Inside Out Issue 7

Inside | Out

a n e w stat e o f m i n d at t h e Oa k l a n d m useu m o f ca li fo rn ia

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! s u Pl Ohlone artist Linda Yamane unveils her exquisite new ceremonial basket Visionary landscape architect Walter Hood reinvents and reinvigorates public spaces

GEtting Gr aphic OMCA celebrates the groundbreaking work of modern cartoonist Daniel Clowes

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welcome

Dear Members and Fellow Citizens!

Our last issue of Inside Out highlighted the various social and political movements featured in our current exhibitions, Question Bridge: Black Males, All Of Us Or None: Social Justice Posters of the San Francisco Bay Area, and The 1968 Exhibit. What I find fascinating about these shows is that, while the topics are broad and historical, the conversations among visitors are personal and reflective.

In the end, these exhibitions are about people. And that’s what this issue is about: the people who make up the Museum—staff, Members, donors, artists, scientists, creators, and cultural leaders.

This issue gave us the chance to profile one of the most interesting artists working in Oakland today—Daniel Clowes. While Dan has had a huge following for many years, we are delighted to present the first museum exhibition of his work. The exhibition allows visitors to explore in depth his incredible draftsmanship within a dramatic installation that brings the work off the pages and into a world unto itself, complete with unforgettable characters.

I’m thrilled, too, that you’ll have a chance to learn about two extraordinary artists, Linda Yamane and Walter Hood. Linda is creating the first major Ohlone ceremonial basket to be made in 250 years, which will be unveiled in our Gallery of California History this summer. Landscape architect Walter Hood created sitespecific works for the Museum on its reopening in May 2010, and my hope is that someday Walter can work with us to extend our landscape and truly make OMCA an anchor of our city.

Finally, please note the range of programming scheduled in the coming months. We will be bringing new work into our galleries and activating these spaces with not-to-be-missed programs. Spring is upon us, and we look forward to seeing you INSIDE our galleries and OUT—in the gardens and terraces!

Lori Fogarty Director and CEO

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top to bottom : abigail huller ; shaun roberts & toni gauthier

The pages ahead will also introduce you to a number of our staff members. We’re pleased to spotlight two new members of the executive team, Rico Hernandez and Lisa Sasaki, both of whom have personal and cultural connections to OMCA. Douglas Long, our senior curator of natural sciences, describes how his passion for marine life finds form in our soon-to-open Gallery of Natural Sciences. We’re also happy for you to meet Joni Hess, our new membership manager.

contents

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Daniel Clowes, Eightball no. 18, 1997.

features 6

Urban Oasis

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Clowes Encounter

OMCA’s gardens welcome visitors to experience a

unique convergence of art, architecture, and nature.

The Museum presents a midcareer survey of the edgy, genre-defying work of graphic novelist Daniel Clowes.

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Honoring the Lost and Found

Linda Yamane revives the lost art of ceremonial basket making with her exquisite new Ohlone basket.

departments 4 Gallery News We asked three OMCA staffers to pick their personal favorites from the Museum’s collections.

Walter Hood

14 Thought Leader Landscape architect Walter Hood has inspired ideas about designing inclusive public spaces.

16 Faces of OMCA

15 Retail Tales

Meet a few members of the Museum family: Membership Manager Joni Hess and donors John and Susan Stewart.

With its well-chosen items and partnerships with local artists, the OMCA Store extends the Museum’s curatorial vision.

17 Member Services An overview of the many advantages of OMCA Membership.

18 Calendar A guide to OMCA’s exhibitions, events, and programs.

The Story of California. The Story of You.

Oakland Museum of California

Inside Out is published three times a year by the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607. museumca.org. ©2012.

Editor: Kelly A. Koski

Contributors: Lori Fogarty, Maggie R. Pico, Loretta Lowery, Dave Gottwald, Joni Hess, Gail Bernstein, Nathan Kerr Photography: Terry Lorant Produced by: Diablo Custom Publishing dcpubs.com

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Douglas Long with replicas of marine species.

Personal Favorites OMCA staffers tell us what they love and why

Science of the Seas Douglas Long, OMCA’s senior curator of natural sciences, has his hands full overseeing the reopening of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. But the demands of creating this exhibition space, due to open in part later this year, have done nothing to diminish his enthusiasm for the scientific content—and conservation message— behind the exhibits. One installation in particular, which highlights the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, speaks to what is probably his overarching passion: marine biology.

Cordell Bank, located some thirty miles off Point

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Reyes, is a deep-water ecosystem that attracts a vast array of marine species.

The section of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences dedicated to this marine sanctuary will feature dioramas of the pink and orange coral reefs that sit 130 feet below the ocean’s surface and will serve as an interactive marine lab chock-full of specimens, videos, a lounge, and more.

For Long, whose PhD research at UC Berkeley focused on marine biology, the opportunity to create the Cordell Bank exhibit has been both challenging and personally meaningful.

“I was interested in marine

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

science at a young age,” he says. “In high school, I worked in a fish taxidermy studio, and in graduate school I specialized in deepwater fish and sharks and studied marine mammals.”

But for all his knowledge of marine species and habitats, translating them into a relatable visitor experience is a thorny task.

“The deep sea is such an alien environment—and one that most people will never see,” he says. “The challenge is how to make it relevant. How do you convey how beautiful and worth protecting it is, and

at the same time provoke inquiry and intrigue?”

As an example, he points to a giant replica of an elephant seal, the largest seal in California, which can dive to depths of up to 5,000 feet. “The elephant seal is one of the major conservation success stories we have,” he notes. “Their population had dwindled to just a few dozen. But due to effective conservation efforts, they have gone from the brink of extinction to more than 150,000. And this is our goal—to communicate the importance of stories like this.”

gallery news

B ottom : R uth A sawa , U ntitled , 1 9 5 9 . C ollection of O akland M useum of C alifornia , gift of the women ’ s board of the oakland museum association

Mission Statement

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Above: Artifacts from the Spanish mission era. Below: Rico Hernandez.

wired for joy

The Director of OMCA’s Institutional Support Center, Rico Hernandez, has a personal affinity for many of the displays in the Gallery of California History. In particular, the section that covers the Spanish mission era from 1770 to 1820 has a deep resonance for him—culturally, ethnically, and spiritually.

“As a Hispanic and a former Catholic priest, the items on view here speak to me on many levels,” explains Hernandez.

He points to a display of artifacts that the Spanish introduced to the indigenous peoples—such as a ciborium, which holds the hosts that were consecrated at Masses, and other items, such as a variety of bells, that were used in religious services. “I was a

parish priest for a number of years, and I had the modern versions of these exact items when I presided at Mass,” he says.

Another display that reverberates with Hernandez is New Social Identities, which looks at the cultural and ethnic mashups that were a result of the mission era. “I am a mestizo, with Spanish, French, Basque, and Mexican Indian roots,” he says. “I grew up in San Francisco, but my family’s Mexican heritage was— and is—very important to me.” When he comes across a beatific portrait of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Hernandez smiles. “This reminds me so much of my childhood,” he says. “We had pictures of her in my house. I can really trace my roots right here.”

Asked to pick one of her favorite pieces in the Museum, Lisa Sasaki, who recently joined OMCA as the director of audience and civic engagement, chose Untitled by Ruth Asawa. This sculpture of intricately looped copper wire was created in 1959 and is on view in the Gallery of California Art. “I’ve always found Asawa’s pieces to be captivating, graceful, and technically impressive,” says Sasaki. “This piece is meant to be hung from the

Above: Lisa Sasaki. Below: Untitled by Ruth Asawa, 1959.

ceiling, allowing it to move and cast changing shadows. To me, it looks like both the sculpture and the shadows are dancing.”

Sasaki feels connected to the artist on many levels, both personal and professional. In her previous position as director of program development for the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, Sasaki worked on an exhibition of Asawa’s work and had the opportunity to study the artist’s wire-working technique.

On a personal note, Sasaki, like Asawa, is Japanese American and notes that their families were similarly affected by the World War II internment experience. When asked if she thinks that Asawa’s work might be a reflection on that time, Sasaki says, “I don’t think her sculptures are about incarceration or confinement. I think her pieces say a lot about joy and freedom.”

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Urban Oasis • Creative Landscaping Rising above a spacious central courtyard, the terraced gardens and sculpture areas mirror the building’s rectilinear design. Kiley introduced plants of varying textures, sizes, and growing habits, giving the 26,400-square-foot gardens a pleasing visual interest.

The courtyard and surrounding areas feature a towering white alder tree, cedars, and redwoods, providing welcome shade. For the roof gardens, Kiley eloquently described his selection of plants—flowering pear trees from China, azaleas, camellias, Australian bottlebrush, olive trees—as “a lacy veil superimposed on the surface to complement and soften the rigid geometry of the structure.”

The Museum’s lushly landscaped gardens invite visitors to experience a unique convergence of art, architecture, and nature When the Oakland Museum of California opened its doors in 1969, it was hailed as a breakthrough in museum design. Working in close collaboration, architect Kevin Roche and landscape architect Dan Kiley created an urban masterpiece that seamlessly integrated luxuriant gardens into the building’s master plan. Today, the gardens are a beloved oasis in the heart of Oakland, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy world-class sculptures in a tranquil and verdant setting.

George Rickey, Two Red Lines II, 1966, anonymous donor.

Tour the Gardens!

On the first Sunday of every month at 1 pm, the Council on Architecture leads educational tours of the Museum’s architecture and gardens.

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• Striking Sculptures The artworks on view in the gardens represent a wide variety of styles and periods. For example, the central courtyard is dominated by a soaring kinetic sculpture called Two Red Lines II, created by the artist George Rickey in 1966. A level above is Big Peace IV, a sunny yellow peace sign fabricated out of steel by Cuban-born artist Tony Labat in 2008. The top level features Homage to Charlie Parker, a large steel piece made by the renowned artist Mark di Suvero in 1977. Viola Frey’s 1984 sculpture, called Man Observing, Series III, enlivens the environs near the third-level terraces. Elsewhere in the gardens are notable works by Bruce Beasley, Glenn Takai, and Stephen De Staebler, among many other artists.

P ool photo : S haun R oberts & T oni G authier

Clockwise from top: Tony Labat, Big Peace IV, 2008, purchased with funds from the Edith F. Bondi 1966 gift to the children of Oakland to mark her first 25 years since her escape from tyranny to the United States of America and the Art Deaccession Fund; Glenn Takai, Brave New World, 1999, gift of James R. Smith and Suzette Smith; Fletcher Benton, M, 1974, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Alexander H. Ellenberg; John Mason, Yellow Cross Form, 1966, the Oakland Museum Founders Fund.

• Reflecting Pool On the Museum’s ground level is a large pool that connects to the main gardens. Surrounded by deodar trees, the pool is filled with koi and water lilies on one side and native California plants and Bay Area freshwater fish on the other. Dramatically poised in the pool’s center is a large Lucite sculpture, Tragamon, by Bruce Beasley.

Installed in 1972, Tragamon is a prismatic work that, in certain light, casts gorgeous bands of color on the Museum’s walls and steps.

When experienced together, these facets of the OMCA gardens offer visitors a sanctuary that seems miles away from the Museum’s urban environment.

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Clowes Encounter A new exhibition spotlights the edgy, brilliant, genre-defying work of graphic novelist Daniel Clowes t: ar toonis s C n r e d o M Cl owe f Daniel o A t r A e h T w at OMC ie v n o is ition T he ex hib gh A ugus t 12, t hr ou l tour. a nationa y b d e w o foll

OMCA In-Gallery Curatorial Tour and Conversation Saturday, June 16, 1–2 pm. OMCA Senior Curator of Art René de Guzman and guest curator Susan Miller give a tour of the exhibition and discuss Clowes’s work.

Daniel Clowes, Eightball no. 18, 1997.

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Oddballs. Misfits. Loners. The characters that populate the work of artist Daniel Clowes have deftly realized, compelling personalities—even if they are hardly the sort of folks you’d want to befriend. But once you enter Clowes’s darkly satiric world and meet his unforgettable protagonists like Wilson, Mr. Wonderful, and Enid Coleslaw (an anagram for Daniel Clowes), you will invariably be hooked.

Daniel Clowes, Self-portrait, 2010.

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Daniel Clowes, The Death-Ray, 2011.

B

ased in Oakland, the 50-year-old Clowes has produced an enormous body of work that spans many formats, including graphic novels, comics, films, illustrations, and album covers. His top-selling graphic novel, Ghost World, was the basis for an Academy Award–nominated movie; another graphic novel, Wilson, is currently being adapted into a film by director Alexander Payne.

Among the many awards Clowes has received in his career is the prestigious PEN Award for Graphic Literature.

Now, the Oakland Museum of California is privileged to present the first survey of Clowes’s multifaceted career. Organized by guest curator Susan Miller and OMCA Senior Curator of Art René de Guzman, Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes includes sketches and finished drawings from Clowes’s graphic series, standalone comics, and commissioned illustrations.

“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the interdisciplinary genius of Dan’s work, which is both literary and visual,” de Guzman says. “Dan’s enormous influence shows how contemporary culture can be shaped by the power of an individual vision.”

n Book E xhibitio o der n Clowes : M lowes’s l ie n a D f r ap h o f C T he A r t o s t mono g r fi c ome h t is t published n u ly s Car toonis u io v y A b r am s luding pre blished b u work , inc P . s n io t lustra sale in ics and il book is on e h t , s t r Comic A S t or e. t he OMC A

OMCA Panel Discussion Friday, July 27, 7–8:30 pm, James Moore Theater. Daniel Clowes joins fellow groundbreaking graphic novelist Chris Ware, René de Guzman, and Susan Miller in an examination of the role of local, personal, and hand-drawn art-making in the digital world.

“The exhibition explores how the artist’s work has evolved over a thirty-year career,” adds Miller.

“Dan’s wonderfully original and unforgettable characters, rich dialogue, and narratives are generously presented in 100 works in this first midcareer survey.” A lavishly illustrated, 224-page monograph accompanies the exhibition.

“It is exciting to look at his work from a career perspective and see the extraordinary cultural impact he has had,” Miller says. “It is also wonderful to share so many of his original drawings.

Most of this work has not been seen by the public before, so the show will be a new experience for everyone. And what better place to launch a national tour than from Dan’s home base of Oakland?”

Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes is made possible in part through the generous support of the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, the OMCA Art Guild, Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins, Meridee Moore and Kevin King, and Brooke Devine.

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3 8 million stories

For more than 25 years, Linda Yamane has been on a quest to revive the lost art of ceremonial basket making, as practiced by her ancestors, the Rumsien Ohlone.

Yamane, an acclaimed artist, spent years learning how to prepare the materials just as her forebears did, and then created what is today an exceedingly rare work of art.

Here, Yamane reflects on her history-making experience.

Honoring the Lost and Found I

grew up knowing about my Ohlone ancestry, my heritage. But nobody in my family knew the songs, the language, the stories, the basketry, or any of those things. Other Ohlone families I’ve met have had basically the same experience. It seems like many of us had a hole in our heart, where that culture should have been.

For me, the best part of making the basket for OMCA is connecting with the past—knowing that I am gathering my roots and willows near my ancestral village, in the same place my ancestors gathered theirs, and knowing that I am continuing this tradition that goes back so far in time.

I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to study and learn about the history of the Ohlone and the California missions, and all the things that took place. Very few Ohlone baskets have survived to this day, due to the impact of the Spanish missionaries and the Ohlone tradition of burning the possessions of the deceased. By my figuring, the kind of basket that I’m making for OMCA is the first to be made in about 250 years. My basket is made from 20,000 stitches, several thousand feathers, and 1,200 handcrafted Olivella shell beads. This kind of basket really represents the pinnacle of California Indian basketry.

When people come to visit my basket, it’s important for them to be reminded that it comes from the land and the plants, that it involves specialized knowledge and skill. I hope they see not only its beauty and complexity, but the human ingenuity and resourcefulness involved. And I hope they relate on a personal level to the intelligence, creativity, and artistic sensibilities of the people of the past.

Beyond my own personal interest, beyond satisfying my own personal thirst for culture, beyond mastering all the challenges, this is an opportunity to bring honor to my ancestors through this tangible piece of art.

What’s most exciting for me is knowing that when I’m gone, this basket will live on and represent our people in a truly beautiful way.

• The Ohlone Basket Project is made possible by generous support from the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

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j i l l b e c k e tt

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“All the things I’ve been doing all these years, I wasn’t doing for any other reason but that [they] needed to be done. So it was an amazing and unexpected reward when the Oakland Museum of California commissioned me to make a basket.”

tim t h omas

—Linda Yamane, News from Native California, fall 2010

Big Bash for a Basket On Saturday, July 28, 1–3 pm, enjoy a special day of storytelling, singing, refreshments, and presentations at the unveiling of Linda Yamane’s Ohlone basket in the Gallery of California History. Witness the addition of her creation to OMCA’s collection of over 2,500 baskets, which represent nearly all of California’s geographic and cultural regions. The celebration coincides with the 25th anniversary of Heyday Books’ quarterly magazine, News from Native California.

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Thought le ader

A conversation with walter hood

What do you think is most significant about the design of OMCA’s gardens?

Landscape architect Dan Kiley used the actual walls of the building to create tiers and terraces that are essentially big planters. This provides a fantastic way to see how architecture and landscape architecture are interrelated—to see them not as two disciplines but as a single entity.

Tell us about your installation on view outside the Gallery of California History.

I was intrigued by the fact that Spanish and Asian cultures are underrepresented in California’s landscape, and at the same time I wanted to pay homage to Kiley’s gardens. So I selected elements from two gardens that represent these cultures: a fluted basin from the Alhambra in Spain and a lantern from Japan’s Katsura gardens. I cast them and hung them upside down so you won’t immediately know what they are. What I find beautiful is how the light comes through them and changes the space.

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O A KL A N D M U S EU M O F C A L I F O RN I A

WHAT are your thoughts on how the Museum’s surroundings could be revitalized?

The problem is that the buildings in the vicinity of the Museum don’t interact with one another. But if you look at this area as one precinct, you might see how the landscape could be more tenacious in how it grabs onto things and integrates them. I think the Museum has the unique ability to engage this environment and make it feel more like a campus.

How can we make public spaces work best for diverse communities?

It is hard to make a space be inclusive of people with different cultural backgrounds because public places tend to be stratified by class, race, and subcultures. But it’s possible. We did it in Lafayette Square Park in Oakland. You see black guys playing music, Asians doing tai chi, families. They inhabit the same space because there are lots of choices within it. A space with no choices is when people rebel. It’s like, if you give me a bench to sit on, I won’t sit on your flowerbed and crush your roses. But if you give me a bench with a metal arm down the middle, then I am going to sleep on your sidewalk. If you give people choices, I believe they will always figure out how to inhabit a place.

i n s e T : s h a u n r o B e r ts & to n i Ga u t h i e r

What are some of the challenges of museum-based landscape architecture?

The thing that keeps coming up for me is: How does a visitor arrive at a place? Do you come out of a garage and into the building? Do you arrive by coming through a landscape? How you arrive shapes your expectations for the whole experience. This is the challenge—thinking about the best visitor experience but not trying to script it.

An artist, landscape architect, and educator, Walter Hood has produced a remarkable body of work—from public sculptures to city parks to museum landscapes—that has raised the bar for urban design. In his efforts to rethink how people inhabit public places, Hood has revitalized urban environments from Oakland to Pittsburgh, PA, creating coherent spaces that reflect the narratives of each neighborhood. A professor of landscape architecture at UC Berkeley, Hood is the principal of the award-winning Oakland-based firm Hood Design.

re tail tales

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Michael Wertz, limited edition silk-screen print, 18 x 24 in.

Emporium of the Unexpected With carefully chosen items and collaborations with local artists, the OMCA Store is an extension of the Museum’s curatorial vision

Ri g h t : s h a u n r ob e r ts & to n i Ga u t h i e r

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n much the same way that the Museum offers a dynamic portfolio of exhibitions and programs, the OMCA Store—a carefully curated bazaar—serves as the perfect retail counterpart.

“The OMCA Store is an important component of the visitor experience because it provides a continuation of the stories begun in the galleries,” says Howard Thornton, retail and product development manager.

One of Thornton’s top priorities for the store is to showcase—and sell—the work of local artists. Often, he collaborates with them as they develop original works that reflect, either directly or obliquely, current exhibitions. For example, he recently commissioned Michael Wertz, an Oakland-based designer and illustrator, to create a silk-screen print featuring Tony Labat’s iconic Big Peace IV sculpture, which is located in the OMCA gardens. “I try to use the work of local artists as a way to interpret

our collection,” says Thornton. “Michael’s new poster relates to our ongoing 1968 exhibition, so it is very timely.”

Another recent collaboration was with Carmel-based jewelry designer Maja, whose modernist work evokes that of Margaret De Patta, the subject of a retrospective on view at OMCA through May 13. Together, Thornton and Maja selected a collection of her jewelry for the store that offers an edgy new take on De Patta’s mid–20th century creations.

“My goal is to put products in context, to tell a story,” says Thornton. “If I can inspire visitors to make connections both within the Museum’s walls and in the community at large, then I feel I have succeeded.”

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faces of omca

An Art for Living

OMCA is central among John and Susan Stewart’s many passions

Joni Hess

Membership Manager With Joni Hess overseeing the OMCA Membership Program, Museum visitors are in good hands. In fact, many Members may already know her: Hess has been with OMCA for more than three years, first as an intern and then as donor relations coordinator. Now, as membership manager, she is embarking on a new plan to integrate and expand the programs, events, and benefits available to Members. “I want to ensure that our programs reflect our Members’ interests and highlight the opportunities offered only to Members, like participation in OMCA’s guilds and councils,” Hess says.

To that end, Hess brings a wealth of relevant experience. She began her career as the education specialist at the Lancaster Museum and Art Gallery in Southern California, where she created informative programs and organized tours. “That experience convinced me that I wanted to pursue a career in museums,” says Hess, who went on to earn both an MA in museum studies and an MBA from JFK University.

In her current position, Hess is eager to apply her talents to creating innovative programs. “I am very fortunate that we have this great, loyal community of Members,” she says, “and I look forward to building on that sense of belonging.”

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John Stewart came to live in the Bay Area as an environmental design student in the 1960s. While attending California College of the Arts, then known as California College of Arts and Crafts, he spent a lot of time at the Oakland Museum of California, where he deepened his connection with what would become his adopted home.

“The Museum was an incredible source of information,” says John, who now has his own interior and architectural design firm. “I love the visual relationship we get at OMCA to the wonderful story of the Bay Area.”

Over the years, John and his wife, Susan, both avid lovers of art, have regularly visited not only OMCA’s art collections but also the Gallery of California History and Gallery of California Natural Sciences.

“Art is always a learning experience,” says Susan, an exercise physiologist at Alta Bates Medical Center.

“And the Museum brings it all together—art, history, nature—especially well.”

The Stewarts have chosen to donate generously to OMCA, even including it in their estate planning through OMCA’s Heritage Society. “Susan and I talk about things that we feel a responsibility toward,” John says. “Donating is the way to make these things grow and thrive.”

The couple’s relationship with OMCA includes not only their love of experiencing art but also something much more specific. “We live right across the lake from the Museum, and I see it every time I run around the lake,” John says. “It is kind of our museum.”

member services

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s h a u n r ob e r ts & to n i g a u t h i e r

Member Levels and Benefits

Individual $60 • Unlimited yearlong admission for you and a guest • Subscriptions to Inside Out and Member e-News • Invitations to previews and special events • 10 percent discount in the OMCA Store, additional savings on special Member Sale Days • Free admission to public programs • Discounts at Bay Area businesses through the Community Partners program

SUPPORTER $150 All Family Member benefits plus: • Free admission to more than 500 participating museums in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program • Two additional one-time-use guest passes

Family $75 All Individual Member benefits for two adults plus: • Unlimited free admission for two guests and Member’s children or grandchildren under 18 • Advance notice of upcoming family events and programs • Two one-time-use guest passes

PATRON $600 All Sponsor Member benefits plus: • A private docent-led gallery tour for up to ten people

Sponsor $300 All Supporter Member benefits plus: • Guest privileges (two additional guests per membership when accompanied by cardholder) • Acknowledgment in Annual Report

DONOR FORUM $1,250 All Patron Member benefits plus: • Invitation to annual Leader Lunch • Four VIP parking passes for the Museum garage

• Two additional one-time-use guest passes • Recognition on the Museum’s Donor Wall • Opportunities to interact with curators and artists • Guest privileges (unlimited number of guests when accompanied by cardholder) Special Memberships Proof of status required • Golden State $50 All Individual Member benefits for residents living more than 90 miles outside of the 94607 zip code • Individual Senior $45 | Student $45 | Educator $45 All Individual Membership benefits • Dual Senior $55 All Individual Member benefits for two seniors All Membership gifts are fully tax-deductible as provided by law.

Go Green!

How to Join or renew

Members at any level can choose to

To learn more about Membership, call us at 510-318-8520 or visit

receive all communications

museumca.org/membership. Or simply stop by one of our

electronically, including Inside Out.

ticketing desks during your next visit to the Museum.

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calendar

Donor Forum Exhibitions Family Events Lecture or Talk Member Events Special Events Trips & Tours

exhibitions, events, and programs MAY In-the-Mix Series | Music: 1968 and Today May 12, 1–2 pm Come Together: Golden Gala 2012 May 19 Join us for California cuisine, wines, an auction, and dancing.

Proceeds sustain programs that enhance multidisciplinary learning and reflect the state’s diversity. To purchase tickets, visit museumca. org/gala.

Daniel Clowes, left: Wilson, 2010; below: OK Soda Can, 2003.

OMCA In-Gallery Curatorial Tour and Conversation Saturday, June 16, 1–2 pm. OMCA Senior Curator of Art René de Guzman and guest curator Susan Miller give a tour of Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes and discuss Clowes’s work.

OMCA Family: Drop-in Art Workshop May 20, 12–3 pm Made possible by Chevron.

1968 Film Series June 29, sunset Watch Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at Oak Street Plaza.

1968 Film Series May 25, sunset Watch 2001: A Space Odyssey at Oak Street Plaza.

JULY

OMCA Family: Grandparents Clay Day May 27, 12–3 pm Made possible by Chevron.

JUNE In-the-Mix Series | Protest: Left and Right, or Progressive and Conservative June 9, 1–2 pm Join special guests for a conversation about issues raised by The 1968 Exhibit.

OMCA Family: Gallery Walk June 10, 1 pm Made possible by Chevron.

OMCA Panel Discussion Friday, July 27, 7–8:30 pm, James Moore Theater. Daniel Clowes joins René de Guzman, Susan Miller, and fellow graphic novelist Chris Ware in an examination of the role of local, personal, and hand-drawn art in the digital world. This event will sell out. Arrive early; seating is first-come, first-served.

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In-the-Mix Series | The Political Scene July 14, 1–2 pm 1968 Film Series July 27, sunset Watch Revolution at Oak Street Plaza. (Parental advisory: nudity and adult topics) Ohlone Basket Project Unveiling July 28, 1–3 pm .

AUGUST “Dream Big, Read!”

Aug. 5, 12–4 pm Bring the family to the Museum’s gardens for the Oakland Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration. Free.

In-the-Mix Series: Women and the Military Aug. 11, 1–2 pm O Zone Aug. 18, 5 pm–midnight Join us for a night of 1968themed music, performances, and activities. Check O Zone’s

Host Your Next Event at OMCA Corporations and nonprofits receive a 20 percent discount; Members receive a 10 percent discount.

Call Angela Wilbourn at 510-318-8505 or email events@museumca.org for more information.

The Group Sales Advantage

Julia lunchbox, on view in The 1968 Exhibit.

Groups enjoy special pricing on tickets and exclusive docent tours of the galleries and gardens.

Prices start at $6 per person. Contact Group Sales

Facebook event listings for updates.

1968 Film Series Aug. 18, sunset Watch The Thomas Crown Affair at Oak Street Plaza.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS Question Bridge: Black Males Through July 8 The 1968 Exhibit Through Aug. 19 All of Us or None: Political Posters of the San Francisco Bay Area Through Aug. 19 Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes Through Aug. 12

ONGOING EVENTS Screen Printing Demonstrations May 12, May 26, June 9, June 23, July 7, July 21, Aug. 4, Aug. 18, 2–3 pm OMCA Family: Gold Panning May 13, May 27, June 3, June 10, 12–4 pm Discover what life was like during the California Gold Rush.

at 510-318-8429 or groupsales@museumca.org.

Summer Nights at OMCA May 25, June 29, July 27, Aug. 31, 5–9 pm OMCA heats up on the last Friday of every month with late hours and half-price admission after 5 pm! Enjoy drink specials, the 1968 Film Series, and ’60s hits spun by Amoeba Music DJs.

join an omca Guild!

Explore California and the world of art, history, and natural sciences with OMCA’s guilds. In addition to providing valuable support to the Museum, the guilds offer Members many special learning opportunities, including out-of-town and day trips. Annual dues are $20 (single) or $30 (dual) per guild in addi-

Free First Sundays 11 am–5 pm First Sundays are free! Made possible in part by Wells Fargo.

tion to Membership contributions. For information and travel schedules, visit museumca.org/guilds. To join a guild or renew your guild dues, contact us at 510-318-8520 or membership@museumca.org.

OMCA Highlight Tours Fridays and Saturdays, 1 pm

Free First Sundays are made possible in part by Wells Fargo.

Docent Tours of the Gallery of California Art Saturdays and Sundays, 2 pm Docent Tours of the Gallery of California History Sundays, 3 pm Architecture Tours by the Council on Architecture First Sundays, 1 pm Unless otherwise noted, events and programs are included with admission. Note that events and programs are subject to change. For updated listings, visit museumca.org.

OMCA Family is made possible by generous support from Chevron.

Museum Hours Monday

Closed

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

11 am–5 pm

Thursday

11 am–5 pm

Friday

11 am–5 pm

Last Friday of month

11 am–9 pm

Saturday

11 am–5 pm

Sunday

11 am–5 pm

spring / summer 2 0 1 2

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892

Final Fridays, 5–9 pm Enjoy music, drink specials, classic 1968 movies, and more!

OMCA Members always get in FREE

PAID

SALT LAKE CITY, UT PERMIT NO.6563