Oakland Museum of California Announces Programs for ‘Year of the Bay’

(Oakland, CA) August 2 2013—This fall, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents four standout exhibitions celebrating the ‘Year of the Bay,’ which marks a number of major milestones for the San Francisco Bay, including the opening of the new span of the Bay Bridge, the America’s Cup, the installation of The Bay Lights, and the 150^th anniversary of the Port of San Francisco.

Above and Below: Stories From Our Changing Bay, opening August 31, 2013, marks the first major museum exhibition focused on the Bay, and the mysterious, unexpected, and amazing stories of people and natural forces shaping its landscape over 6,000 years. The exhibition anchors an interdisciplinary investigation of this iconic California topic through exhibitions that touch every facet of the Museum. OMCA’s Bay-related presentations extend into the Gallery of California Art with Peter Stackpole: Bridging the Bay (through January 26, 2014), an exhibition of Stackpole’s bridge photographs from OMCA’s collection; Bay Motion: Capturing San Francisco Bay on Film (November 9, 2013–June 29, 2014) featuring rare, ephemeral film from the legendary Prelinger Archives; and A Cinematic Study of Fog in San Francisco (November 9, 2013–June 29, 2014), a video project by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Green and cinematographer Andy Black. In the ‘Year of the Bay’ exhibitions, OMCA celebrates a uniquely Californian subject—the San Francisco Bay—with a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling, connecting California’s heritage to its future. 

A full schedule of ‘Year of the Bay’ programs brings opportunities for Museum visitors to engage with, talk about, and imagine the future of our Bay. Hands-on bridge building workshops during Friday Nights @ OMCA and on weekends connect families to the Bay theme through fun and educational activities. There’s something for everyone, from Geek Out! a series of dynamic, topical lectures on everything from infrastructure projects to sea level rise, to Curator Tours of the exhibitions, to the first-ever presentation of Lost Landscapes of Oakland, an interactive film event. For more about OMCA’s ‘Year of the Bay’ programming, visit museumca.org/events. Add to the conversation by tweeting @oaklandmuseumca, #yearofthebay.