Inside Out Issue 16 by Oakland Museum of California

INSIDE | OUT

T H E M USEU M O F US OA K L A N D M USEU M O F CA LI FO RN IA

Exploring the deep ties between the Pacific Islands and California

Who is Oakland? / Diverse perspectives on our hometown Bring the Family / OMCA offers activities for children of all ages SPRING 2015

WELCOME

I Spring Greetings!

“We are able to tell new, vibrant stories using our extensive Pacific Island collections, many of which have never been on view at the Museum.”

n the pages ahead, we will be introducing you to new faces, new initiatives, and new perspectives on Oakland and on California. First, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra Weingart to the position of director of the Institutional Support Center, the area of the Museum that oversees finance, facilities, and information systems. While Sandra and her team work largely behind the scenes, their efforts are essential to the Museum’s smooth operations and ability to create an environment that is welcoming for our public. In addition, we look forward to your meeting the membership and individual giving team responsible for interfacing with our Members and encouraging your vital support. Please keep an eye out for Sarah Kimmerle, Rebecca Kirkpatrick, and Lauren Etchells at one of our upcoming Member or Donor events. We are also proud to introduce you to two major exhibitions. As part of a continuing initiative to engage our neighbors in Oakland with topics of relevance and regional importance, we showcase Who is Oakland?, a community co-created exhibition with ten Oakland-based artists under the creative direction of artist Chris Johnson and our Curator of Public Practice, Evelyn Orantes. This exhibition explores some of the issues at the forefront of Oakland’s development today, from gentrification to food culture, from changes to the natural world, to the quiet heroes who are committed to Oakland and its future. We introduce a new way of thinking about California in Pacific Worlds, OMCA’s contribution to the region-wide commemoration of the 2015 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. With our show, we reexamine California’s relationship with the Pacific. In partnership with contemporary Pacific Islanders and community leaders who served on our Pacific Worlds task force, we are able to tell vibrant stories using our extensive Pacific Island collections, many of which have never been on view at the Museum. Finally, you’ll be introduced to the work the Museum is doing to update our collecting plan—a road map for framing OMCA’s future acquisitions. We also highlight some recent acquisitions that add to the extraordinary repository of California art, history, and natural sciences of which OMCA is the steward for current and future generations. With appreciation,

Sandra Weingart, director of the Institutional Support Center.

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

Lori Fogarty Director and CEO

CONTENTS

features

Members of the Bay Area Tongan women’s kava club Kalapu Mofisi.

8 Who is Oakland?

Join the conversation about our city’s challenges,

possibilities, and celebrated cultural diversity.

10 Waves of Connection

Pacific Worlds offers a compelling way to examine

the profound ties—past and present—between the Pacific

departments

Islands and California.

4 Programs

A Road Map for the Future The Museum’s new collecting plan emphasizes

innovative ways to tell the stories of California.

OMCA’s family-friendly activities include panning for gold, reading celebrations, special tours, and more.

6 Thought Leader A conversation with photographer and video artist

On the cover: A man with elaborate tattoos in Huahine, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Chris Johnson.

C O V E R : M I C H A E L R E N A U D E A U /A G E F O T O S T O C K ; T H I S PA G E , T O P : J E A N M E L E S A I N E

16 Retail Tales Local artists present their work at Friday Nights @ OMCA.

17 Advancement Favianna Rodriguez’s Food Migration is featured in Who is Oakland?, an exhibition exploring the city’s many dimensions through the work of ten Oakland-based artists.

Meet some of the Museum’s talented new staffers.

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

Contributors: Lori Fogarty, Sarah Kimmerle, Rebecca Kirkpatrick, Linda Larkin, Claudia Leung, Maggie R. Pico, Lisa Sasaki, Michael Silverman Photography: Terry Lorant Produced by: Diablo Custom Publishing dcpubs.com

SPRING 2015

PROGR AMS

FOCUS ON

FAMILIES

OMCA

is buzzing with family fun this spring—and it’s not just at Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact, the exhibition in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Flowers are blooming in the gardens. Ducklings can be seen waddling all over the grounds. And the Museum is rolling out two dynamic new offerings that provide families more ways to engage at OMCA— and make it easier for them to drop in when it’s most convenient. “Books & Blankets” invites families to cuddle up on a picnic blanket and find a cozy spot to read together in the Museum gardens. Families can stop by the ticketing desk to check out a package containing books for children of all ages and a blanket; when they’re finished, they check the books and blanket back in. Imagine the fun of reading Stephen Krensky’s I Know a Lot to a toddler in the gardens, pondering rocks and flowers along with the book’s tiny heroine. Or reading Oakland Tales—Summer Brenner’s novel of time travel through the city’s past—with an older child, and then examining artifacts of that time just steps away in the Gallery of California History. “It’s a great opportunity for families to spend quality time together,” says Cynthia Taylor, associate director of

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

public programs. “You can either pack a lunch or pick one up at the Blue Oak café and spend the afternoon at OMCA reading and enjoying the California weather. The gardens are always free!” Another new offering, theme-based family guides, lets visitors create their own tour of the Museum customized to the needs, interests, and ages of their children. The guides are available at the ticketing desk at no additional fee starting this July, and families can select from two recommended fun stops in each of OMCA’s galleries and the gardens. Or parents can plan their own self-guided tours online at home to bring along when they visit the Museum. The age-appropriate activity themes are “animal adventures” for children ages four and up, “secret places” for children ages five and up, and “extreme adventure” for those ages ten and up. One

“ We want families to feel that OMCA is their Museum—to experience it as a place to learn about the state’s diverse cultures and history, and to share their stories of being Californians.” —CYNTHIA TAYLOR, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS

T O P L E F T: G R E G H A B I B Y ; C E N T E R : O D E L L H U S S E Y

Exciting new offerings broaden OMCA’s standing as a go-to family destination

SAVE THE DATES!

SHAUN ROBERTS

Gold panning takes place Sundays, May 3, 10, 24, and 31, 12–3 pm, and Friday nights in May, 5–8 pm.

The Summer Reading Celebration takes place Aug. 2, 2–4 pm, and is free, as is Museum admission on all first Sundays of the month.

suggested adventure for a family with a preschool child is to find koi with sparkly scales, polka dots, or whiskers in the Museum’s koi pond. The family of a school-age child may choose to open the creaking screen door of Los Angeles artist Michael McMillen’s desert landscape, Aristotle’s Cage—and find that it unlocks a new world where art has been created out of everyday objects. Teens and their families might choose to visit the Foley stage, where they can add their own sound effects to movies and learn how California pioneered the shift from silent films to sound. “We want families to enjoy the Museum even when there isn’t a specific family event scheduled,” says Taylor. “These new activities are for all ages and are available any time the Museum is open.” Along with these programs, two family-favorite events return to the Museum this spring and summer. In conjunction with Gold Rush school programs in May, OMCA invites families to try their hands at panning for gold in the gardens’ dedicated gold-panning area. Visitors learn how to tell real gold from fool’s gold and hone their panning technique … and they get to keep what they find! In August, OMCA and the Oakland Public Library host the everpopular Summer Reading Celebration. Children who complete the library’s Summer Reading Program receive special achievement certificates, and all families can enjoy performances, story times, and art activities that celebrate the love of reading. OMCA Family is made possible in part by generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

SPRING 2015

THOUGHT LE ADER

A Conversation With Chr Just about anywhere you go in Oakland, you’re likely to encounter the influence of photographer and video artist Chris Johnson. He has taught photography at California College of the Arts for nearly forty years, served as chair of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission, and designed the Media Wall at Oakland International Airport. His artwork is in OMCA’s permanent collection, and the Who is Oakland? exhibition marks his return to the Museum. Johnson often uses dialogue to explode the stereotypes that unspoken thoughts can perpetuate. In Question Bridge: Black Males, which debuted in 2012 at OMCA and three other museums, he and artist Hank Willis Thomas filmed one hundred black men of different ages and backgrounds around the country, asking and responding to questions about life in America. Though the men were filmed separately, Question Bridge created a conversation that revealed a complex view of black men rarely seen in the media. Here, Johnson speaks to Inside Out about his work.

What inspires your work? What artists try to do is translate their own experiences into other people’s experiences. If I experience an injustice, the assumption is that if someone else can experience it the way I do, that person will feel differently about what caused it. With Question Bridge, people who came in with one set of assumptions often left with a much broader understanding from their exposure to sincere, honest expression and a wide variety of voices and points of view. The fact that this is possible

inspires those of us involved in socially engaged art. Who has inspired you? In the art world, very broadly, Wynn Bullock, who was a mentor and friend, and for socially engaged art, Adrian Piper and Suzanne Lacy. Rosa Parks, Gandhi, and John Howard Griffin, who wrote Black Like Me, are also inspirations. We don’t think of them as artists, but there was a dimension of their actions that was performance art. They were courageous people who put themselves in

circumstances that were transformative for them and then related that in passionate and eloquent ways. In your work, you often put people in front of a camera to get them to talk honestly. Why do you think this technique works so well? There’s a little mystery to that. I think it is because people walk around with sophisticated inner dialogues. If you give people an opportunity to express themselves, they have a lot to say. Provide the right setting, and people disclose the richness of their lives.

“ If you give people an opportunity to express themselves, they have a lot to say. Provide the right setting, and people disclose the richness of their lives.”

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

hris Johnson

Do you see Oakland as a fertile ground for artists today? Yes. First, to be a fertile ground, a place has to be affordable enough so artists can live there. Second, it needs to be very charged with issues that influence artists’ sensibilities. In Oakland, there is crime, poverty, and violence, but there is also great natural beauty. Between these things are cultures and ethnic groups mixing with each other and having experiences that wouldn’t otherwise happen.

How do you see the role of institutions like OMCA in making complex issues like race and identity part of the public discourse? The age-old mission of museums is to highlight the best of a given culture. OMCA embraces a variety of cultural expressions and is interested in a broad system of values, which goes against the historical notion of what a museum is. In this light, OMCA is actually the perfect place to examine and engage with the complex issues of our time.

What are your objectives for your work? I hope to continue to have opportunities to make a difference. We live in times that are so full of challenges; it’s easy for artists to feel irrelevant. Our culture thinks of art as secondary to the “real” stuff. Sociologists, political activists, and policymakers do “real” stuff; artists just make posters and things like that. I think that’s a total misreading of the power of art. I can’t think of a political or social movement that wasn’t instigated by what I consider performance art.

SPRING 2015

IN THIS PROVOCATIVE NEW EXHIBITION,

LOCAL ARTISTS JOIN—AND ADVANCE— THE CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR CITY’S EVOLVING POSSIBILITIES

Susan Felter’s photo collage triptych, Our Nature, draws on photos from multiple sources to represent Lake Merritt, a neighborhood street, and Joaquin Miller and Redwood parks.

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

hen photographer and video artist Chris Johnson accepted OMCA’s invitation to be the visionary behind its Who is Oakland? exhibition, he had clear goals in mind. Johnson told OMCA, “I want it to be inclusive. There are a lot of things happening in this city that are forcing ethnic groups to react to each other; gentrification is a real factor. Most of all, today’s boundaries are fluid. If you want to do something that feels real about Oakland, you need to try to capture that dynamic with the broadest representation. “I didn’t want the installation to be a picture postcard of Oakland. That’s not the Oakland I live in,” says Johnson. “I wanted Who is Oakland? to reflect tensions and create opportunities for us to find synergy and new perspectives.” The exhibition, on view through July 12, does just that. Johnson, a professor of photography at California College of the Arts, enlisted the participation of nine other accomplished artists after interviewing prospects from all over Oakland. The diversity of the contributors’ backgrounds provides nuanced insights that are reflected in the artists’ subject matter and mediums. These include the video montages that Jesse Crimes and Chris Treggiari gleaned from interviews with Oaklanders, evocative installations by Adia Millett and Favianna Rodriguez that explore neighborhoods’ power and vulnerability, Susan Felter’s large-scale landscapes using

Thomas Wong, Joy Liu, and Greg Morozumi, One Struggle, many fronts, 2015.

digital photography, Kim Anno’s shots of jazz musicians’ historic hangouts, Opesanwo’s huge sculpture made from local materials, Jose Garcia’s mural celebrating native and Third World cultures, and Tommy Wong’s banners depicting social justice movements. In his work, Johnson confronts societal bias by revealing untold stories of “local heroes,” whose addresses he chose at random by throwing darts at a map of some of the city’s most challenging neighborhoods. “There’s something heroic that they tell in their video interviews and photos about what it takes to survive and raise a family,” he says. Taken together, the ten works convey extraordinary aspects of the changing face of Oakland. “We’re using art as a tool for civic definition,” says Johnson. “We’re calling the exhibition Who is Oakland? because it is raising questions about how the people of Oakland embody the spirit of this place at this time. It seemed appropriate to personalize it but also to make it an open question.” Who is Oakland? is on view in the Gallery of California Art through July 12. Who is Oakland? is supported by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation.

OMCA FILMS & ARTIST TALKS

THOMAS WONG

A Hole in Space Friday, May 8, 7 pm This event features footage of video “portals” created between distinct Oakland neighborhoods, a unique form of dialogue among people from different walks of life in Oakland. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, Who is Oakland? artist Chris Treggiari, and speakers from local youth development and investigative journalism organizations. East Side Sushi Friday, July 10, 6:30 pm This award-winning film tells the uniquely Oakland story of Juana, a working-class Latina single mother, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery through food when she starts a new job at a local Japanese restaurant. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and Who is Oakland? artist Favianna Rodriguez, moderated by Evelyn Orantes, OMCA curator of public practice.

EXPANDING THE DIALOGUE Work on Who is Oakland? began in the fall of 2014 and is part of OMCA’s ongoing efforts to be “the people’s museum,” notes Evelyn Orantes, OMCA’s curator of public practice. “We’re pushing ourselves to be an even stronger resource for our community.” The exhibition is “an ambitious and intentional experiment,” she says, to see if OMCA can successfully expedite the usual timeline for creating exhibitions in order to be more responsive to the issues and needs of the community. “We’re working with ten artists and their neighborhoods and organizations. It’s daunting and exciting at the same time,” Orantes says. “It feels like a really worthwhile adventure that the whole city will benefit from.” What’s more, she adds, the exhibition’s timing is fortuitous. “Exhibitions like this one are how museums communicate ideas. At OMCA, our goal is to be a place where people from multiple perspectives can have dialogues. This feels like a pivotal moment in Oakland’s history, and we want to be part of shaping it.”

ADD YOUR VOICE Arists Jesse Crimes and Chris Treggiari will update their installations periodically, and you’re invited to participate with written comments. Come by and speak out! Join the conversation on social media! #WhoisOakland

SPRING 2015

Pacific Worlds celebrates the vibrant historic and cultural relationships, past and present, between the Pacific Islands and California

In 1915

San Francisco invited the world to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE), a spectacular yearlong fair celebrating the Bay Area’s ties to its Pacific neighbors. Beginning in May 2015, OMCA will mark the PPIE’s centennial with Pacific Worlds, an exhibition that explores the rich history, artifacts, and cultural practices of Pacific Islanders, and how they are an integral part of the lives of many Californians. According to Suzanne Fischer, associate curator of contemporary history and trends, Pacific Worlds will showcase never-before-exhibited objects from Oceania that have been in storage for a century. To offer fresh perspectives on these long-crated items, members of local Pacific Islander communities will share stories that illuminate the vibrant cultural continuum that spans the ocean and history. “California is part of the Pacific world,” she explains.

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

Waves

Stand-up paddleboarding is a recent innovation on the historic Hawaiian sport of surfing. It allows paddlers of all cultures and ages to connect with the ocean.

J A C K A F F L E C K /A U R O R A O P E N /C O R B I S

Connection SPRING 2015

Fijian tattoo artist Lomani Gaunavinaka of Santa Rosa sketches tattoo designs.

Historical Collections

“It is the east coast of the Pacific, and the geography, histories, and cultures of the Pacific have helped shape California’s identity.” Pacific Worlds—on view May 30, 2015, through Jan. 3, 2016—will weave together hundreds of historic objects, contemporary California Pacific Islander artwork, newly commissioned work, and community voices. The exhibition, she adds, will help visitors learn more about the diverse cultures of Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Fiji, New Zealand, Palau, and the Caroline Islands, as well as of Pacific peoples in the diaspora.

The show features some three hundred objects from the Museum’s extensive Pacific collection, including a twenty-five-foot-long outrigger canoe from Papua New Guinea. Other artifacts on view include tapa—a type of bark cloth—and kava bowls used for medicinal, religious, social, and political purposes. Pacific Worlds presents each item in historical as well as contemporary contexts. “Making fine mats and tapa cloth, for example, is still an important cultural practice for women across

Ethnographic conservator Tom Fuller at work.

The Museum’s Pacific collection has about 3,000 pieces, but only a few have been shown before, according to Julie Trosper, OMCA’s senior conservator. “Several thousand of these objects were in storage for a hundred years or so, and they were covered with dust or suffering from deterioration,” she says. “We had a tremendous amount of work to do to prepare them for exhibition.” Textile conservator Hannah Riley painstakingly restored antique tapa cloths. Paper conservator Peng-Peng Wang repaired documents, including an original copy of the 1893 declaration that abolished the Hawaiian monarchy. Ethnographic conservator Tom Fuller reconstructed the large outrigger canoe, which had been stored in pieces, and he fabricated elements that were missing. With Trosper and conservator Allison Lewis, the team carefully examined 400 objects and preserved 160 of them. “It was a big collaborative effort to conserve so much material in such a short period of time,” Trosper says. “These artifacts are now absolutely gorgeous.”

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

TO P : J E A N M E L ES A I N E ; B OT TO M : R YA N L E B L A N C

REPAIRING THE PAST

Kava bowl, cups, and strainer, Samoa, 1880s–1900s.

COLLECTION OF OMCA , MUSEUM PURCHASE, DR. JOHN R ABE D.D.S. COLLECTION AND GIF T OF MRS. W.M. K AUFFMAN. PHOTO: BEN BL ACKWELL

SPECIAL EVENTS Pacific Worlds Donor Forum Preview Thursday, May 28, 6–8 pm Join this festive cocktail reception celebrating the opening of Pacific Worlds. Converse with the community members, curators, and designers who built the exhibition and gain a new perspective on the relationship between California and the Pacific Islands. Pacific Worlds Member Preview Friday, May 29, 11 am–9 pm Enjoy Member-only viewing hours for Pacific Worlds, and catch a glimpse of the exhibition during Friday Nights @ OMCA. Welcoming Ceremony Friday, June 5, 6 pm Join the Bay Area's Pacific Islander community in this special welcome ceremony for the Pacific Worlds exhibition. Free. Voices of the Pacific Experience Friday, June 26, 7 pm In this program, creative writers with roots in the Pacific bring to the fore issues that affect their communities’ experiences in California and throughout the United States mainland. Through various forms of expression, these artists share the values, concerns, and aspirations of their people.

the Pacific,” Fischer says. Through immersive voices, images, and sounds, visitors will discover the importance of these objects and their continuing roles in Pacific communities in California. Pacific Worlds will also explore dance, music, food, tattooing, surfing, and other practices of Pacific Islanders. Most of the artifacts on view were collected by Dr. John Rabe of Oakland, who voyaged throughout the Pacific region in the 1880s and 1890s. Rabe practiced dentistry on his extensive travels, purchasing or trading his work for artifacts. The exhibition also features Rabe’s journal and maps of his expeditions to provide insights into the areas he chose to visit and his passionate approach to collecting.

Community Voices OMCA created a special community task force with representatives from diverse Pacific Island communities to guide every aspect of the exhibition. As a result, says Native Hawaiian task force member Carolyn Melenani Kuali’i, “the show is not just the Museum’s interpretation of Pacific cultures. The Pacific Island communities themselves provided content, design, resources, and interpretation. The exhibition is a chance for younger generations to learn about their culture and for older generations to share their experiences. It’s an opportunity for us to create public awareness and celebrate who we are—to let us shine.” A century ago, Fischer observes, the PPIE focused on Californians’ fantasies of the Pacific. The World’s Fair featured a Hawaiian building, with tropical gardens and an aquarium, and a Samoan village, where native people performed in exotic costumes. Today, Pacific Worlds explores real-world connections with Pacific Islanders, from the presence of Hawaiians in early California to the enormous popularity of surfing. “Looking at the past helps us make sense of the present,” Kuali’i says. “Pacific Worlds can help us develop new understandings and perspectives about the future of California’s relationship with our Pacific neighbors and with the ocean that connects us.” Pacific Worlds is on view in OMCA’s Great Hall from May 30, 2015, through Jan. 3, 2016. This exhibition is made possible in part by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence, Matson Foundation, and Stephen and Susan Chamberlin. Additional support is provided by the OMCA History Guild.

SPRING 2015

A small look into the storage of approximately two million objects currently in OMCA’s collection.

A Road Map for the Future OMCA’s new collecting plan underscores and enhances the Museum’s mission to tell the stories of California

ith nearly two million objects in its ever-growing collection, OMCA faces some monumental challenges going forward. How will it continue to conserve, catalog, and store its expanding resources? How can it best determine whether all these objects will remain relevant to the Museum’s mission and values? And how should it thoughtfully and intentionally add to its existing collection to reflect the continuous evolution of California, and Oakland in particular? To address these questions, the Museum is developing a plan that will lay a framework for managing and building its

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

collection. At the core of this new plan is an analysis of how the collection will be used, and how it will serve and engage the community. “We are going back to one of the fundamental principles that has long defined OMCA—to be a museum of the people—and reexamining that in the light of current conditions,” says Kelly McKinley, director of the OMCA Lab. “Our focus has become to tell the stories of California and illuminate the diversity of the state’s peoples, cultures, and environments. So we want to be sure that what we choose to add to our collection tells relevant stories in compelling ways and

COLLECTION OF OMCA, GIF T OF GREG FRANKE AND LEE BROOKS

facilitates conversations with our community.” The new collecting plan, some six months in the making, is particularly important today, with real estate and available storage space at a premium. “We have to be very judicious about what we take in now,” says McKinley. “This plan is a way of defining the scope of our collection. It will serve as a tool to communicate with prospective Donors, and it will give us a road map for the future of what we collect and why.” The plan also dovetails with the rollout of OMCA’s new online collection catalog and management system, which will streamline research for staff and ultimately provide increased access and transparency for the public. ORIGINS AND LEGACIES In 1969, OMCA was established by the merger of three very different early-twentieth-century museums: the Oakland Public Museum, the Oakland Art Gallery, and the Snow Museum of Natural History. At the time of its creation, OMCA determined that it would be the Museum of California, with its galleries devoted to the state’s art, history, and natural sciences. Yet some of the objects in the newly formed Museum fell outside of that mandate, especially numerous African and Arctic specimens from the Snow Museum of Natural History. As a result, many of these legacy items from outside the state have never been shown at the Museum. Now, the updated collecting plan gives OMCA a new lens through which to see both prospective acquisitions and legacy pieces. For example, the curators of the Pacific Worlds exhibition carefully chose legacy items collected in Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia—many of which have never been on view before—that could illuminate the stories of Pacific Islanders who live in California today. “We are looking at our collection in brand-new ways and finding California stories where we hadn’t seen them before,” says OMCA Director and CEO Lori Fogarty. “In the past, the Museum operated in three different silos, and now we are thinking much more cohesively and seeing exciting new connections between disciplines.”

“ We want to be sure that what we choose to add to our collection tells relevant stories in compelling ways and facilitates conversations.” — K E L LY M C K I N L E Y, D I R EC TO R O F T H E O M C A L A B

Recent Acquisitions That Help Illuminate California’s Many Diverse Narratives Alex Mate (1948–1992), Lee Brooks, and Greg Franke, California Necklace, 2013 Made of semiprecious stones, dyed cord, and hammered metal, this necklace (above) is an example of the custom jewelry made by Alex & Lee, an “art to wear” company founded by Alex Mate and Lee Brooks in the early 1970s. The design of this necklace reflects Alex & Lee’s association with California, with outlines of the state placed back to back. Mate and Brooks were partners until Mate passed away in 1992. Brooks revived the Alex & Lee brand with new creative partner Greg Franke. Africanized Honey Bee The Museum recently acquired an Africanized honey bee from a laboratory in Texas. Africanized honey bees were created when a scientist in Brazil imported bees from Africa, trying to create a breed of bee that would be resistant to tropical heat and disease. In the 1950s, the bees escaped and gradually made their way north. They arrived in California in 1994. Despite scientists’ frightening predictions, the bees are not nearly as dangerous as expected. In fact, many beekeepers prefer Africanized honey bees because they produce more honey and are resistant to disease. “When Women Vote, Women Win” button, Emily’s List, circa 1994 Katherine McKenney Shea, a longtime Democratic Party activist and elected official in California, recently donated a treasure trove of material documenting the rise of women and women’s issues in local, state, and national politics from the 1970s through the 1990s. In addition to political buttons, lawn signs, and bumper stickers, the collection includes the only extant absentee ballot from the April 8, 1986, Carmel mayoral election, won by Clint Eastwood.

SPRING 2015

RE TAIL TALES

Savor, Sip, Shake—and Now Shop—at Friday Nights @ OMCA Local artists present works for sale at these don’t-miss events Oakland’s hottest night out just got even hotter with the added attraction of artists’ trunk shows. Drawing from the rich pool of creative talent in the Bay Area, OMCA is inviting between two and four artists to show—and sell—their works during Friday Nights @ OMCA. According to Michael Silverman, OMCA’s associate director of retail and product development, the artists and designers will represent all kinds of creative disciplines: painting, photography, jewelry, ceramics, and even up-cycled clothing. “This is a great way for OMCA to engage with and support the local creative community,” Silverman says. “It’s exciting for us to make this wide range of work available to our visitors.” Of course, visitors won’t want to miss all the other treats that Friday Nights @ OMCA offers: live music, dancing, Off the Grid food trucks, beverages in the Blue Oak beer garden, family-friendly workshops, half-price admission to the galleries, and much more. Friday Nights @ OMCA takes place weekly from 5 to 9 pm.

A sample of what’s coming up this summer ...

Water bottles by Jered’s Pottery of Berkeley

Retro Beach Brooch by Bay Area jeweler Amy Faust

Birch Curl Vase by artist Jess Wainer of Oakland

Vase by Berkeley’s Cuong Ta Ceramics

How to Sell Your Work at Friday Nights @ OMCA Local artists and designers interested in participating in the Friday night pop-up stores can learn about the terms of participation by visiting museumca.org/friday-nights-call-artists.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! OMCA Store’s Spring Member Sale May 15, 16, and 17. Members receive an additional 10 percent off all items in the OMCA Store.

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ADVANCEMENT

MEET OUR TEAM THREE DEEPLY COMMITTED STAFFERS HELP OMCA REACH NEW HEIGHTS

SARAH KIMMERLE: CONNECTING WITH DONORS

From left: Rebecca Kirkpatrick and Lauren Etchells.

REBECCA KIRKPATRICK AND LAUREN ETCHELLS: ENGAGING MEMBERS Rebecca Kirkpatrick joined OMCA as membership manager in December, after working at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda and at CuriOdyssey, a science and wildlife center in San Mateo. “I was drawn to OMCA because of its creative programs that bring the Museum to the community,” Kirkpatrick says. “I love that it offers opportunities to participate. For example, posing the question 'Is it art?' in the Gallery of California Art started some really lively conversation. And in the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, you’re asked to extend your experience beyond the Museum walls through citizen science projects.” Membership Associate Lauren Etchells worked at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum and the San

Francisco Children’s Art Center before joining OMCA. “I enjoy the exciting arts community in the East Bay and OMCA’s celebration of the thriving local culture,” she says. “I look forward to being a friendly, approachable resource so that our Members can feel supported, welcomed, and comfortable asking questions.” Etchells’ favorite thing about OMCA is how the three disciplines—art, history, and natural sciences—are incorporated in each of the galleries. “For example, the Gallery of California Natural Sciences features a replica of a cabin,” she says. “Inside there is a gallery filled with photographs and paintings of Yosemite National Park. I love having the opportunity to engage with each discipline on multiple levels.”

Sarah Kimmerle, who joined OMCA one year ago as individual giving manager, works with Donors to maximize support for the Museum’s programs, exhibitions, education, and outreach. “OMCA has recently embarked on a new chapter in terms of increased community engagement, so this is a great time to help the Museum grow,” says Kimmerle, who has worked at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the New York Public Library, among others. “I manage the Museum’s Donor Forum, which is a group of individuals who make annual gifts of $1,250 or more,” she says. “It is gratifying to get to know Donor Forum members because we share the same objective: to ensure that the Museum’s value in the community continues to flourish.”

SPRING 2015

CALENDAR

Check out the full lineup of events and programs at museumca.org

Gold Panning Hoedown Sunday, May 17, 12–3 pm Enjoy panning for real gold and square dancing at this fun, family-friendly event! $20/adults; $10 children ages four and up.

Friday Nights @ OMCA Every Friday, 5–9 pm Oakland’s hottest event features monthly resident DJs, weekly music themes, Off the Grid food trucks, an OMCA Store pop-up shop, and featured artists selling their wares.

Summer Reading Celebration Sunday, Aug. 2, 12–4 pm Join OMCA for this annual event with the Oakland Public Library. Enjoy an afternoon of fun, stories, crafts, and more!

SPECIAL FRIDAY NIGHTS EVENTS: • Story time with the Oakland Public Library Final Fridays, 6–6:30 pm • Family-friendly drop-in art workshops Every Friday, 5–8 pm May: Gold panning in the gardens June: Tapa stamp-making inspired by Pacific Worlds June 26: Family portrait-making inspired by Tell Me Where the Mirrors Go July: Make a bookmark, inspired by the Oakland Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge August: Make a bee antenna, inspired by Bees • Pop-up Talks Third Fridays, 7–7:30 pm May 15: Connecting the Pieces of Oakland and Ferguson, with Adisa Banjoko June 19: Susie Cagle and Sarah Jeong on the Internet and the Law July 17: The Future with Sarah Hotchkiss August 21: Mark Thompson Walks with Bees • Snack-size Docent Tours First, second, fourth, and final Fridays • Makers & Tasters Series First Fridays and final Fridays featuring Whole Foods Market vendors.

MUSEUM HOURS Monday Closed Tuesday Closed

Wednesday

11 am–5 pm

Thursday

11 am–5 pm

Friday

11 am–9 pm

Saturday

10 am–6 pm

Sunday

10 am–6 pm

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

Presented in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt @ OMCA. Friday Nights @ OMCA is made possible in part by generous support from Bank of America and the Koret Foundation. Friday Nights @ OMCA art programs are made possible by generous support from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund. Media support provided by East Bay Express. Makers & Tasters Series sponsored by Whole Foods Market on final Fridays in 2015.

SHAUN ROBERTS

OMCA FAMILY

EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS, AND PROGRAMS

T O P : S H A U N R O B E R T S ; M I D D L E : M I C H E L L E D I Z O N , C R E A T I V E C O M M O N S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C O M M E R C I A L- N O D E R I V A T I V E S 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L ; B O T T O M : C O L L E C T I O N O F O M C A , B E Q U E S T O F M R S . D O R O T H E A A D A M S M C C O Y

OMCA TOURS

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS Sunshine and Superheroes: San Diego Comic-Con Through May 31, 2015 Marion Gray: Within the Light Through June 21, 2015 Who is Oakland? Through July 12, 2015 Michelle Dizon: Drifting Islands Through Nov. 8, 2015 Pacific Worlds May 30, 2015–Jan. 3, 2016

OMCA Highlight Tour Fridays and Saturdays, 1 pm

Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact Through July 24, 2016

California Art Tour Saturdays and Sundays, 2 pm California History Tour Sundays, 3 pm Architecture of the Museum Tour First Sundays, 1 pm Bike Tours Third Sundays, 10 am Enjoy summer with a classic OMCA bike tour, led by a fearless Docent! Destinations include downtown Oakland, the port area, Lake Merritt, and Fruitvale. LGBT Tours Enjoy Docent-led LGBT history tours during June, National Pride Month. For the full schedule, visit museumca.org/events.

Michelle Dizon, Ex Utero, 2015.

ON VIEW Michelle Dizon: Drifting Islands Through Nov. 8 Artist Michelle Dizon’s Drifting Islands features three video works that examine the experiences of exile and displacement and raise questions about how globalization and dispossession mark homelands, language, and even bodies. Tell Me Where the Mirrors Go Through July 12 A collaboration between a local family, artist Maria Mortati, and OMCA, this project presents the Museum as a place of ideas and explores how a family engages with concepts reflected in the galleries.

Victor Ries, untitled, circa 1969.

Rotations in the Gallery of California Art Opens July 11 This summer, the Gallery of California Art gets a refresh with objects from the Museum’s studio craft collection. Don’t miss the 1948 silver, brass, and resin necklace by Claire Falkenstein; a 1969 gold and sterling silver necklace with pearl and carnelian by Victor Ries; and more.

SPRING 2015

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Oakland Museum of California 1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4820

SALT LAKE CITY, UT PERMIT NO.6563

SAVE THE DATE!

Yo-Yos & Half Squares: Contemporary California Quilts

Pieced by Mattie Pickett, quilted by Willia Ette Graham, Texas Star quilt, 1986–1987.

COLLECTION OF ELI LEON

Opens Sept. 12