Oakland Museum of California OMCA Transformation Fact Sheet PROJECT Created in 1969 as a “museum for the people,” the Oakland Museum of OVERVIEW California is reviving its foundational premise with a groundbreaking reinstallation of its collections of art, history, and natural sciences, which is being supported by a major renovation and expansion of its landmark building, designed by Kevin Roche of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. OMCA is redefining conventional exhibition strategies and setting a new paradigm for the way a museum engages its public. With the transformation, the Museum will create a more welcoming, dynamic, and inclusive exhibition environment, presenting the multilayered story of California and its people from a variety of perspectives. The Museum’s renovation and expansion honors the original architecture and landscape visions of Kevin Roche and Dan Kiley while better integrat- ing the collections and upgrading visitor amenities. LOCATION OMCA is situated on four city blocks near Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland. PROJECT January 2008 Art and History Galleries close for reinstallation TIMELINE August 2009 Museum temporarily closes to public May 2010 Transformed Art and History Galleries open to public 2012 Transformed Natural Sciences Gallery and new education amenities open to public PROJECT COST $58 million PROJECT Mark Cavagnero Associates, San Francisco, CA ARCHITECT ORIGINAL Kevin Roche, Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates ARCHITECTS Dan Kiley, landscape architect KEY PROJECT Phase 1 Completion expected May 2010 COMPONENTS • Complete renovation and new installation of the Art and History galleries, with dynamic displays and innovative interpretive tools • Expansion of Gallery of California Art with two new enclosed galleries • Creation of interior balconies with overlooks to connect gallery spaces 1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org • Enhanced Oak Street entrance with 90-foot stainless-steel canopy and ADA ramp to improve visitor access • New skylights over central stairway, protecting visitors from the elements • Creation of California Collections and Research Center, a 62,000- square-foot conservation and storage facility Phase 1.5 Construction to begin fall 2009; completion expected spring 2010 • Improvements to lighting and data/electrical access in exhibition halls • Upgrade of the 280-seat James Moore Theatre • Expansion of store on central level • Enhancements to the Museum cafe restrooms • Creation of new garage entry to the central level Phase 2 Construction to begin 2010; completion expected 2012 • ransformation of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences • Reconfiguration of 10th Street entrance for student and school groups • Enhancement of education facilities • Expansion of locker areas and restrooms SQUARE Total museum gallery space: 94,000 square feet (includes Great Hall) FOOTAGE Museum occupies 7.7 acres on 4 city blocks New Art and History Gallery space: 5,200 square feet New Natural Sciences Gallery space: 7,200 square feet INTERACTIVE OMCA is experimenting with innovative interpretive tools and interactive FEATURES & features. Visitors will be encouraged to share their perspectives and EDUCATION stories, to make connections between the objects in the galleries and their TOOLS own lived experiences, and to question and explore not one, but many, notions of California identity. Some of the new elements in the trans- formed Museum include visitor-generated content, multilingual labels, interactive journals and lounges, resource areas, and movable furniture. MUSEUM Lori Fogarty, Executive Director LEADERSHIP ABOUT OMCA The Museum brings together collections of art, history, and natural sciences under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA connects collections and programs across disciplines, advancing an integrated, multilayered understanding of this ever-evolving state and its impact on the nation and the world. With nearly two million objects, the Museum is a leading resource for the research and under- standing of California’s social, cultural, and environmental heritage. Founded in 1969 and situated near Lake Merritt and Oakland’s Chinatown, the Museum’s terraced roof gardens and central courtyard serve as a green oasis for Oakland residents and visitors from the Bay Area and beyond. For more information visit www.museumca.org MEDIA Oakland Museum of CA Resnicow Schroeder Associates CONTACTS Elizabeth Whipple Chris D’Aleo 510-238-4740 212-671-5178 [email protected] [email protected] Oakland Museum of California Oakland Museum of California Reinventing Visitor Experience with Groundbreaking Reinstallation of Art, History, and Natural Sciences Collections $58 Million Transformation to Create Dynamic and Welcoming Exhibitions and Strengthen OMCA’s Role as Forum for Community and State Recent Grants Totaling $6.1 Million to Help Fund New Models for Visitor Engagement OMCA Celebrates Multilayered Story of California and Its People, Giving Voice to Range of Perspectives and Fostering Dialogue and Discovery OAKLAND, CA, November 10, 2009—Created in 1969 as a “museum for the people,” the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is reviving its foundational premise with a groundbreak- ing reinstallation of its collections, which is being supported by a renovation and expansion of its landmark Kevin Roche building. The Museum is adopting innovative exhibition and program- ming strategies, setting a new paradigm for the way a museum engages its public. OMCA will create a more dynamic exhibition environment, achieve greater integration of its collections, and present the multilayered story of California and its people from a variety of perspectives—reflecting the diversity of California’s population. Visitors will find multiple entry points into the state’s past, learn about the natural, artistic, and social forces that continue to shape it, and investigate their own role in the making of history. “As the ‘museum of California,’ we are moving toward a more participatory exhibition model that encourages visitor engagement and feedback,” said Lori Fogarty, OMCA’s executive director. “Just as California is not a ‘fixed’ place but constantly evolving, this museum is embracing change and openness to new ideas. It’s in our DNA.” OMCA was recently awarded $6.1 million in new grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr., The James Irvine, the Hedco, and The Kresge Foundations to help fund the transformation, including new educational tools and programs that will encourage visitors to contribute information about California based on their own lived experiences. With these grants, OMCA surpasses 97% of its capital campaign goal for the $58 million transformation. “We are rethinking the traditional museum experience—in a sense demystifying it—by inviting visitors to join an ongoing dialogue about the art, history, and natural sciences of California, and 1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org to contribute to the development of multiple, perhaps even competing story lines that will be explored through our exhibitions and public programs,” Ms.Fogarty continued. “We hope that visitors will experience a sense of connection with the discoveries they make inside the galleries.” OMCA is temporarily closed to the public while the reinvention of the galleries is under way. The Galleries of California Art and History and many of the Museum’s enhanced public spaces are scheduled to reopen in May 2010. The Gallery of California Natural Sciences will reopen in 2012. The New Galleries: Telling the Many Stories of California When OMCA first opened its doors forty years ago, it brought together three historically inde- pendent disciplines—art, history, and natural sciences—under one roof. This progressive approach was to celebrate the many facets of California. OMCA was founded through a broad civic initiative and designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. Recognized as one of the most significant examples of post-World War II modernism in America, the Museum integrates architecture and landscape architecture and indoor and outdoor spaces into one building program. OMCA’s terraced roof gardens and central courtyard, designed by landscape architect Dan Kiley, continue to serve as a village green for Oakland residents and visitors from the Bay Area and beyond. OMCA’s revitalization builds on the founders’ original multidisciplinary and civic-minded intent by improving integration of the Museum’s collections and programs, strengthening its role as a public forum, and creating new opportunities for visitor participation. The new galleries will weave together chronological and theme-based installations to explore dierent notions of California identity and reality. The collections will be animated by innovative interpretive tools and interactive features, and new gathering spaces and program areas will engage visitors and encourage them to share their own perspectives, questions, and stories. “California’s geography has been a major source of the state’s cultural dynamism. The state is mostly coastline and borders that open to the world. The immediate cities around the Museum—Oakland and San Francisco—are port cities—active, porous, and poised to receive and circulate a great mix of global populations, goods, ideas, and cultural influences,” said René de