OMCA Announces Public Programs and Events for June 2024
Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) has announced its schedule of public programs for June 2024, including must see shows at Friday Nights at OMCA ft. acts from Reyna Tropical, Krudas Cubensi, Mak Nova and more! OMCA is also set to open its latest exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples. Opening weekend will also host a performance of Undocumented Heart, alongside hosting Hella Juneteenth’s “The Cookout,” Gathering in the Garden, Special Guest Gallery Chats with Julio Salgado and so much more! The full calendar may be seen below with details at www.museumca.org.
OMCA PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS FOR JUNE 2024
Friday Nights at OMCA
Every Friday | 5—9 pm | OMCA Campus
Friday Nights at OMCA are jam packed with exciting events and activities sure to enhance your night out in the Town! Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday at 5 pm for free live music and hands-on activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and late night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.
Bring your own or grab dinner from any one of the 8 Off the Grid food trucks on 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets. Beer, wine, mixed and non-alcoholic drinks are available for sale. After grabbing a meal from a wide and weekly changing menu of culinary creations, head to the OMCA Garden where you’ll find picnic tables and blankets to enjoy your local eats. Play lawn and table games, enjoy weekly rotating Museum programming, and create new memories at one of the Town’s most treasured spaces right in the heart of Oakland.
No outside alcohol permitted. Performances are subject to change. Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm.
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Bank of America.
Friday, June 7 | 5–9 pm
Live Music with Krudas Cubensi, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Pride Art Making, Gallery Chats, and DJ set with Karlita
Come out with Pride to Friday Nights at OMCA! Krudas Cubensi brings a blend of rap and poetry and Afro-Cuban music beats, like salsa, rumba, and Jazz from their album “They/Them Les Elles” and uplifts the resiliency of non-binary and trans people. The album being a collaboration between Krudas, Greg Landau and many local and international artists is an interwoven sonic tapestry that inspires reflection and action in the service of a better future for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Drag Storytime keeps our attentions hooked on the very roots of Pride as drag artist Per Sia gives a joyful reading of Joanna McClintick’s ‘Twas the Night Before Pride, a story that emphasizes the beauty of families of all compositions and all inclusive love in the face of challenging movements such as the Stonewall Riots and AIDS marches.
Keep the celebration going in creative self-expression with hands-on art-making! Make your own Pride flag and rainbow dancing ribbon, while learning about different LGBTQ+ flags and what they represent. And if you’re feeling really Proud add your voice to the insightful Gallery Chats about the social change makers and artists in our Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya. As the night progresses, DJ Karlita will keep the energy high with disco, Latin house, and Afro house stylings.
Friday, June 14 | 5–9 pm
Live Music Performances by Reyna Tropical and Lets Lab w/ CIN!, DJ set with Chulita Vinyl Club, and Gallery Chats
Mark your calendars for another blockbuster evening at Friday Nights at OMCA! The Garden stage will host the distinct and spellbinding, Reyna Tropical. Uplifting the sounds of the tropical diaspora, Reyna Topical is not only a musical exploration and celebration of the pulse of the tropical diaspora, but the band also represents a commitment to creating abundant spaces for Black, Indigenous, and Queer joy. Opening up even more space, Let’s Lab w/ CIN! will excavate topics of heartbreak, triumph and self-reflection with alternative R&B and rap stylings. This paired with a mixed set of Cumbia, R&B, and disco jams skillfully spun by mare.e.fresh from the Chulita Vinyl Club provides an apt atmosphere and energy for the opening of OMCA’s latest special exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples. Interweaving the threads of intergenerational, feminist, queer, and Xicanx-Indigenous stories together through photography, sculpture, painting, installation, poetry, and more, our evening hours make Calli available to add new visions of a collective future to a powerfully fun evening.
Gallery Chats focusing on our closing exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquias Montoya make the night rife with opportunities to make lasting memories this Pride Month.
Friday, June 21 | 5–9 pm
Live Music by Mak Nova, House Dance w/ Amber Julian Gallery Chats, and set with DJ Mai Girl
OMCA invites visitors this Friday as they host Mak Nova and The Homies to their Garden Stage! A totally sensational mashup of spiritual celebration, authentic hip-hop, lyrical genius, and powerful stage presence Mak Nova and The Homies are sure to leave visitors smiling, sweating, and spiritually revived! The groove is only set to intensify with House Dance w/ Amber Julian who invites visitors to step into their personality as they learn foundational steps so that they can show out in the concluding community cypher set to soulful House music. Further opportunities to show off your newfound dancing skills include an excellent set from DJ Mai Girl spinning Hip Hop, Afrobeats, Ampapiano, Latin, Future Beats and more!
Need a dance break? OMCA welcomes visitors to cool down with thoughtful Gallery Chats taking place in the Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya and use this collaborative twist on a museum tour to find something new about the exhibition as it enters its final weeks!
Friday, June 28 | 5–9 pm
Live Music by Skip The Needle, Bachata with In Lak’ech Dance Academy, Live Figure Drawing with Sketchboard, Gallery Chats, and set by DJ Olga T
June’s final addition of Friday Nights at OMCA brings Skip The Needle to the Garden stage! A banging mix of soul, rock, and funk, Skip The Needle is ready to blast sonic love and energy! Furthering the rhythmic love is a Bachata lesson with In Lak’ech Dance Academy. Bachata Queer instructors, Angelica and Jahaira, are creating a gender inclusive and beginner friendly space to learn and bachata with Pride.
Come express your creativity and unique perspective in the OMCA galleries with Sketchboard Live Figure Drawing.
OMCA welcomes 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 gallery, please be mindful of the space and bring only the following media from home: sketchbooks (max size 9×12 inches) and pre-sharpened enclosed graphite or charcoal pencils.
Sketching in the gallery is included with the price of general Museum Gallery access and free for Museum Members. In addition, Gallery Chats will be activating–in its very final days–our Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya with facilitated community conversations that brings new light to the work with every iteration. All this creative engagement will be framed with an exceptional set from DJ Olga T featuring Latin, Afrobeat, R&B, and Soulful House sounds.
Tickets
- Programming for Friday Nights at OMCA is free and open to the public. Tickets for late night access to the Core Galleries and the Special Exhibitions are required and will be available through our website or at our ticketing desk.
Gathering in the Garden
June 1, 2024 | 6—9 pm | OMCA Garden
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to welcome the community to our highly anticipated 2024 Gathering in the Garden fundraiser event! Saturday, June 1 OMCA is set to bring together 500 guests for an evening of inspiration, entertainment, and community support, all surrounded by the Museum’s beautiful 7-acre urban garden overlooking Lake Merritt and the beloved Oakland skyline.
At OMCA, inclusivity is our central heartbeat, and the 2024 Gathering in the Garden event is a testament to this commitment. With sliding scale tickets, OMCA is breaking down barriers to ensure everyone feels welcome. Thanks to generous sponsors, local teachers and community partners will receive complimentary access. Renowned thought leader W. Kamau Bell will lead an invigorating discussion with East Bay cultural forces, Favianna Rodriguez and Rafael Casal, on nurturing the vibrant arts and culture community of the East Bay, followed by a night of music and culinary delights.
By purchasing tickets for this event, guests are not only supporting an inclusive celebration of East Bay arts; they’re also championing OMCA’s mission to cultivate understanding and empathy through the diverse stories and experiences of California’s art, history, and natural environment, ultimately fostering more equitable and connected communities. This isn’t just another gala; it’s a celebration of the OMCA community, and the Museum wants you to be a part of it! OMCA welcomes you to a night of fostering belonging and connection in the heart of Oakland.
Arts Education Curriculum Slam
June 7, 2024 | 4:30—6 pm | Lecture Hall
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to invite educators and enthusiasts alike to join in a night of celebration and inspiration at the Curriculum Slam. Co-presented with the California Art Education Association and Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area, this event shines a spotlight on the innovative practices educators bring to their classrooms.
Inspired by the format of quick-paced presentations like PechaKucha, the Curriculum Slam offers a platform for educators to share creative practices across the arts and education community. Participants will showcase how they integrate creativity, critical thinking, and innovation into their teaching.
Following the Curriculum Slam, attendees can enjoy late-night access to OMCA’s galleries, including the Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya. This exhibition showcases posters and graphic prints highlighting political and social justice issues.
As the night continues, guests can explore Off the Grid food trucks or relax in the OMCA garden while enjoying a packed night of programming for Friday Nights at OMCA including the captivating sounds of Krudas Cubensi, a Cuban hip-hop group known for their Afro-Cuban music and a happening set by DJ Karlita.
The Curriculum Slam event is free for teachers.RSVP on the CAEA website in advance or check in at the Curriculum Slam table on the Lower Level upon arrival.
OMCA Presents Special Exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples
Friday, June 14, 2024 — Sunday, January 26, 2025 | Great Hall
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is elated to announce the opening of their newest Special Exhibition, Calli: The Art of Xicanx Peoples. Just in time for Pride Month, on Friday, June 14, 2024 OMCA welcomes guests to step into a powerful multimedia exhibition that navigates the interwoven threads of queer, feminist, intergenerational, and Xicanx-Indigenous stories that offer ancestral forms of liberation, healing and being.
Inspired by the Calli Americas collection of late queer Chicana activist and professor Margaret “Margie” Terrazas–Santos, the exhibition uses photography, sculpture, painting, installation, poetry, and more to collectively construct a Calli, or “Xicanx home” that holds the sacred stories of Xicanx peoples from past to present day.
OMCA invites you to enter the Calli and delve into the nuanced and layered artistic perspectives that arise out of the conversation between posters from Terrazas–Santos’ collection and the installation works by Xicanx artists from which we can imagine new possibilities for the future.
Spotlight Sundays: Undocumented Heart
Sunday, June 16, 2024 | 1–3 pm | James Moore Theater
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes guests to a powerful production of Undocumented Heart. On Sunday, June 16 in tandem with Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya, Spotlight Sunday’s will host this impactful show developed in collaboration with Teatro Jornalero, Peralta Hacienda, and the Oakland Theater Project. Teatro Jornalero is a LA based ensemble theater group made up of day laborers that uses theater, music, and dialogue to educate immigrant workers about their rights. The ensemble works to humanize the immigration debate and empower their community by reflecting their stories in their own voices. This offering will be held entirely in Spanish with live English translations and will be hosted by Azucena Rasilla, a bilingual journalist for The Oaklandside and a longtime reporter on Oakland arts, culture and community. The production will be followed by an informal talk back with the players and production collaborators.
OMCA Hosts: Hella Juneteenth,
“The Cookout”
June 19, 2024 | 1—5 pm | The OMCA Gardens
In partnership with Hella Creative and the Last Supper Society, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is proud to host Hella Juneteenth “The Cookout” on Wednesday, June 19 in the OMCA Garden. “The Cookout” will feature the Bay Area’s finest Black chefs and Black-owned restaurants collaborating on a special Cookout Plate, showcasing classic dishes and backyard favorites curated by Last Supper Society and chef Michele McQueen of Town Fare.
The community is invited to indulge in delectable cuisine prepared by beloved Black chefs and restaurants, revel in live music, partake in games, and engage in activities paying homage to Black culture and freedom. Attendees can groove to music spun by an all-star lineup of local DJs, playing cookout classics and inspiring movement on the dance floor. From the electric slide to the two-step and line dance challenges, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! More information can be found at museumca.org.
Final Weeks of OMCA Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya
Sunday, June 30, 2024 | Great Hall
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is in its final weeks of hosting its Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya. Set to close Sunday, June 30, Por el Pueblo focuses on the activist, community leader, and public serving artist, Malaquías Montoya, and how his trajectory has inspired politically engaged creatives within the Chicano community and beyond.
Por el Pueblo recognizes Montoya’s contributions as a founder and leader of the Chicano Arts Movement of the 60’s and 70’s when printmaking was emerging as an accessible and efficient method for activist artists. Known best for his silkscreen print posters his work laden with social justice themes are contextualized with contemporary artists who are uplifting marginalized queer and Chicana voices and perspectives.
Come with the electric energy of Pride and its political roots and take this final opportunity at OMCA to explore the legacy of Malaquías Montoya and other artists who dare speak truth to power for the empowerment of all!
Oakland Summer Vibes Passport
Happening through August 31, 2024 | OMCA Campus and Oakland Partners
This June the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is excited to uplift and continue its collaboration with Vibemap and Visit Oakland through the ‘Oakland Summer Vibes Passport,’ an innovative digital initiative aimed at showcasing the vibrant cultural offerings of The Town and fostering community engagement.
The ‘Oakland Summer Vibes Passport’ is a digital platform that encourages both locals and tourists to explore the diverse attractions Oakland has to offer, including the Chabot Space and Science Center, Children’s Fairyland, the Oakland Zoo, and Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club. Participants can download the Vibemap app to earn limited edition badges by engaging with each attraction, from visiting exhibits to exploring unique features like the Flamingo Habitat at the Oakland Zoo or the Gallery of California Natural Sciences at OMCA.
Having begun early May and set to run until August 31, the ‘Oakland Summer Vibes Passport’ offers participants the chance to win a range of prizes, including behind-the-scenes experiences at the Oakland Zoo, field level seats to an Oakland Roots/Soul match, and memberships at OMCA and the Chabot Space and Science Center.
OMCA welcomes you to join them and Vibemap in celebrating Oakland’s vibrant culture and community spirit with the ‘Oakland Summer Vibes Passport.’
Special Guest Gallery Chats: Julio Salgado
Saturday, June 8, 2024 | 1—2 pm | Great Hall
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes guests for the final days of Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya to a special edition of Gallery Chats led by artist Julio Salgado, whose artwork is featured in the exhibition. Julio will lead visitors in a guided tour experience that centers his work and the themes of Unlearning Machismo, which is the title of his commission.
Julio Salgado is the co-founder of DreamersAdrift and the Migrant Storytelling Manager for The Center for Cultural Power. His status as an undocumented, queer artivist has fueled the contents of his visual art, which depict key individuals and moments of the DREAM Act and the migrant rights movement. Undocumented students, organizers and allies across the country have used Salgado’s artwork to call attention to the migrant rights movement.
Salgado is the co-creator of The Disruptors Fellowship, a program at The Center for Cultural Power for emerging television writers of color who identify as trans/and or non-binary, disabled, undocumented/formerly undocumented immigrants. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA and Smithsonian.
Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya centers around the living impact of Chicano artist, Malaquías Montoya, whose legacy as a public-serving artist, activist, and community leader serves as inspiration for younger generations within the Chicano community and beyond.
Gallery Chats at OMCA
Gallery Chats ~
Saturdays, 1—3 pm | OMCA Great Hall and Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences
Member Gallery Chats~
Second Saturdays, 12—1 pm | Gallery of California History
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 and Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences.
Weekly Gallery Chats take place in our Special Exhibitions and our Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences 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 Member Gallery Chats every second Saturday of the month from noon to 1 pm.
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.
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. 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
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