaphile.

Enjoy a traditional Gongfu tea ceremony while choosing from an assortment of fun activities, including ‘make a wish’ origami, handmade elder-care cards, and kite decorating. Visitors will be invited to write hopeful messages on beautifully designed cards and paper hearts to be distributed to seniors in Chinatown and Little Saigon.

This event is a part of our feature programming for Ancestral Visions, on view through February 2026, and is made possible by the Harker Fund Artist Residency Program.

Member Tours at OMCA

Member Tours: Students on Strike: Curator Walkthrough
Saturday, August 9, 2025 | 12–1 pm | Gallery of California History

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites guests to its Gallery of California History for a walkthrough of feature Students on Strike with OMCA Curator Ryder Diaz. This exhibition explores the enduring legacy of student activism at San Francisco State University by highlighting the similarities and differences between the historic 1968–1969 student strike, which established the nation’s first Black Studies Department and first College of Ethnic Studies, and the contemporary campus protests against the war in Gaza.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to reserve their spots at the ticketing desk as spots are limited.

Gallery Chats at OMCA

Saturdays, 1—3 pm | Great Hall

Gallery Chats at OMCA takes an informal approach to the traditional museum tour. Visitors are invited to chat, ask questions, and connect in the galleries with our OMCA facilitators, who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our Special Exhibitions.

Weekly Gallery Chats take place in our Special Exhibitions every Saturday from 1 to 3 pm and are included with Museum and Special Exhibition admission. No reservation necessary.

OMCA Members have access to special Gallery Chats Member Tours every second Saturday of the month from noon to 1 pm.

First Sundays at OMCA

First Sunday of each month

Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to the Oakland Museum of California’s (OMCA) 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!

In between exploring the galleries, OMCA invites guests to pick up some locally-made goods from the shop or relax outside in the Museum’s updated garden. Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance to secure your preferred entry time and reduce wait time. Tickets are available at the admissions desk on a first-come, first-served basis.

OMCA Architecture Walk and Talk

First Sunday of each month at 1 pm

Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture, and learn about the history, design, and evolution of this award-winning structure with guides who are passionate about OMCA and Oakland.

No reservations or tickets are required. Walk and Talk begins near the Mid Level ticketing desk and lasts approximately one hour.

If you’d like to visit OMCA’s Galleries or Special Exhibitions, please purchase a ticket online in advance or at the ticketing desk on the day of your visit.

ON VIEW

Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain
Great Hall
July 18, 2025– March 1, 2026

Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain navigates the braided histories of displacement, resistance, and resilience within Black American communities in Oakland and the East Bay. Through new commissions in art, architecture, and archival research, the exhibition traces how these communities have creatively resisted dispossession and reimagined spaces of home and belonging.

Drawing inspiration from the legacies of West Oakland and Russell City, Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain pulls from the OMCA permanent collection, local repositories, and three newly commissioned installations by artist Adrian Burrell, architect June Grant with blinkLAB architecture, the Archive of Urban Futures, and Moms 4 Housing. These works reflect the ongoing struggle and success in reclaiming and reshaping self-determined spaces in the face of systemic violence, erasure, and urban renewal.

Developed in collaboration with East Bay residents affected by displacement, Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain invites reflection on the intersection of activism, memory, and the materiality of home. It is a meditation on how Black American communities, in spite of ongoing systemic oppression, conjure wells of creativity and resistance that carve out places to hold their histories and futures.

Born of the Bear Dance: Dugan Aguilar’s Photographs of Native California
Great Hall
Closing July 13, 2025

Experience the diverse voices of California’s Indigenous peoples as they shape the present and future through the lens of celebrated Native photographer Dugan Aguilar. 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. Aguilar’s work, spanning from 1982 till his death in 2018, defies colonial narratives and captures instead an unwavering Indigenous presence and dynamic cultural practices. His powerful images document a rich array of Indigenous people and experiences, from the breathtaking California landscapes to gatherings, ceremonies, Native war veterans, and the artistry of basket weaving.

This collection honors and showcases moments of profound cultural significance and weaves together the stories of resilience and unyielding vitality that define contemporary Native life. More than simple documents, his photographs radiate a sense of quiet but determined celebration and resistance. Drawing from Aguilar’s extensive photographic archive, gifted to OMCA by his family in 2021, the exhibition brings these images to life through video, audio, and narratives from Indigenous artists, activists, elders, and community members.

Ancestral Visions: An Installation by Chelsea Ryoko Wong, OMCA Artist-In-Residence
Gallery of California Art
February 7, 2025–February 1, 2026

Fashion, family histories, and personal identity intersect in a new installation at OMCA by Bay Area artist Chelsea Ryoko Wong. Wong’s energetic and colorful paintings, drawn from both real-life events and her imagination, depict busy, rhythmic scenes of people going about their daily lives. For this project, Wong’s paintings take inspiration from dresses owned by seven 20^th century Chinese American women, whose clothing and legacies live on in OMCA’s collection. Ancestral Visions features paintings along with a selection of the fashions that inspired them.

Visitors to the installation are invited into the world of the dresses and the women who wore them to ponder history, the value of what we wear to future generations, and the role of clothing as an expression of identity. Dresses that belonged to Rose Setzo, Sophia Chang Wong, Grace Dea, Lei Kim Lim, Chop Chin Chum, and Sun Fung Lee Wong caught Wong’s eye and are re-envisioned in the abstract narratives of her vibrant work.

This installation is made possible by the Harker Fund Artist Residency Program.

Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic
Gallery of California Natural Sciences Corridor
April 4, 2025–December 7, 2025

Opening April 4, 2025 alongside the seasonal return of Friday Nights at OMCA, Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) celebrates Fairyland’s rich history and impact on Oakland’s cultural landscape with Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic. The collaborative installation invites visitors to learn more about Fairyland’s history, evolution, and enduring magic.

Explore a timeline of Fairyland’s journey, a “then-and-now” look at its beloved park attractions, and a glimpse into the park’s bright future. Visitors will discover miniatures created by local artists, photos of Magic Keys through the decades, and even one of Fairyland’s original Jolly Trolly cars for kids and families to climb aboard. This feature celebrates Fairyland’s lasting legacy and role in shaping Oakland’s cultural landscape.

Students on Strike Gallery of California History
Gallery of California History
April 9, 2024—May 31, 2026

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Students on Strike, a new installation opening in the Gallery of California History. The installation explores the enduring legacy of student activism at San Francisco State University by comparing the 1968-1969 student strike that established the nation’s first Black Studies Department and first College of Ethnic Studies to the recent campus protests against the war in Gaza. Through historical and contemporary posters and photographs, the intimate feature shows how students have consistently demanded justice and accountability from institutions, then and now.

Visitors will be presented with an opportunity to integrate local historical context with the groundbreaking events happening in today’s news and contemplate the existing parallels. Students on Strike will be on view starting April 9, 2025.

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 inside the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, the playspace 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 playspace gives families a fun, safe place to play, and to build community with other families.

You Are Here: California Stories on the Map
Gallery of California Natural Sciences
On view until June 26, 2026

We all use maps in our everyday lives—to navigate public transportation, find places to eat, and visualize big data like weather patterns or political opinions. But have you ever considered the deeper stories maps tell us? In You Are Here: California Stories on the Map, you’ll discover there’s more to maps than meets the eye. Showcasing a diverse range of maps from Oakland, the Bay Area, and California—from environmental surroundings and health conditions to community perspectives and creative artworks—experience how maps can be a powerful tool to share unique points of view and imagine a better future. Explore new perspectives of familiar places through maps made by the community, and mark your own stories on the community map inside the exhibition.

Black Power
Gallery of California History
Ongoing

Uncover the history of the Black Power movements in California with a compelling addition to the Gallery of California History. In response to the widely-popular 2016 exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50, Black Power illustrates the creative ways Black anti-racist activists in California supported their communities and challenged the U.S. government. Focusing on the example of the Black Panther Party, Black Power brings to light the tensions between a culturally and socially progressive California and examples of economic racism and oppression in the state. This moment in California history is represented through historic photographs, provocative objects, iconic posters, paintings and interactive prompts that encourage visitors to take action out in the world. Learn more about the Bay Area role in this national story, and the impacts this history continues to have today.

Question Bridge: Black Males
Gallery of California Art
Ongoing

Immerse yourself in intimate videos—woven together and arranged to simulate face-to-face conversations between participants—among a diverse group of over 160 Black men across the United States. Hear these men answer each other’s questions with exceptional honesty and vulnerability, and share stories, beliefs, and values in a personal portrayal of their lives. Encompassing themes of family, love, interracial relationships, community, education, and wisdom, Question Bridge: Black Males presents nuanced portraits of past, present, and future of Black men in American society. Listen, watch, learn, and start your own conversations with this profoundly moving installation. Question Bridge is an innovative and widely exhibited video installation from artists Chris Johnson and Hank Willis Thomas in collaboration with Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair.

Dorothea Lange: Photography As Activism
Gallery of California Art
Ongoing

Experience the iconic life and work of Dorothea Lange, world-renowned documentary photographer, with an expanded installation in the Gallery of California Art dedicated to her works. Through the lens of her camera, Lange documented American life with riveting photographs that captured some of the most powerful moments of the 20th century. Drawn from Lange’s personal archive, which was gifted to OMCA over 50 years ago, and in response to the popular 2017 exhibition Dorothea Lange: The Politics of Seeing,, a number of newly added photographs illustrate the power of photography as social activism. See how Lange’s work continues to resonate with millions and inspire new generations of artists and activists.

Dorothea Lange Digital Archive
Explore prints, field notes, negatives, contact sheets, and more with OMCA’s Dorothea Lange Digital Archive.

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
Founded in 1969 as a “museum of the people,” Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the diverse stories of California’s art, history, and natural environment. Through inclusive exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, OMCA creates space for meaningful dialogue and strives to build more equitable, empathetic, and connected communities. With more than 2 million objects, OMCA’s collection of art, history, and natural science is a resource for understanding California’s dynamic heritage—all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. A leading Bay Area cultural institution rooted in Oakland, OMCA is dedicated to fostering an environment where visitors from the region, state, and beyond feel valued and empowered to shape the future of California’s cultural landscape.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $19 general admission; $16 for seniors; and $12 for youth ages 12 to 17 as well as for students and educators with valid ID, and free for Members and children 12 and under. There is a $6 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions in the Great Hall. 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. An accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org