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Oakland Museum of California Announces Holiday Festivities for 2014 on Friday Nights @ OMCA and Special Museum Hours in December

(OAKLAND, CA)—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) announces 2014 holiday programs and events. Holiday offerings include three OMCA Store artisanal trunk shows, one-hour free parking for shoppers with proof of purchase, Friday Nights @ OMCA weekly through December 19 featuring holiday-themed family activities, and special holiday hours.

Throughout November and December, the OMCA Store features a curated holiday selection of artisan, local crafts, and merchandise, where shoppers can expect to find the perfect Museum-quality gifts. The OMCA Store offers a series of three curated trunk shows featuring work by local artisans during Friday Nights @ OMCA on December 5, 12, and 19, the centerpiece of which, CCA MADE, showcases work for sale by twelve students at the California College of the Arts. OMCA Store shoppers receive an hour of free parking at the Museum Garage with proof of purchase from 11 am to 5 pm on days the Museum is open. The OMCA Store offers a great selection of art prints, apparel for men, women, and children, toys, games, artful home décor, artisanal jewelry, calendars, stationery, kids’ books, cookbooks, and more.

Holiday festivities kick off during Friday Nights @ OMCA on November 28, with ‘Black Friday’ Night offering families a chance to escape the hustle of holiday shopping with a relaxing, fun evening at the Museum with gourmet food trucks from Off the Grid. Friday Nights @ OMCA in December feature festive holiday music, and children can make a holiday card for someone special at the drop-in art table all month long. On the final Friday Nights @ OMCA for the year, December 19, kids and families are invited to join the emcee to practice counting down for the New Year, or enjoy story time with the Oakland Public Library.

After December 19, Friday Nights @ OMCA takes a hiatus for two weeks, returning for an all-new 2015 season on January 9. Friday Nights @ OMCA always features a gourmet food truck market from Off the Grid, live music, DJs, family activities, half-off Gallery admission for adults, free admission for ages 18 and under, and $5 flat-rate parking in the garage.

OMCA offers an opportunity for families with children to explore the holiday traditions practiced in cultures throughout the Bay Area. On November 16, families can attend an OMCA-style Diwali celebration, and learn about the festival of lights, or Hindu New Year, with a dance performance, Henna, art-making, and story time. At WinterFest on December 14, families can explore traditions including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Mexican Christmas through hands-on art activities.

The Museum offers special holiday hours during the last two weeks of the year, with more chances for visitors to share a uniquely California experience with out-of-town guests. The Museum is open on Monday, December 29, and Tuesday, December 30, from 11 am to 5 pm. Visitors can enjoy the galleries, OMCA Store, Blue Oak café, and all that OMCA has to offer on these special days. On Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, hours are from 11 am to 3 pm. While Friday Nights @ OMCA programs take a break, the Museum will remain open from 11 am to 9 pm on Friday, December 26 and Friday, January 2.

HOLIDAY EVENTS AT OMCA

OMCA Family Drop-in Workshop: Celebrate Diwali—Festival of Lights

Sunday, November 16, 2014 12–3 pm

Join the Museum and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in celebrating the festival of lights with a dance performance at 1 pm and story time with the Oakland Public Library at 2 pm. Learn how to make Rangoli, a type of folk art from India traditionally made during Diwali, and get Henna on your hand or arm to celebrate this special holiday.

Friday Nights @ OMCA: ‘Black Friday’ Night

Friday, November 28, 2014, 5–9 pm

Take a break from cooking, cleaning, and hosting, and let OMCA throw the party for you and your out-of-town guests with fun, festivities, and food trucks from Off the Grid. Savor California beer and wine, check out the galleries, live music, dance lessons, food demos, activities for kids, and more. Still want a taste of Black Friday shopping? Visit the OMCA Store, full of artisan crafts and uniquely Californian gifts. Make your Thanksgiving weekend a warm one with OMCA.

OMCA Store Holiday Trunk Shows

Friday, December 5, 2014,5–9 pm

Friday, December 12, 2014, 5–9 pm: CCA MADE

Friday, December 19, 2014, 5–9 pm

Enjoy the holidays with an artisan trunk show, specially curated for you by the OMCA Store during Friday Nights @ OMCA. Check off that one hard-to-find gift from your shopping list, with a selection of fine arts, crafts, jewelry, apparel, and other delightful wares from local makers. On December 12, check out the centerpiece trunk show, featuring work by California College of the Arts students. Pick up a unique gift for your loved ones at OMCA this holiday season.

Friday Nights @ OMCA

Friday, December 5, 2014, 5–9 pm

Friday, December 12, 2014, 5–9 pm

Friday, December 19, 2014, 5–9 pm

Off the Grid food trucks, festive holiday music, a holiday card-making family activity, food demonstrations, an artisan trunk show from the OMCA Store, and extended Museum and Store hours make Friday Nights @ OMCA a bright way to ring in the holiday season. Gallery admission is half-off for adults, free for ages 18 and under. Garage parking is available for a $5 flat fee starting at 5 pm.

OMCA Family Drop-in Workshop: WinterFest

Sunday, December 14, 2014 12–3 pm

Explore the traditions honored in celebrations including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Mexican Christmas through hands-on art activities for the whole family.

Special Holiday Hours

Wednesday, December 24, 2014, 11 am–3 pm

Friday, December 26, 2014, 11 am–9 pm

Monday, December 29, 2014, 11 am–5 pm

Tuesday, December 30, 2014, 11 am–5 pm

Wednesday, December 31, 2014, 11 am–3 pm

Friday, January 2, 2015, 11 am–9 pm

Bring your family to OMCA this holiday! It’s the last chance to view special exhibitions Inspiration Points: Masterpieces of California Landscape, and Songs and Sorrows: Días de los Muertos 20th Anniversary. Explore artist relationships and the artwork created in four key moments of California history in major exhibition Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California. Enjoy the view of Lake Merritt from the gardens, grab a bite at Blue Oak café, and take something special home from the OMCA Store.

ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHTS @ OMCA

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Friday Nights @ OMCA, a regular evening series every Friday from 5 to 9 pm, in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt @ OMCA—the first major food truck market in the East Bay. Friday Nights @ OMCA features extended Museum hours, in-gallery programming, a beer garden from Blue Oak café, live music, dancing, hands-on family activities, and more. Gallery admission is half-off for adults, free for ages $18 and under. Event parking in the Museum garage is $5. Friday Nights @ OMCA is presented in partnership with Off the Grid: Lake Merritt @ OMCA. Friday Nights @ OMCA art programs are made possible by generous support from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA’s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.8 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Museum admission is $15 general; $10 seniors and students with valid ID, $6 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for children 8 and under and Members. OMCA offers onsite underground parking, with validation for Museum visitors, and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. The accessibility ramp is located at the new 1000 Oak Street main entrance. Regular hours are 11 am to 5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 9 pm Fridays.
 

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