CONTACT:
Claudia Leung, 510-318-8459
[email protected]
CALENDAR EDITOR PLEASE LIST:
FAMILY EVENTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCES
MARCH/APRIL 2015 FAMILY PROGRAMS
New family-friendly exhibition Bees inspires weekend and evening
programs, Family Sunday features Peter Pan-inspired songs
(OAKLAND, CA) February 13, 2015—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) celebrates
the return of spring and newly-opened family-friendly exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big
Impact with family programs and activities throughout March and April, 2015. Family programs
offerings continue with popular evening series Friday Nights @ OMCA,,featuring half-off
admission for adults and free admission for ages 18 and under! In March, Friday Nights @
OMCA features a bee hotel-making activity; in April, the activity is superhero mask-making,
inspired by special exhibition Sunshine and Superheroes: San Diego Comic-Con. OMCA Family
Sundays continue, with a bee hotel-making program in March, and a performance featuring
original music and songs inspired by the Darling family from Peter Pan! Free First
Sundays, always a family favorite, are March 1 and April 5. OMCA always offers great deals
on admission for families, with admission for youth ages 9 to 17 at $6. Children 8 and under
visit for free! museumca.org
FAMILY EVENTS
Free First Sunday | March 2015
Sunday, March 1, 2015, 11 am–5 pm
Enjoy a free day at OMCA! Visit special exhibitions in all three of OMCA’s galleries, including
Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, and Sunshine and
Superheroes: San Diego Comic-Con, on view in the Gallery of California History. Pick up a treat
for yourself or a loved one in the OMCA Store, and enjoy a delicious seasonal lunch with a
delightful kid’s menu in Blue Oak café.
Friday Nights @ OMCA
Fridays in March, 2015, 5–9 pm
Oakland’s popular weekly night market is features fun and festivities with Off the Grid food
trucks, local live music, California beverages, and extended hours in the Galleries and OMCA
Store. The popular family-friendly drop-in workshop this month is “bee hotel-making”, inspired
by special exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact, and takes place every Friday from 5 to 8 pm!
The last Friday of the month—March 27—includes story time with Oakland Public Library
from 6 to 6:30 pm. Adults enjoy half-off Gallery admission and ages 18 and under are free!
Bring the whole family to OMCA for a sampling of the best in Bay Area curbside cuisine!
Alameda County History Day 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 12–4:30 pm
Come view projects ranging from dioramas to films to dramatic performances by over 150
students grades 4 to 12 from throughout the East Bay. Student projects in the competition
include documentary films, dramatic performances, websites, papers, and exhibits addressing
this year's theme, "Leadership and Legacy in History.” Included with Museum admission.
OMCA Family Drop-in Workshop: Make a Bee Hotel
Sunday, March 22, 2015, 12–3 pm
Celebrate the spring by building your very own 5-star bee hotel to take home, inspired by the
exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact. Help the recovery of bee populations and encourage
the pollination of your flower or vegetable garden with this fun hands-on project. Included with
Museum admission. Members are always free. No reservations required. All ages welcome.
dance anywhere® at OMCA
Friday, March 27, 2015, 12 pm
Join OMCA for its fifth year hosting dance anywhere®, a simultaneous worldwide, public art,
performance taking place at 12 noon in California, 3 pm in New York, and 8 pm in Rome and
Paris. People of all ages and artistic capacities will dance just about anywhere you can imagine,
and participants include professional dancers and artists, plumbers, doctors, soccer players,
teachers and politicians, and YOU! Everyone is invited no matter age or ability. This year, the
featured performer at OMCA is AXIS Dance Company, one of the world’s most acclaimed and
innovative ensembles of performers with and without disabilities. Free to the public.
Free First Sunday
Sunday, April 5, 2015, 11 am–5 pm
It’s spring at OMCA! Explore science in the family-friendly exhibition Bees: Tiny Insect, Big
Impact. Round out your exploration of the galleries by painting a portrait of yourself to hang in
the Gallery of California Art, and visiting Sunshine and Superheroes: San Diego Comic-Con,
where you can dress up like a superhero. Check out a Docent tour and stop by the OMCA Store
or Blue Oak café to pick up a treat. Free to the public.
Friday Nights @ OMCA
Fridays in April, 2015, 5–9 pm
Join OMCA and Off the Grid in April for family-friendly fun and festivities! Enjoy DJs, live bands,
dancing, gourmet food trucks, and more. The family-friendly drop-in activity, making superhero
masks, is inspired by special exhibition Sunshine and Superheroes: San Diego Comic-Con, and
takes place every Friday from 5 to 8 pm. The last Friday of the month, April 24, also
features story time with Oakland Public Library from 6 to 6:30 pm. Adults enjoy half-off
gallery admission, and ages 18 and under are free!
OMCA Family Drop-in Performance: The Darling Song Cycle
Sunday, April 26, 2015, 1–4 pm
Join OMCA and performers Edward Schocker and The Darlings for a very special musical
performance in the OMCA Gardens. The Darling Song Cycle is a set of original songs, inspired
by relationships of The Darling Family in the story Peter Pan. The subject matter ranges from
funny to sad to absurd—all with images and wordplay that children and adults will find
meaningful. Included with Museum admission. Members are always free. No reservations
required. All ages welcome.
ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and
natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people.
OMCA's groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many
voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California's cultural
heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the
natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its
history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA 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.
ABOUT OMCA FAMILY
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to being a welcoming and lively place
for Bay Area families to visit, learn, and engage through OMCA Family, with art activities,
storytelling, and hands-on, drop-in projects throughout the Museum. OMCA’s other familyfriendly offerings include free Gallery Hunt cards available at ticketing desks, Docent-led
family gallery tours, and three large annual festivals: Lunar New Year in February, the
Summer Reading Celebration in August with the Oakland Public Library, and the Days of the
Dead Celebration in October. OMCA Family is made possible in part by generous support from
the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Free admission for children provided by the
Bernard Osher Foundation. Friday Nights @ OMCA is presented in partnership with Off the
Grid, and is made possible in part by generous support from the Walter & Elise Hass Fund.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland.
OMCA is situated between downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt. Museum admission is $15
general; $10 seniors and students with valid ID, $6 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members
and children 8 and under. During Friday Nights @ OMCA, admission after 5 pm is half-off
for adults, and free for ages 18 and under. 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. The accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance. For
more information, visit museumca.org.
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