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 Guzman, a senior curator of art at OMCA. “By transforming our collections galleries into spaces filled with ongoing activity and change, the Oakland Museum will better reflect the range of ideas that give California its vitality. Our goal is to strengthen our public’s connection to California’s cultural and environmental significance.”

The Gallery of California Art is being installed along three main themes: Land (Exploring California), People (Defining Identity), and Ideas (Creative California). Special sections will explore how California’s natural and manmade landscapes have inspired artists for centuries; how the work of California artists mirrors the diversity of the state’s peoples and cultures; and how California can be experienced as a center of creative innovation and dynamic change—through art and artistic movements ranging from Bay Area Figurative, to f.64 photography, to self-taught and counterculture art, among many others. The overarching theme of the Gallery of California History is Coming to California. It will showcase more than 2,200 historical artifacts, works of art, ethnographic materials, and original photographs to illuminate the influence of successive waves of migration—from the earliest Natives, to settlers during the Spanish and Mexican periods, to more recent immigrants and their interactions with people who arrived before them.

Four sub-themes guide the gallery’s presentation: the diverse identities of the state’s people (The Diverse Peoples of California), the relationship of people to the environment (People and the Environment), the contrast between the myth of innovation, freedom, and self-fulfillment and often conflicting realities (The “California Dream”), and California’s relationship with the rest of the world (Global Connections). Oral histories and storytelling will play a prominent role throughout the gallery. OMCA is experimenting with a range of technologies, such as digital interactive exhibits and audio stations, to encourage visitors to contribute their own storylines.

“How do you tell a single story of California, or for that matter, the history of any place inhabited by such a wide variety of people of various cultures and perspectives?” said Louise Pubols, OMCA’s chief curator of history. “There are many ways to approach a historic event or an artifact, informed by our personal range of cultural perspectives and lived experiences. The Museum is reinterpreting its collections by telling not just one, but many stories—embracing peoples and cultures that have traditionally been excluded from historical narrative.”

The Gallery of California Natural Sciences will explore California as a “hotspot,” a place that ranks among the greatest in the world in biological and geological diversity but whose ecosys- tems also suer from enormous pressures—urbanization, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The gallery will focus initially on five major, representative examples of California habitats: Oakland (coastal mountains), Sutter Buttes (central valley), Yosemite (Sierra Nevada range), Joshua Tree (southern deserts), and Cordell Bank/Pt. Reyes (nearshore). Exhibits, interactive displays, learning stations, and testimony from scientists and local residents will inspire visitors to learn more about California environments, visit them, and get involved in protecting them.

All of OMCA’s galleries will be designed to be more welcoming and inclusive, encouraging visitors to see themselves as active contributors to California’s social, artistic, environmental, and cultural heritage. Dynamic displays and new interpretive tools will include transparent wall text that sheds light on behind-the-scenes curatorial challenges; interactive journals that invite visitors to engage in dialogue with curators—and each other—about specific and perhaps controversial works on display; movable furniture that allows visitors to chose which art they want to view with greater attention; first-person voice and multilingual labels; “loaded lounges” with objects to provoke conversation among visitors about art, history, and the environment; and the new Art Discovery Center and Chevron History Hang-Out, in-gallery experimental exhibi- tion spaces that will provide a range of immersive experiences.

OMCA will test these and other exhibition strategies on an ongoing basis through extensive prototyping with members of its longstanding community advisory councils, families, and everyday museum visitors, constantly refining new ideas in response to visitor feedback. “Reinventing the Oakland Museum, we are reflecting the state’s ever-changing demographic and embracing the diverse communities, environments, and perspectives that give California its many identities,” said Fogarty. “OMCA will be a forum for lively discussion and exchange of ideas about our state.”

OMCA’s renovation and expansion is overseen by the San Francisco architectural firm of Mark Cavagnero Associates, honoring the original architecture and landscape vision of Kevin Roche and Dan Kiley, while upgrading visitor amenities, building systems, and further integrating the museum experience. Enhancements encompass new exhibition and programming space, seating, and modernized lighting. A new 90-foot stainless steel canopy over the Oak Street entrance will enhance OMCA’s street presence.

Construction on the Galleries of California Art and History was completed in the spring of 2009, adding 5,600 square feet of gallery space to showcase what is known as the most comprehen- sive collection of California art and material culture in the world. Work on the Gallery of Califor- nia Natural Sciences, which will gain 7,200 square feet of exhibit space and enhanced class- room and education facilities will be completed by 2012. Many new exhibition elements throughout the Museum will be presented in prototype form and continue to evolve, contrary to a fixed “re-opening.”

The first phase of construction started in 2007 with the creation of a state-of-the-art storage facility, the California Collections and Research Center, for OMCA’s collection of nearly two million objects. The project also includes improvements to the 270-seat theatre, the cafe, and the Museum store.

Core support for the transformation comes from Measure G, passed by Oakland voters in 2002, which provided $23.6 million for capital improvements and gave the campaign a strong early launch. Additional support has been provided by Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, National Science Foundation, California Cultural and Historical Endowment, Kresge Foundation, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Chevron Corporation, Oakland Museum Women’s Board, HEDCO Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, Koret Foundation, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Endowment for the Humanities and many individual donors.

“We’ve had an incredible response to date, which is a reflection of the OMCA’s standing as an important cultural, educational, and community resource,” said Sheryl Wong, chair of The Museum of California Campaign. “We’re grateful for the support throughout the Bay Area and beyond.”

While OMCA is closed for renovation, it continues to present select exhibitions and public programs. In October, the Museum launched a virtual Days of the Dead celebration site where visitors create a communal altar and “travel” with guides to Días de los Muertos festivities across California and Mexico. This month, the Museum unveils an outdoor installation by 20 Bay Area artists, on view along the Oak Street façade and curated by arts activist Favianna Rodriguez. For information on OMCA’s interim activities, please visit www.museumca.org.

For more information and visuals, please contact:

Elizabeth Whipple Anja Wodsak / Chris d’Aleo Oakland Museum of California Resnicow Schroeder Associates 510-238-4740 212-671-5171 / 212-671-5178 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Oakland Museum of California

Leadership

Lori Fogarty, Executive Director Lori Fogarty has been Executive Director of the Oakland Museum of California since March 2006. In that role, she is leading OMCA’s groundbreaking transformation of its art, history, and natural sciences collections and the development of new exhibition and programming strate- gies to engage visitors in dialogue and discovery. Fogarty also oversees the Museum’s opera- tions, fundraising, and long-range planning.

Fogarty has more than 20 years of experience in the museum field. She previously served as Director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, where she oversaw a successful $19.5 million “My Place By The Bay” capital campaign and expansion project. Prior to joining the Discovery Museum, Fogarty served for 12 years at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. During this time, she was Senior Deputy Director (1998–2001), Deputy Director of Curatorial Aairs (1996–1998), and Associate Director of Development (1988–1996).

Fogarty graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 1984. In addition to her professional background, she has served on the boards of Enterprise for High School Students, the Children’s Day School in San Francisco, and the Association of Children’s Museums. She is currently on the board of Head-Royce School.

Philip Linhares, Chief Curator of Art A California native, Philip Linhares has served as the Oakland Museum of California’s Chief Curator of Art since 1990. For the new installation of OMCA’s collections, he is leading the sections on counterculture art and folk/outsider/self-taught art. Linhares has more than 40 years’ experience in the museum field, including work as Director of Exhibitions for the San Francisco Art Institute and Director of Mills College Art Gallery. At OMCA, he has developed the major exhibitions Being There: 45 Oakland Artists (2002), The Art of Fred Martin: A Retrospective, 1948–2003 (2003), Sculpture by Bruce Beasley: A 45-Year Retrospective (2005), and most recently, L.A. PAINT (2008), a selective look at the vast and vibrant Southern California art scene.

Linhares is currently developing a retrospective exhibition on LA-based multimedia artist Michael C. McMillen. The 2011 exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated 240-page book.

Linhares holds a BFA and MFA from the California College of Art, and has participated in the Getty’s Museum Management Institute. Linhares has supported the arts as a trustee to the Claire Falkenstein Foundation in Los Angeles, California; as a member on the Board of Directors of the Black Rock Arts Foundation in San Francisco, California; and as a member on the Board of Directors of the American Hot Rod Archives Foundation in Greenwich, Connecticut.

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org René de Guzman, Senior Curator of Art René de Guzman has served as Senior Curator of Art at the Oakland Museum of California since 2007. He is serving as overall project manager for the new installation of the art gallery and primary curatorial liaison with the interpretative and exhibition design team. Prior to joining the Museum, de Guzman was Director of Visual Arts at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. One of YBCA’s founding program sta , he was instrumental in establishing the artistic goals and vision for the Center. During his 15-year tenure at YBCA, de Guzman supported emerging and mid-career artists, nurtured diverse cultural forms, and connected the fine arts to civic life and popular culture. His work at YBCA encompassed international exhibitions, community collaborations, artist commissions, and innovative public programs.

Some of de Guzman’s major curatorial projects include Beautiful Losers (2004), an exhibition on street and skate culture and contemporary art; Mexcelente! (1998), an exhibition of Mexico City-based artists; and Bay Area Now 1, 2, and 3 (1997, 1999, 2002), a triennial exhibition of new directions in Northern California art.

A longtime Bay Area resident, de Guzman immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1968. After earning a BFA in art practice at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, he worked as an artist before pursuing a curatorial career. De Guzman’s mixed media sculptures are in private and public collections, including the Berkeley Art Museum and the San Jose Museum of Art. De Guzman is the recipient of an Art Matters’ Individual Artist Award (1992) and a Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation commission as a member of DIWA Arts, a Filipino-American artist collective (1994). He has also served on the curatorial committees and boards of the artist spaces Southern Exposure and the San Francisco Art Institute Artist Committee. He has taught in the graduate fine arts program of the San Francisco Arts Institute and the California College of the Arts.

Douglas Long, Chief Curator of Natural Sciences Douglas Long has served as the Oakland Museum of California’s Chief Curator of California Natural Sciences since 2007. He will oversee the content and direction of OMCA’s new Gallery of California Natural Sciences, which opens in 2012.

Long is a Research Associate in the California Academy of Sciences’ Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy and Department of Ichthyology, and a member of the Research Faculty of San Francisco State University’s Department of Biology. Previously chair and collections manager of Cal Academy’s Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, Long helped to develop major exhibitions including Skulls!, Venom: Striking Beauties, and Ants: Hidden Worlds Revealed.

Long holds a PhD in Integrative Biology and an MA in Paleontology from the University of California, Berkeley. His scholarly research primarily focuses on Evolutionary Biology of verte- brates with emphasis on deep-sea fishes, sharks, and marine mammals, and he has published over 50 articles in books, magazines and scholarly journals. As a field researcher, Long has conducted expeditions in China, Burma, South Africa, West Africa, and the Galapagos Islands. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Island Endemics Institute, a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization. Louise Pubols, Chief Curator of History Louise Pubols has served as Chief Curator of History at the Oakland Museum of California since 2008. She is currently overseeing the re-conceptualization of the Museum's history galleries and planning future temporary exhibitions on such topics as Food in California. Previously, Pubols was the historian at the Museum of the American West at the Autry National Center, where she curated two exhibitions specifically designed to test storylines, collections, and design as the museum planned for the reinstallation of its permanent galleries. Encounters: El Norte—the Spanish and Mexican North, looked at the experiences of Spanish-Mexican people prior to the U.S.-Mexico War, while Encounters—The Fur Trade explored an early world of exchange across the continent.

Pubols holds a PhD in U.S. and Latin American history from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in Public Historical Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her main scholarly interest is in the early history of California, particularly in how patriarchy informed the economic and political systems of the Mexican era. Her book, The Father of All: The de la Guerra Family, Power and Patriarchy in Mexican California, is forthcoming with the Huntington and UC Press.

Kathleen McLean, Consultant for Gallery Reinstallation Kathleen McLean is principal of Independent Exhibitions, a museum consulting firm specializing in exhibition development, design, programming, and strategic planning. McLean is serving as creative director for the reinstallation of OMCA’s Gallery of California History and is principal consultant for the Art and Natural Sciences galleries, as well. Since 1974, McLean has designed and developed a wide range of exhibitions for public audiences in museums of history, art, and science, as well as interdisciplinary and children’s museums. She has served as the Director of the Center for Public Exhibition and Public Programs at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California, where she directed the major re-visioning and strategic planning project “Refocusing on the Floor.”

Other projects she directed at the Exploratorium include the national award-winning traveling exhibition Memory; a visitor/storytelling research project called Finding Significance; and Seeing, a 10,000-square-foot permanent art and science exhibit installation.

In 2006, Kathleen McLean was selected for the American Association of Museums’ Centennial Honor Roll, as one of 100 museum professionals to have made a significant contribution to American museums over the last 100 years. McLean is co-editor of the IMLS-funded book Visitor Voices in Museum Exhibitions; co-editor of the NSF-funded book Are We There Yet? Conversations About Best Practices in Science Exhibition Development; and author of Planning for People in Museum Exhibitions. McLean is currently co-authoring a book, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, on the design of museum spaces. Barbara Henry, Chief Curator of Education Barbara Henry has been with the Oakland Museum of California for nearly 30 years, and has served as Chief Curator of Education since 1988. Throughout her tenure at OMCA, Henry has worked to deepen and broaden the Museum’s community engagement by initiating advisory councils, partnerships, and collaborations. She has played a prominent role in developing OMCA’s vision for exhibition interpretation, community-based exhibitions, and visitor-centered museum experiences.

As Chief Curator of Education, Henry manages the production of educational services including school programs and tours; statewide educational and curriculum standards; youth programs; exhibition interpretive components; family programs; large-scale events including symposia, festivals, and community celebrations.

Henry has directed major OMCA projects including “Picture This: California Perspectives on American History” website, the James Irvine Arts in Innovation Project, and the institution-wide initiative “Advancing Our Multicultural Commitment.” To mark the 150th anniversary of the California Gold Rush, she developed the statewide curricula and teacher training program “Myth & Reality: The California Gold Rush and Its Legacy.”

A Los Angeles native who lives in Berkeley, Henry received a BA in art history from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from George Washington University. She is a reviewer of exhibition proposals for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oakland Museum of California

Architecture and Landscape Design

Overview Set on four city blocks by Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland, CA, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) was designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates and is an icon of mid-century modernism. It first opened its doors in 1969.

Roche’s design united under one roof Oakland’s collections of art, history, and natural sciences, which had been housed in dierent museums across the city. The building became a milestone in museum design. Its interrelated interior spaces, tucked under landscaped terraces and opening onto lush gardens, transcended the boundaries that had separated the collections.

Inspired by the vision of OMCA as a “museum for the people,” Roche designed a community gathering place, with terraced gardens, a central courtyard, walkways, koi pond, and outdoor sculpture courts that continue to provide an urban park for Oakland residents and visitors. Renowned landscape architect Dan Kiley designed the multilevel rooftop gardens and surround- ing arboretum to complement the structure’s modernist geometry. The building is an acknowl- edged masterpiece of civic architecture.

Recognized as one of the most significant examples of post-World War II modernism in America, the Museum was also one of the first sustainability-conscious landmark buildings in the country.

Current Transformation and Building Upgrades OMCA’s renovation and expansion is overseen by San Francisco architectural firm Mark Cavag- nero Associates, with a design that honors the original architecture and landscape vision of Roche and Kiley while upgrading visitor amenities and better integrating the Museum collec- tions. Cavagnero’s renovation was conceived to advance OMCA’s original mission, with architec- ture “encouraging cross-fertilization and dialogue among the museum’s historically indepen- dent departments.”

Modifications will encompass new exhibition and programming space and modernized lighting throughout. A 90-foot sky-lit canopy over the Oak Street entrance will enhance the Museum’s street presence. In total, the renovation will add 6000 square feet of gallery space to the 94,000-square-foot total.

The first phase of construction began in 2007 with the creation of a state-of-the-art storage facility, the California Collections and Research Center, for OMCA’s collection of nearly two million objects. The Museum closed temporarily to the public in August 2009. This interim phase includes improvements to the Museum’s 270-seat James Moore Theatre, cafe, and store.

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org Construction on the Gallery of California Art and Gallery of California History, scheduled for completion in May of 2010, will showcase what is known as the most comprehensive collection of California art and material culture in the world. Work on the Natural Sciences Gallery, which will repurpose 7200 square feet of its space, and enhancement to classroom and education facilities will be completed by 2012. Many new exhibition elements throughout the museum, however, will be presented in prototype form and continue to evolve, contrary to a fixed “re- opening.”

History When the museum building was completed, in 1969, Ada Louise Huxtable, the architecture critic for the New York Times, wrote, “In terms of design and environment the Oakland Museum may be one of the most thoughtfully revolutionary structures in the world.” The focus of Roche’s design was a building integrated with terraced gardens, a type of urban park. According to Roche, they aimed to create a “truly beautiful civic pedestrian space where the citizens of Oakland could come and enjoy some leisure hours…”

The design creates a large open garden plaza in which the roof of one gallery forms the garden terrace of the next. The team envisioned a villa-like environment where “arts and artifacts would come together in a setting both stimulating and restful.”

The technology for creating a roof garden—where plants would grow in large containers without natural drainage—was quite new in the 1960s. Kiley and supervising landscape architect Geral- dine Knight Scott chose plants to complement Roche’s angular design. Viewed from the central axis of the courtyard, a pattern of counterpoint was revealed by the rows of evergreen and fruit trees and random groupings of other trees, shrubs, and vines. The space was enclosed by a tall screen of eucalyptus and a canopy of old cedars and redwoods.

At OMCA, architecture and landscape are integral and inextricable; plantings fill and spill over the entire complex. The building meets the street with high concrete walls, yet foliage and flowers are visible, giving away the park within. Upon entering the Museum’s interior, the visitor is enveloped “within a total system of art, culture, and flora: documents of the human condition and specimens of biological evolution,” per Roche’s founding vision. MARK CAVAGNERO ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

Mark Cavagnero Associates is a San Francisco-based architecture firm recognized for its design of cultural, education, civic, and other community-oriented projects. Established in 1988 with a deep commitment to serving the public good through modern architecture, the firm has completed a diverse portfolio of enduring projects, including museums, schools, courthouses, performing arts centers, non-profit facilities, and commercial buildings. With a disciplined approach to design and planning, the firm creates well-crafted buildings that strengthen the work of their inhabitants and enrich their larger communities.

Since Mark Cavagnero Associates’ first museum project—the renovation and expansion of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco—the architectural community has honored the firm numerous times. Most recently , the firm received the 2010 Distinguished Practice Award from American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC), the sole award in the state given each year to honor a career that exemplifies dedication and commitment to the built environ- ment—specifically Mark Cavagnero’s involvement in highly successful public projects that benefit the community. The firm has been recognized with over 30 professional awards, including two International Architecture Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, the only global awards program in architecture of its kind.

In addition to the renovated and expanded Oakland Museum of California, Mark Cavagnero Associates is looking forward to the opening of the Mammoth Lakes Courthouse in Mono County, the ODC Theater Center in San Francisco, and the East Bay Center for Performing Arts in Richmond, California. The firm is currently designing SFJAZZ, a new performance venue in San Francisco; the Magnes Museum in Berkeley; and the Palega Playground in San Francisco.

Mark Cavagnero, FAIA began his practice in 1983 in the New York office of Edward Larrabee Barnes/John M.Y. Lee Ar- chitects, where he directed a variety of projects in the civic, education, and arts areas. In 1988 he cofounded Barnes and Cavagnero (later renamed to Mark Cavagnero Associates) in San Francisco.

Mark has received several accolades for his own commitment to quality buildings for the public good. In 2001, Mark received a Cyril Award from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce for his contribution of quality work within the Bay Area arts community. In 2004, Mark received a Special Commendation Award from the AIA California Council for his contributions to the profession through his work with non-profit and public clients, and, in 2007, Mark was elected to the College of Fellows, the most distinguished group of members of the American Institute of Architects.

The work of Mark Cavagnero Associates has appeared in Architectural Record, Interior Design, Contract, Metropolis, Architect, and The New York Times Magazine. In April 2009, The Architects Newspaper featured a profile of the firm.

Today Mark Cavagnero continues to cultivate the firm’s culture of excellence working with principal Laura Blake, senior as- sociate Kang Kiang, and associates John Fung and Goetz Frank. Oakland Museum of California

New Grants Totaling $3.1 Million Awarded to Oakland Museum of California To Support Groundbreaking Reinstallation of Art, History, and Natural Sciences Collections and Related Programming

NEH, IMLS, Bechtel, James Irvine, and Kresge Foundations Help Fund New Models for Visitor Engagement and a Dynamic Museum Experience

Museum Explores California and Its People, Giving Voice to Range of Perspectives and Fostering Dialogue and Discovery

Art & History Galleries Complete May 2010

Oakland, CA, August 13, 2009—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is undergoing a groundbreaking reinstallation of its collections, adopting innovative exhibition and program- ming strategies and setting a new paradigm for the way a museum engages its public. The transformation is being supported by a major renovation and expansion of OMCA’s landmark Kevin Roche building.

With the support of new grants totaling $3.1 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr., The James Irvine, and The Kresge foundations, OMCA is developing new educational tools and programs that will encourage visitors to contribute information about California based on their own lived experiences; reinventing its exhibits so that visitors will be able to trace multiple narratives; renovating and expanding its galleries; and enhancing its public spaces and visitor amenities. With these grants, OMCA surpasses 92% of its capital campaign goal for the $58 million transformation.

“We are envisioning a more dynamic museum experience that will o er many opportunities for dialogue and visitor feedback,” said Lori Fogarty, OMCA’s executive director. “Founded as a ‘museum for the people,’ we have to reflect the state’s ever-changing demographic and embrace the varied communities, environments, and perspectives that give California its many identities.”

“We’ve had a strong response from local, regional, and national funding sources, which is a reflection of OMCA’s standing as an important cultural, educational, and community resource,” said Sheryl Wong, chair of the Oakland Museum of California Campaign. “We’re grateful for the support throughout the Bay Area and beyond.”

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org On Sunday, August 23 at 5 p.m., OMCA will temporarily close as the reinvention of the galleries continues. The Art and History Galleries and many of the Museum’s enhanced public spaces are scheduled to reopen in May 2010.

OMCA’s Transformation and New Educational Tools The transformation touches almost every aspect of the Museum. The new galleries will weave together chronological and theme-based installations to explore di erent notions of California identity and reality. Innovative interpretive tools and interactive features will animate the collections, and new gathering spaces and program areas will allow visitors to share their own perspectives, questions, and stories.

The grants will be used for the following museum upgrades and educational initiatives:

Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities ($300,000) will support the reinstal- lation of OMCA’s 25,800-square-foot Gallery of California History and the development and implementation of accompanying educational programs, including a permanent exhibition, docent tours, a web site, and public programs on the history of California.

The History Gallery will showcase more than 2,200 historical artifacts, works of art, ethno- graphic materials, and original photographs to illuminate the influence of successive waves of migration—from the earliest Natives, to settlers during the Spanish and Mexican periods, to more recent immigrants and their interactions with people who arrived before them.

Four sub-themes will further guide the History Gallery’s presentation: the diverse identities of the state’s people (The Diverse Peoples of California), the relationship of people to the environment (People and the Environment), the contrast between the myth of innovation, freedom, and self-fulfillment and often conflicting realities (The California Dream), and California’s relationship with the rest of the world (Global Connections). Oral histories and storytelling will play a prominent role throughout the gallery. The Museum is experimenting with a range of technologies, such as digital interactive exhibits and audio stations, to encourage visitors to contribute their own storylines.

Funding from The James Irvine Foundation ($600,000) will support the launch of a special project that will build on OMCA’s leadership in redefining the museum experience through new ways of audience engagement. The Museum continues to explore ways to connect with people of disparate backgrounds; progressive exhibition models; and new technologies to engage the community in the new galleries and online.

“The initiative will significantly advance how we work with our collections to engage Califor- nians and visitors from other places,” said Barbara Henry, OMCA’s chief curator of education. “We are challenging conventional ways of interpretation and placing more emphasis on flexibility, transparency, and community involvement in the curatorial process.”

The James Irvine Foundation’s grant through its Artistic Innovation Fund initiative is the second secured by OMCA, making it one of only two arts organizations in the state to receive a second AIF grant. The first grant, awarded in 2006, supported the Museum’s vision to make its Gallery of California Art more welcoming and relevant to diverse visitors. Three other California arts organizations also received grants through this second round of AIF grants. They are The American Conservatory Theater Foundation, the Armand Hammer Museum, and San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Support from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation ($1 million) will go toward the Gallery of California Natural Sciences, scheduled for completion in 2012. The Gallery will explore California as a “hotspot,’” a place that ranks among the greatest in the world in biological and geological diversity but whose ecosystems also su er from enormous pressures—urbanization, pollution, large-scale agriculture, and invasive species, among others. OMCA is reinventing the visitor experience to encourage a compelling connection to place, an understanding of the issues facing the natural environment, and a sense of urgency for sustainability and conservation. Bechtel is a leading grantmaker in the area of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

In addition, OMCA received a $1 million challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation toward the capital campaign for the transformation, to be met by December 2010.

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services ($150,000) will allow OMCA to produce a focused series of innovative public programs that will investigate e ective ways to broaden and deepen relationships with the Museum’s adult audiences. The new program series will play a significant role in advancing the institution’s mission to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to think creatively and critically about the natural, artistic, and social forces that characterize California and influence its relationship to the world. New gallery-based program- ming as well as major public forums will give visitors the opportunity to work with artists, scientists, and historians to explore the region at local, national, and international levels and from multiple perspectives, exploring the meaning of identity as Californians.

San Francisco architectural firm Mark Cavagnero Associates is overseeing OMCA’s renovation and expansion, honoring the original architecture and landscape visions of Kevin Roche of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates and landscape architect Dan Kiley. Modifications encom- pass new exhibition and programming space, including two galleries that can accommodate large-scale art works; seating; and modernized lighting. The first phase of external construction—a sky-lit central stairway, new main entrance, and ADA accommodations—was finished in June 2009. Subsequent construction phases will include expansion of OMCA’s education spaces and a major renovation of its Gallery of California Natural Sciences.

While OMCA will be closed for renovation after August 23, 2009, the Museum will present public programs and exhibits in and around Oakland. Please visit the website at www.museumca.org for details and updates.

For more information and visuals, please contact:

Elizabeth Whipple Chris d’Aleo / Anja Wodsak Oakland Museum of California Resnicow Schroeder Associates 510-238-4740 212-671-5178 / 212-671-5171 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Museum of California Awarded $2.5 Million Grant From National Science Foundation To Support Groundbreaking Transformation of Natural Sciences Gallery and Related Programming

Participatory Exhibits to Engage Visitors in Natural World and Foster Dialogue About Urgent Environmental Issues

Ongoing Reinstallation of Art & History Galleries Complete May 2010, Natural Sciences Gallery in 2012

Oakland, CA, September 22, 2009—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) today announced that it received a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in support of a groundbreaking transformation of its Gallery of California Natural Sciences and related programming. OMCA will draw upon the grant to develop Hotspot California, a dynamic, participatory installation that redefines the educational potential of wildlife dioramas and may serve as a model for the field with impact at the national level.

Dedicated to sharing the many extraordinary stories of California and its people, OMCA is adopting innovative exhibition and programming strategies and setting a new paradigm for the way a museum engages its public. Hotspot California is part of a comprehensive renovation and expansion of the Museum’s landmark Kevin Roche building and dramatic reinstallation of its collections of art, history, and natural sciences.

The NSF grant comes only weeks after the Museum announced new grants totaling $3.1 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr., The James Irvine, and The Kresge foundations in support of the museum-wide renovation, reinstallation, and development of related program- ming. With the new grant from NSF, OMCA has surpassed 95% of its capital campaign goal for the $58 million transformation.

“We’re moving away from static wildlife dioramas towards a more interactive, engaging, and open-source exhibition model,” said Lori Fogarty, OMCA’s executive director. “Californians are being invited to contribute ideas and design sections of the installation, which will allow them to experience a stronger sense of connection to the environments featured at the Museum, at our very doorstep, and within greater California.”

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org “It has never been easy to secure funding for radical new ideas and programs, much less at times like these,” said Sheryl Wong, chair of OMCA’s capital campaign. “The strong response from national, regional, and local funders to OMCA’s ongoing transformation reflects the power of ideas that come from this institution and its greater community. It reinforces the Museum’s role as a leader in fundamentally rethinking what we commonly refer to as the ‘visitor experience.”

OMCA is temporarily closed to the public as the reinvention of the galleries continues. The galleries of California Art and California History and many of the Museum’s enhanced public spaces are scheduled to reopen in May 2010.

The New Gallery of California Natural Sciences: Hotspot California Funding from the National Science Foundation will support the project Hotspot California: Bringing Dioramas to Life Through Community Voices, part of OMCA’s reinstallation of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Hotspot California will feature innovative displays about California places that exemplify the state’s high biological and geological diversity as well as its complex environmental challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, pollution, and invasive species, among others.

Initially, the 25,000 square feet of gallery space dedicated to the project will focus on places such as Oakland (coastal mountains), Sutter Buttes (central valley), Yosemite (Sierra Nevada range), Joshua Tree (southern deserts), and Cordell Bank/Pt. Reyes (nearshore). Interactive exhibits, learning stations, testimony from scientists and local residents, and related program- ming will encourage visitors to learn more about these environments and how they have evolved over time, visit them, and get involved in protecting them. The NSF grant is also designed to foster applications of Hotspot California at the national level. For example, OMCA is planning "Diorama Dilemmas: A Source Book for Museums," a publication that will bring together findings from the project duplicable for the field.

“When the Gallery of California Natural Sciences reopens its doors, it will inspire visitors about California’s incredible natural resources, raise their awareness of the state’s pressing environmental challenges, and strengthen their sense of place and responsibility towards the natural landscape that we share and treasure,” said Douglas Long, chief curator of natural sciences at the Oakland Museum of California. ”The many participatory exhibition elements will invite contributions and feedback from the community and foster dialogue and discovery.”

The Museum will be partnering with a number of institutions on this project, including The Nature Conservancy, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Field Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Bay Nature Magazine, YMCA of the East Bay, and East Bay Regional Park District.

OMCA’s Transformation and New Educational Tools The transformation touches almost every aspect of the Museum. The new galleries will weave together chronological and theme-based installations to explore dierent notions of California identity and reality. Innovative interpretive tools and interactive features will animate the collections, and new gathering spaces and program areas will allow visitors to share their own perspectives, questions, and stories.

San Francisco architectural firm Mark Cavagnero Associates is overseeing OMCA’s renovation and expansion, honoring the original architecture and landscape vision of Kevin Roche of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates and landscape architect Dan Kiley. Modifications encom- pass new exhibition and programming space, including two galleries that can accommodate large-scale art works; seating; and modernized lighting throughout. The first phase of external construction—a sky-lit central stairway, new main entrance, and ADA accommodations—was finished in June 2009. Subsequent construction phases will include expansion of OMCA’s education spaces and a major renovation of its Gallery of California Natural Sciences.

While OMCA will be closed for renovation after August 23, 2009, the Museum will present public programs and exhibitions at various Oakland venues. Please visit the website at www.museumca.org for information and updates.

For more information and visuals, please contact:

Elizabeth Whipple Chris D’Aleo / Anja Wodsak Oakland Museum of California Resnicow Schroeder Associates 510-238-4740 212-671-5178 / 212-671-5171 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Oakland Museum of California

Overview of New Galleries

Gallery of California Art The Gallery of California Art will be installed along three main themes: Land (Exploring Califor- nia), People (Defining Identity), and Ideas (Creative California). Special sections will explore how California’s natural and manmade landscapes have inspired artists for centuries and how California artists have created a changing mythology for the state; how the work of California artists mirrors the diversity of the state’s peoples and cultures, and how it has evolved over time; and how California can be experienced as a center of creative innovation and dynamic change—through art and artistic movements ranging from Bay Area Figurative, to f.64 photog- raphy, to self-taught and counterculture art, among many others.

Special sections include: • Gold Rush, which explores how art of the California Gold Rush promoted a skewed, romanticized vision of one of the 19th century’s most important global events. • Bay Area Figurative, representing artists that explored the materiality of paint in pushing the depiction of the human form to the verge of abstraction. • Dorothea Lange, with a selection of her photographs and those of other photographers from the 1930s and ’40s that created an indelible record of everyday life during the Depression era. • Non Conformism, which examines how California artists experimented with unorthodox materials and images, documenting the anti-establishment attitude of the late 1950s through early 1970s. • California Studio Craft, featuring artists of the second half of the 20th century that worked in ceramics, glass, fiber, wood, and metal. Inspired by the “fine arts” of painting and sculp ture, they pushed the technical and artistic boundaries of their own materials, pioneering what would later be called the Studio Craft Movement.

Gallery of California History The overarching theme of the Gallery of California History will be Coming to California. It will showcase more than 2,200 historical artifacts, works of art, ethnographic materials, and original photographs to illuminate the influence of successive waves of migration—from the earliest Natives, to settlers during the Spanish and Mexican periods, to more recent immigrants and their interactions with people who arrived before them.

Four sub-themes will further guide the History Gallery’s presentation: the diverse identities of the state’s people (The Diverse Peoples of California), the relationship of people to the environ- ment (People and the Environment), the contrast between the myth of innovation, freedom, and self-fulfillment and often conflicting realities (The “California Dream”), and California’s

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org relationship with the rest of the world (Global Connections). Oral histories and storytelling will play a prominent role throughout the gallery. The Museum is experimenting with a range of technologies, such as digital interactive exhibits and audio stations, to encourage visitors to contribute their own storylines.

Exhibit highlights include: • Before the Other People Came, where visitors encounter seven di erent geographic regions of California defined by Native advisors to Museum historians and anthropologists. Video interviews with contemporary Native People describe the histories of their ancestors, their relationships to the land and each other, and the innovative practices that allowed them to survive in each dynamic natural environment. Artifacts were selected in collaboration with these advisors to support the video narratives. Visitors will be able to try their hand at basket weaving, twine making, and jewelry making. • The Spanish Take This Land, featuring a large model wooden ship and an interactive that allows visitors to unpack the “baggage” of the Spanish settlers—religious beliefs, government, language, pastoral agriculture, and diseases. • Coming for Gold, where visitors explore the intersection of di erent cultures, languages, ambitions, and experiences. In a mock tent store, visitors gain insight into the income levels of di erent Gold Rush-era players as they “shop” for denim jeans, picks and shovels, and pies (and face the unlikelihood of “striking it rich”). They also learn about the environmental impact of the Gold Rush, for example, the e ects of hydraulic mining. • Seeking the Good Life, which explores the modern metropolis of Los Angeles in the early 20th century and the stories of the people and initiatives that helped “keep the good life going.” Behind the architectural façade of a Spanish-style house, visitors encounter objects, images, and videos describing the changes introduced by irrigation, the oil industry, and immigrant laborers • Forces of Change, a section co-curated by members of the public that focuses on California from 1960 to 1975, a period of increasing political turmoil, identity politics, and the growth of a significant counterculture. Displays created by a variety of Californians that lived through that era feature objects that represent individual stories and multiple identities: environmentalist surfers, anti-war Chicanos, conservative women, Black Panthers, and hippies, among others.

Gallery of California Natural Sciences The Gallery of California Natural Sciences, Hotspot California, will feature innovative displays about California places that exemplify the state’s great biological and geological diversity as well as its complex environmental challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The Gallery will focus initially on five major representative examples of California habitats: Oakland (coastal mountains), Sutter Buttes (central valley), Yosemite (Sierra Nevada range), Joshua Tree (southern deserts), and Cordell Bank/Pt. Reyes (nearshore). Interactive displays, learning stations, and testimony from scientists and local residents will inspire visitors to learn more about California environments, visit them, and become involved in protecting them. Participatory exhibits will engage visitors in the natural world and help foster a dialogue about urgent environmental issues. Oakland Museum of California

Innovative Interpretive Tools and Interactive Exhibits at OMCA

Created in 1969 as a “museum for the people,” the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is reviving its foundational premise with a groundbreaking reinstallation of its collections of art, history, and natural sciences. OMCA is setting a new paradigm for the way a museum engages the public by experimenting with innovative interpretive tools, interactive features, and uncon- ventional installation and exhibition strategies. Visitors will be encouraged to share their perspectives and stories, to make connections between the objects in the galleries and their own lived experiences, and to question and explore not one, but many, notions of California identity.

Following is an overview of new elements to be featured throughout the transformed museum. OMCA will continue to test these and other components through extensive prototyping with members of its longstanding community advisory councils, families, and everyday museum visitors, constantly refining new ideas in response to visitor feedback. Just as California is not a “fixed” place but evolving, OMCA is embracing change and openness to new ideas. It will be a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas about the Golden State.

New Museum-Wide Practices

“Transparent” Wall Text To demystify the museum experience, OMCA is developing wall text to shed light on behind- the-scenes curatorial and preservation challenges, ongoing research, and debate about competing interpretations of an artifact or artwork.

Multilingual Labels Gallery content will be interpreted in three languages—English, Spanish, and Chinese-— represented graphically and made available through printed and audio materials, a reflection of Oakland and California’s demographics.

Flexible Installations Many of the installations are designed to be malleable, renouncing the concept of one fixed museum narrative. The Museum is conceived as a forum for ongoing research and develop- ment. Signage and labels will be produced in-house and objects will be changed frequently.

“Loaded” Lounges The new galleries will feature lounges with memorabilia, artworks, video, and interpretive materials. The Loaded Lounges will allow for social interaction, rest, and relaxation as visitors explore the objects on view and engage in dialogue.

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org Unconventional Installation Aesthetics To create a more dynamic and welcoming exhibition environment, OMCA will abandon the conventional white gallery walls in favor of rich tones that refer to the installation content, e.g., bold yellow in the “outsider art” section. The History Gallery installation design moves away from an overly processed aesthetic, for example, by using unfinished materials such as plywood that connect to California’s do-it-yourself sensibility and sustainability practices.

Community Open Houses and Loud Hours searc OMCA will continue to serve as a “village green” for the community. Various community groups will be encouraged to use the galleries, program spaces, and roof gardens for gatherings, celebrations, and reunions. Certain days and times will be designated for “Loud Hours,” which will feature youth-focused programming that relates to the exhibitions.

Examples of New Features in the Gallery of California History

Multiple, First-Person Narratives Visitors to OMCA will find multiple entry points into California’s past. The museum will present the multilayered story of the state and its people from a variety of perspectives and, in many instances, rely upon the first-person voices of the individuals and communities that have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Installations are being developed and co-curated in collaboration with community advisory groups that help to identify objects that they find most illustrative of their experiences and history. Two examples:

Before the Other People Came This section draws primarily on oral accounts from contemporary Native Californians. In video interviews with representatives from seven dierent geographic regions defined by Native advisors, visitors learn about the histories of the speakers’ ancestors, their relationships to the land and each other, and the innovative practices that allowed them to survive. Visitors encoun- ter artifacts from these cultures, examples of native plants and animals that were central to their lives, and music and poetry selections from living descendants. In the nearby Native Resource Center, visitors can explore topics relevant to contemporary Native populations.

Forces of Change This section features personal memories of California from 1960 through 1975, a period of increasing political turmoil and the rise of a counterculture. In developing this section, OMCA worked closely with Californians who lived through this era and asked them to create displays of objects that reflected their experiences. A cacophony of voices emerges—from Black Panthers and Goldwater Republicans, to hippies, anti-war Chicanos, LGBT student activists, environmentalist surfers, and Vietnam veterans, among others. A soundtrack of protests, rock music, and iconic speeches from the time fills the space. Visitors’ comments will be posted in the gallery.

Interactives OMCA sta and consultants have developed a broad range of interactive tools to encourage visitors to engage with the collections and each other and actively shape their experience at the museum: Gold Rush Tent Store In a recreation of a Gold Rush–era tent store, visitors will be encouraged to imagine themselves as new arrivals to the mining settlement and estimate their potential income from washing miners’ laundry or cooking (estimates will be posted on cards for other visitors to see).

Land Grab This digital, multi-user map allows visitors choose the role of rancher, miner, Native person, or railroad magnate and try to accumulate or protect di erent aspects of the property. Their land holdings will grow and shrink as others join the activity. Visitors will experience how the rules of the game varied according to di erent interests. What made land valuable for one person could make it worthless for another.

Creative California In the “Lure of Hollywoodland” section, visitors can experiment with early film technologies, adding sound and dialogue to film clips and creating their own animations.

Visitor-Generated Content The transformed museum will integrate opportunities for visitors to contribute to museum narratives. For example:

“Your Story” In the “State of Change” gallery, the final installation in the History Gallery, visitors will be able to record a story about their family’s arrival in California and listen to oral histories from other visitors. Every visitor’s story becomes part of California’s history.

Interactive Immigration Map Visitors will be able to enter information about their family’s journey to California and to see how their personal story fits into the pattern of California’s successive waves of immigration.

Artifact of the Year Curators will include an empty case in the galleries and ask visitors to vote on what they think the museum should collect to represent the previous year. Visitors may be asked to help track down the object.

Baby Boomer Collage The museum will continue to collect baby photos from those Californians born during the post-War “Baby Boom” years (1946–1964). Visitors to the museum may recognize themselves or their parents on a collage wall in the “Building Modern California” section.

Chevron History Hang-Out This space will provide options for in-depth exploration of gallery content, especially for children and families, and flexible programming space for demonstrations and other docent activities. Objects will be hung from walls in an innovative assemblage; other activities will allow visitors to employ some of the techniques used by historians to find out more about the artifacts‘ makers and users. The space will feature a selection of oddities from the collections—such as hair jewelry, questionable medical devices, and 19th century ladies’ undergarments. Examples of New Components in the Gallery of California Art

Interactive Journals Comment books will be placed throughout the galleries, inviting visitors to engage in dialogue with the curators, and each other, about specific—and perhaps controversial—works on display. The curator will start the process by posing a question or raising a discussion topic in writing, and will continue to contribute to the journal in response to visitors’ comments.

Movable Furniture Portable seating will be available to let visitors choose which artworks they want to view with greater attention.

Art Activity Kits and Composition Stations OMCA will oer a variety of hands-on learning experiences in the art galleries. For example, visitors will be able to draw a self-portrait, arrange mannequins in the Bay Area figurative gallery, and respond to works using poetry magnets.

Interactive Map of California Folk Art Visitors will use Google technology to locate installations by folk and self-taught artists throughout California.

Art Discovery Center This multisensory exhibition space will be an ever-evolving and experimental area that will provide a range of immersive art experiences and hands-on elements that visitors can connect back to the art in the surrounding galleries. Visitors will be prompted to consider multiple ways of experiencing art.

Examples of New Strategies for the Gallery of California Natural Sciences

Hotspot California This gallery will feature innovative displays about California places that exemplify the state’s great biological and geological diversity as well as its complex environmental challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The gallery will focus initially on five major, representative examples of California habitats, such as Oakland (coastal mountains), Sutter Buttes (central valley), Yosemite (Sierra Nevada range), Joshua Tree (southern deserts), and Cordell Bank/Pt. Reyes (nearshore).

Dynamic Dioramas and Interactive Displays OMCA is redefining the educational potential of wildlife dioramas, moving away from static models towards more dynamic displays that document change over time. They will be animated by the application of new technologies for data visualization and links to websites and social media forums. Testimony from scientists and local residents will inspire visitors to learn more about dierent California environments, visit them, and get involved in protecting them. Co-Curated Exhibits “Hotspot California” will be developed with community groups and science and conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy California, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Bay Nature, East Bay Regional Parks, and the YMCA. Californians are being invited to contribute ideas and design sections of the installation, which will allow them to experience a stronger sense of connection to the environments featured at the Museum and within greater California.

For more information, please contact

Elizabeth Whipple Chris D’Aleo / Anja Wodsak Oakland Museum of California Resnicow Schroeder Associates 510-238-4740 212-671-5178 / 212-671-5150 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Oakland Museum of California

Oakland, California

With more than 400,000 residents, Oakland is a major urban center on the east side of the San Francisco Bay, about 12 miles from San Francisco across the Oakland Bay Bridge. It is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the country, with sizable white (32%), African American (30%), Latino (22%) and Asian (16%) populations at home across distinct and vibrant neighborhoods, from the flatlands and the Port of Oakland to the Oakland-Berkeley hills.

Oakland has one of the busiest seaports in the world, making it an important business and manufacturing center. Often called the "bright side of the Bay" because of its sunny skies and moderate year-round climate, Oakland is a forward-thinking city with an independent attitude, a revived downtown with destination restaurants, robust arts and cultural communities, historic and contemporary architecture, and an abundance of recreational opportunities. It is the only city in the United States with a natural saltwater lake, 115-acre Lake Merritt. Nature and sports enthu- siasts also enjoy the East Bay Regional Park District and nature preserves in and around Oakland.

Environmental consciousness plays an important role in Oakland culture, as evidenced by dynamic local campaigns for car pooling and bicycling to work, among other programs and initiatives. In 2007, the city adopted a Bicycle Master Plan to fully integrate bicycling into daily life.

Oakland has a number of college campuses, including Mills, Laney, and the California College of the Arts. It is home to three professional sports teams (baseball, basketball, and football) and has two major sports arenas.

Many locals claim that Oakland has more artists per capita than any other American city. Over the years, Oakland has spawned a thriving, alternative arts scene: rhythm and blues, funk, punk, hip hop, jazz, and experimental music; community visual artists and artist-run galleries; and neighborhood-based open mic sessions, workshops, and theater performances. Oakland’s museums, theaters, and other cultural institutions oer a myriad of exhibitions, concerts, screenings, and other public and educational programming. In addition, many annual festivals celebrate the city’s diverse cultures and communities.

Located in an area once inhabited by the Ohlone people before Spanish settlers colonized the land, Oakland was incorporated in 1852 during the land frenzy spurred by the California Gold Rush. The city grew initially from logging the oak and redwood timber needed for the construc- tion of San Francisco; Oakland's fertile flatlands helped it become a prolific agricultural region.

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org In the late 1860s, the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad was established in Oakland, making it a significant transportation and distribution hub. The city continued to develop into the 20th century around its port, shipyards, and a thriving automobile industry.

During the 1940s, thousands of war-industry workers moved to Oakland from the Deep South. A steady influx of immigrants from around the globe continued to settle in Oakland throughout the late 20th century, enriching its cultural fabric and scope. Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Arts, Cultural, Historic, and Natural Resources

Oakland o ers a variety of arts and cultural destinations and resources, from museums and performance venues, to artist-run galleries, to neighborhood-based creative workshops and public art displays. In addition, the city’s distinctive neighborhoods feature numerous architectural gems and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Below are some of Oakland’s many attractions and resources.

African American Museum & Library at Oakland Dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and the West for present and future generations, the African American Museum & Library contains an extensive archival collection of such artifacts as diaries, correspondence, photos, and periodicals.

Camron-Stanford House Built in 1876, the beautifully restored Victorian house located on Lake Merritt was home to several of Oakland's leading families of the late 1800s.

Cathedral of Christ the Light Also known as the Oakland Cathedral, this architectural landmark is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and the seat of the Bishop of Oakland. The expressionist modern wood, steel, glass and concrete structure was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 2008.

Chabot Space and Science Center Opened in 2000, the Chabot Space & Science Center is an 86,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art science and technology education center located on a 13-acre site in the Oakland hills, surrounded by redwood trees. With its observatory, planetarium, interactive exhibits, and natural park setting, Chabot Space and Science Center immerses visitors in the wonders of the cosmos.

Chinatown Residents of Oakland’s pan-Asian Chinatown include Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Mien, Thai, Samoan and others. Many Asian languages and dialects can be heard in the neighborhood, reflecting the diversity of this Asian American community. Oakland’s Chinatown is one of the oldest in North America. Chinese were the first Asians to arrive in Oakland in the 1850s, followed by Japanese in the 1890s, Koreans in the 1900s, and Filipinos in the 1930s-1940s. Southeast Asians began arriving in the 1970s during and after the Vietnam War.

1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607-4892 www.museumca.org East Bay Regional Park District A system of regional parks and nature preserves along the hills above and east of Oakland and Berkeley, including Tilden Regional Park and Redwood Regional Park, which contains the largest remaining natural stand of coast redwood in the East Bay. The parks provide opportunities for swimming, angling, boating, and camping, and provide more than 1,100 miles of biking, hiking, and horse riding trails.

Festivals Throughout the year, numerous cultural festivals celebrate the city’s diverse communities, including the African Cultural Festival, Cinco de Mayo celebration, Chinatown Streetfest, and Art & Soul Festival, featuring arts, crafts, and musical performances at multiple stages around the city.

First Fridays and Art Murmur Every first Friday of the month, Art Murmur takes place in and around downtown Oakland, an event that consists of simultaneous art receptions by more than a dozen of participating galleries and other venues, drawing hundreds of visitors from the East Bay and San Francisco.

Fox Theater One of Oakland’s two historic movie palaces, the mystical, elaborately decorated Fox Theater first opened in 1928. The newly refurbished landmark recently re-opened its doors as a live music venue, arts school, and restaurant anchoring the renaissance of Oakland’s Uptown entertainment district.

Historic Broadway Auto Row Early in the 20th century, when both residential development and Oakland’s automobile indus- try expanded at a rapid pace, multiple car dealerships, manufacturers, tire businesses, service stations, and other maintenance and repair shops clustered along Upper Broadway began. Many of the historic showrooms and garages still exist.

Jack London Square A symbol of Oakland’s history as a seaport, Jack London Square was once the heart of the city’s port operations, linking the industries of shipping and agriculture. It remains a vibrant working waterfront. Named after the author Jack London, the city’s most colorful literary figure who spent much of his childhood along Oakland’s waterfront, Jack London Square boasts a number of attractions, including stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak station, a ferry dock, and the historic Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, a literary landmark built in 1883 from the timbers of a whaling ship where London made notes for future books.

Lake Merritt A 115-acre, natural saltwater lake near downtown Oakland, popular for the walking and jogging paths around its perimeter, Venetian gondola cruises, and the “necklace of lights” that illumi- nates its shores at nighttime. Mountain View Cemetery Nestled against the Oakland-Berkeley Hills, with expansive views of the Bay, the cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect behind New York City's Central Park and much of Stanford University. Notable people interred at Mountain View include

• Ina Coolbrith, California's first poet laureate • Charles Crocker, railroad magnate and banker • Bernard Maybeck, architect • Rev. Henry Durant, first president of the University of California, Berkeley • Henry J. Kaiser, father of modern American shipbuilding • Joseph LeConte, co-founder of the Sierra Club • George C. Perkins, Governor of California 1880–1883 • William T. Shorey, the only African-American whaling captain on the Pacific coast

Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) MOCHA provides hands-on arts learning experiences for children and their families—at the museum, in Oakland schools and preschools, and in public venues.

Oakland Farmers Market Considered by many the best farmers market in the East Bay, the Grand Lake–Oakland Farmers Market brings together over 44 local farmers, 30 specialty food purveyors, and local artisans that sell interesting and unusual objects.

Oakland Museum of California The Oakland Museum of California brings together collections of art, history, and natural sciences to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. The Museum is currently being renovated and completely transformed: the collections will be presented in engaging and novel ways to encourage visitors to discover their personal connections to California—its people, its land, its cultures and its creativity.

Oakland Public Library The Oakland Public Library contains more than 1.3 million items and serves more than 430,000 area residents. Bilingual collections include Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Cambodian, Thai, Laotian, and Vietnamese collections. Special collections cover African American history, business, gay/lesbian issues, Oakland history, and religion.

Oakland Zoo Founded in 1922, the Oakland Zoo in Knowland Park has been a regional treasure for more than 85 years. It is home to 440 native and exotic animals and oers a variety of educational programs for students, teachers, and families.

Paramount Theater of the Arts One of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States, Oakland’s Para- mount Theater was designed by renowned San Francisco architect Timothy L. Pflueger and completed in late 1931. It was one of the first Depression-era buildings to incorporate and integrate the work of numerous artists into a cohesive whole. Carefully restored to its original splendor and retrofitted to modern technical standards, the Paramount is the home of the Oakland East Bay Symphony today. As one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere perform- ing arts facilities, it also hosts a year-round series of popular music concerts, variety shows, theatre, lectures, and movie screenings.

Pardee Home Museum The Pardee Home, including its carriage house and water tower, is an historical treasure in the heart of Oakland’s Preservation Park Historical District, a short walking distance from down- town. The Victorian home was built by Enoch Pardee in 1868-69 and is one of the oldest homes in Oakland, oering glimpses into the life of a prominent California family. Pardee migrated to California from the Midwest during the Gold Rush and became an eye doctor in San Francisco after mining gold. In the 1890s, he served as mayor of Oakland.