OMCA Announces Public Programs and Events for 四月 2026

星期五 Nights at OMCA Returns and Spotlight Sundays Hosts a Conversation on Indigenous Fire Practices and More!

(Oakland, CA) 三月 12, 2026 – The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces its schedule of public programs for 四月 2026, inviting visitors to come together through a lively lineup of music, dance, art activities, and community gatherings. 四月 marks the return of 星期五 Nights at OMCA, featuring weekly evening events with live music, DJ sets, dance lessons, family-friendly activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and Gallery Chats. The month also includes a Spotlight Sundays program exploring Indigenous cultural burn practices through a conversation with Corrina Gould of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust alongside Jordan Reyes and Patty Franklin of Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance, presented in connection with OMCA’s special exhibition Good Fire: Tending Native Lands as it enters its final weeks. See the full calendar at www.museumca.org

OMCA PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS FOR APRIL 2026

星期五 Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid Returns

Every 星期五, 四月–10月 | 5–9 pm | OMCA Campus

The Town’s favorite block party, 星期五 Nights at OMCA, is back for the 2026 season, inviting the Bay to kick off the weekend with the crew—whether family, friends, or neighbors. Every 星期五 at 5 pm, the Museum hosts a free evening filled with live music, interactive activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and, with a Museum ticket, exclusive late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions.

The Museum welcomes guests to a rotating lineup of Off the Grid food trucks stationed along 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets, serving up bold flavors and local favorites. Inside, near the Koi Pond, beer, wine, cocktails, and refreshing non-alcoholic options are available for purchase to sip while exploring. In the Garden, picnic tables, blankets, and a dazzling view of Lake Merritt invite visitors to settle in with their meals. With games, engaging museum programs, and a vibrant community atmosphere, it’s the perfect setting for making memories marked with unmistakable Oakland energy, week after week.

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.

Major support for 星期五 Night at OMCA is provided by The Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

星期五, 四月 3 | 5–9 pm

Live Music by Yeny Valdés & TeamBahia, Drag Storytime with Per Sia, Dance Ribbon Making, Music Set by DJ Kream, and Gallery Chats

星期五 Nights at OMCA kicks off the 2026 season with the vibrant and joyful rhythms of the Caribbean as Yeny Valdés & TeamBahia take the Garden Stage. Blending timba, salsa, son, and tropical fusion, their high-energy set will have you dancing and celebrating all night long. The party continues with Oakland’s own DJ Kream, spinning soulful, rhythm-forward beats rooted in deep house, funk, and feel-good grooves to keep the dance floor moving.

Families can gather in the Garden for Drag Storytime with Per Sia, featuring a reading of Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa—an inspiring tribute to the Queen of Salsa. Plus, get hands-on and make your own colorful dance ribbon in a festive art activity celebrating movement and spring.

Alongside an exceptional event experience, 星期五 Nights at OMCA also feature a dynamic gallery offering with Gallery Chats from 5:30–7:30 pm. Moving beyond the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in conversation, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators who blend content expertise with lived experience to spark meaningful dialogue and new perspectives. Gallery Chat facilitators can be found in OMCA’s Great Hall Special Exhibitions and the Core Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences. Gallery Chats are included with Museum and Special Exhibition admission. Facilitators float between galleries throughout the night and can be seen wearing a blue “Let’s Chat” shirt.

星期五, 四月 10 | 5–9 pm

Live Music by SambaDá, Baile Funk Dance Lesson with Weslei Guimarães, DJ Set by murcutian, OMCA Members’ Lounge, and Gallery Chats

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes visitors to step into their weekends with Brazilian-inspired music, dance, and joyful connection at 星期五 Nights at OMCA. On the Garden Stage, SambaDá delivers a joy-filled set rooted in electric Brazilian rhythms with a funky American twist. Blending samba, funk, soul, and global grooves, their infectious live performance brings radiant energy and irresistible beats that keep the crowd moving.

In the Amphitheater, a Baile Funk dance lesson with Weslei Guimarães spotlights the dynamic style born in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. This all-levels class introduces signature steps and expressive movements that celebrate the culture, creativity, and community of Brazil’s Funk Carioca tradition.

Keeping the dance floor lively, murcutian spins a fun, family-friendly DJ set of Latine favorites, ’70s classics, Y2K hits, Hip-Hop, and R&B—timeless, flavorful sounds designed to get everyone moving.

On the Upper Level Terrace the Museum welcomes its Members to a special Members’ Lounge. Members can enjoy light refreshments, sidewalk chalk, family-friendly games, and a bingo give-away featuring awesome OMCA merch! It’s the perfect way to mingle with fellow OMCA enthusiasts all while overlooking the Garden buzzing with 星期五 Nights energy.

Alongside an exceptional event experience, 星期五 Nights at OMCA also feature a dynamic gallery offering with Gallery Chats from 5:30–7:30 pm. Moving beyond the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in conversation, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators who blend content expertise with lived experience to spark meaningful dialogue and new perspectives. Gallery Chat facilitators can be found in OMCA’s Great Hall Special Exhibitions and the Core Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences. Gallery Chats are included with Museum and Special Exhibition admission. Facilitators float between galleries throughout the night and can be seen wearing a blue “Let’s Chat” shirt.

星期五, 四月 17 | 5–9 pm

Live Music by The Philharmonik, Sketchboard Co. Live Figure Drawing, Music Set by DJ Hauna Bauna, and Gallery Chats

This evening, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is inviting visitors to enjoy soulful grooves, infectious rhythms, and playful creativity at 星期五 Nights at OMCA.

The Philharmonik sets the tone on the Garden Stage with a passionate blend of R&B, funk, soul, and Hip-Hop, energizing the crowd and inspiring dancing and singing for all ages. Over in the Amphitheater DJ Hauna Bauna adds to the vibrations with a high-energy, genre-spanning set—from Hip-Hop and Afro beats to house, Jersey club, Nola bounce, and R&B—creating a rhythm-driven journey that moves everyone.

A crowd favorite, Sketchboard Co., is back in the galleries with uninstructed live figure drawing.

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 galleries for times ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Since drawing will take place in the Gallery of California Art, 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.

星期五, 四月 24 | 5–9 pm

Live Music by CO-LLAB Choir, Hip Hop Dance Lesson with Samara Atkins, DJ Set by AMAL, and Gallery Chats

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) invites guests to bask in an evening of powerful vocals, dynamic movement, and genre-spanning sounds this 星期五 Nights at OMCA. The Garden Stage will be transformed as CO-LLAB Choir presents an uplifting set of contemporary music and original compositions performed with a live band. Featuring standout soloists alongside the full ensemble, the Oakland-based choir brings rich harmonies and collaborative spirit to every song.

Over in the Amphitheater, a Hip-Hop dance lesson with Samara Atkins offers an engaging, all-levels experience rooted in accessible, dynamic movement. From warm-up to choreography, the class creates space for dancers of all ages and abilities to move with confidence and joy.

Rounding out the night, AMAL curates a genre-spanning music set—from funk and house to R&B, disco, global grooves, and future beats—blending styles seamlessly to keep the energy flowing across the dance floor.

Spotlight Sundays: Cultural Burn Practices and the Future of Fire

Sunday, 四月 19, 2026 | 1–2 pm | Lecture Hall
Sliding Scale $1–$30

Spotlight Sundays welcomes guests to an in-depth conversation about the future of fire through the lens of Indigenous fire practices. Corrina Gould of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust will lead a conversation with Jordan Reyes and Patty Franklin of Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance. The discussion will illuminate how fire is an essential component of Native lifeways, affirms tribal sovereignty, and is a critical element for healthy California ecosystems. The Museum invites guests to learn about what it means to be a steward of the land and find out how Native fire practitioners are increasing their efforts to build a more sustainable future with fire in California.

This program is a part of our exhibition programming for Good Fire: Tending Native Lands, on view through 5月 31.

OMCA 画廊聊天室

First 星期日 of each month atSaturdays, 1–3 pm | All Galleries
Thursdays, 5:30–7:30 pm | All Galleries

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 every 星期六 from 1–3 pm and during 星期五 Nights (四月-Oct) & ThursDates (Jan-三月) from 5:30–7:30 pm in our Galleries of California Art, History, Natural Science, and the Great Hall. Gallery Chats are included with Museum and Special Exhibition admission. No reservation necessary.

OMCA的第一个星期天

First 星期日 of each month

Every first 星期日 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 建筑漫步与座谈

First 星期日 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.

即将到来的

Closing of Good Fire: Tending Native Lands

Through 星期日, 5月 31, 2026 | Great Hall

Good Fire: Tending Native Lands explores how Native communities in Northern California have used controlled fire—also called “good fire” or “cultural burning”—to care for the land and sustain traditions for millennia. Organized in collaboration with Native California fire practitioners, artists, ecologists, and cultural leaders, the exhibition reframes fire not only as a destructive force, but as an essential tool for supporting healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities. Good Fire: Tending Native Lands is ultimately a call to reimagine California’s relationship with fire, honoring Native sovereignty and building a future where fire once again sustains life.

Closing of Students on Strike

Through 星期日, 5月 31, 2026 | Gallery of California History

An installation OMCA’s Gallery of California History, Students on Strike 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.

Radical Acts Student Poster Project by Skyline High School

Opening 5月 2026 | Gallery of California Art

This spring, the Gallery of California Art will feature Skyline High School student perspectives on selections from OMCA’s renowned “All Of Us Or None” political poster collection from the 1960s and 1970s. The OMCA poster collection explores a variety of social justice themes, including immigration, education, and human rights.

In a collaboration between Skyline High School Illustration Teacher Rachel Thomas, her Illustration students, and OMCA Curatorial, Experience Development, and Education staff, Skyline High students will make their own contemporary political and social justice posters. Digital versions of the students’ posters will be shown in the Gallery of California Art alongside posters from the OMCA collection and paired with the students’ first-person insights.

OMCA’s Latest Special Exhibition | Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory

星期五 6月 12, 2026–星期日, 10月 11, 2026 | Great Hall

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) welcomes guests to step into the vibrant world of Mildred Howard—one of the Bay Area’s most influential living artists. Featuring five decades of groundbreaking work and new installations debuting at OMCA, Poetics of Memory explores themes of memory, identity, and the histories that surround us. Experience an exhibition rooted in the stories of the East Bay, and discover the histories that connect us all.

ALSO ON VIEW AT OMCA

Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic
Ongoing | Gallery of California Natural Sciences Corridor

This 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.

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace
Ongoing | Gallery of California Natural Sciences

Little learners can unleash their curiosity and imagination in 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 build community with other families.

You Are Here: California Stories on the Map
Ongoing | Gallery of California Natural Sciences

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
Ongoing | Gallery of California History

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’s role in this national story and the impacts this history continues to have today.

Question Bridge: Black Males
Ongoing | Gallery of California Art

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 the 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
Ongoing | Gallery of California Art

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.