Exhibition

Presented on the occasion of the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s (SFOBB) new East Bay span, Above and Below: Stories of Our Changing Bay explores the dynamic stories of how the residents of, and visitors to, the San Francisco Bay Area have shaped and been shaped by the Bay over the last 6,000 years. The first major exhibition to be presented with all three of OMCA’s renovated galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences complete and open to the public, this multidisciplinary exhibition highlights historic and contemporary place-based stories about the Bay, and engages viewers in discussions about the Bay’s future. Through an extensive use of media featuring oral histories, community voices, and interactives, the exhibition explores how human engineering and natural forces have come together over time to shape and reshape the land and water around the San Francisco Bay, and how sea-level rise, wetlands restoration, invasive species, and climate change are central topics in determining the future of the Bay.
 
Above and Below: Stories of our Changing Bay is supported by the California Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Bay Area Toll Authority and the California Transportation Commission to complete the seismic safety project on the historic San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The exhibition and related oral histories, school curriculum, and on-line resources help satisfy mitigation obligations required to comply with state and federal environmental laws.