Friday Nights at OMCA with KULARTS
Live Music and Dance by KULARTS, DJ set by Amal, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Zine Making, and Gallery Chats
August 1 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Join us for an evening of music, movement, and storytelling that celebrates vibrant community culture across generations.
Experience the vibrant rhythms and cultural traditions of the Pilipino diaspora with live performances by KULARTS, featuring a convergence of ritual dance and movement—from Alleluia Panis Dance Theater’s powerful performances, to Jonathan Mercado’s dynamic Sagayan performance—an Indigenous Maguindanaoan warrior dance—to the joyful folk dance of AGOS Youth. AGOS Rondalla will fill the air with romantic melodies on traditional string instruments, while the Manilatown Ancestral Ensemble transports you to Mindanao through the pulsating rhythms of kulintang percussion. The celebration kicks off with an irresistible set from DJ ET of Astig Sound that welcomes everyone to movement.
Gather in the Garden for 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. And don’t miss a bookmark-making activity inspired by summertime at OMCA—get creative with stickers, colored pencils, and more in this hands-on art session for all ages. Then keep the vibes 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.
Program Schedule:
5–9 pm Core Galleries and Special Exhibitions evening hours with Museum ticket
5:15 pm Drag Storytime with Per Sia | OMCA Garden
5:30–7:30 pm Bookmark Making | OMCA Garden
5:30–7:30 pm Gallery Chats | All Galleries
6:45–8 pm Live Music and Dance by KULARTS | Garden Stage
6:45-8:50 pm DJ Set by Amal | Amphitheater
Join our email list to stay in the loop about Friday Nights at OMCA!
About Friday Nights:
Join us for Friday Nights at OMCA, where Oakland comes together! Every Friday from April to October, bring your crew for 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).
Hungry? Grab a bite from any of the ten Off the Grid food trucks lining 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets, offering a delicious mix of rotating flavors. Beer, wine, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. Once you’ve fueled up, head to the OMCA Garden, where picnic tables and blankets await you to enjoy your meal. With lawn games, engaging museum programs, and a vibrant community atmosphere, it’s the perfect setting for making memories at one of Oakland’s most iconic spots.
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.
Accessibility
Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.
Performers
Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup
Performer BIOS
Founded in 1985, KULARTS is the main presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino Arts in the United States. The mission of KULARTS is to inform and expand the understanding of American Pilipino culture through works that address contemporary issues in the community. KULARTS objectives are to nurture the artistic development of Pilipino American artists, and preserve the spirit and integrity of ancient Pilipino art forms through research, education and documentation.
Per Sia comes with a pedigree from weekly performances at the late, iconic Esta Noche. Her trajectory has gone on to include art curation, stand-up, television, and maybe a quinceañera or two, in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and México. Per Sia is currently a regular performer in the nationally acclaimed “Drag Story Hour” as well as an educator in residence at an after-school arts program in the San Francisco Unified School District, profiled on KQED Arts, National Public Radio, and CNN.
Amal is a DJ, curator, and event producer based in Oakland, California. With music at the center of her work and creations, Amal’s multifaceted sound, inspired by her Egyptian roots and the diversity of her home in the Bay Area, defies genre boundaries. From R&B to future beats, soul to global, house to hip-hop, and everything in between, Amal’s work holds a common thread of building feeling, connection, and community. She is also the creator of Butter, an everything-and-anything dance party based in Oakland and San Francisco.
Sponsors
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is sponsored by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Bank of America.
