Oakland Museum of California • 1000 Oak Street • Oakland, CA 94607 • 510-318-8400

CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE LIST: FAMILY EVENTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, ART EVENTS

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA WELCOMES IN THE LUNAR NEW YEAR WITH A FESTIVAL OF ASIAN TRADITIONS

OMCA celebrates the Year of the Sheep with a fun, culture-filled

family day on Sunday, February 22, 12–4:30 pm (OAKLAND, CA) January 7, 2015—The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) rings in the Year of the Sheep with a day of Asian New Year traditions on Sunday, February 22, 2015 from 12 to 4:30 pm. Featuring activities for the entire family, the 14th annual celebration honors California’s diversity and celebrates the many time-honored traditions of Asian communities. The day’s performances and activities feature many talented student groups, including students from the Developing Virtue Secondary School who will perform an opening lion dance to usher in the New Year and chase away evil spirits, and a lively closing dragon dance. Other performances feature acrobatics performed by ‘The Happy Chef,’ Xia Kemin and his students, known for his comedy/plate-spinning act, K-pop, or Korean pop, dances performed by the Korean Performance Group from UC Berkeley, and Chinese yo-yo tricks performed by students from Foothill High School. Visitors will enjoy traditional music from an array of Asian cultures, including New Year songs performed by the Dharma Realm Chinese Orchestra, a Taiko drumming performance by Jiten Daiko, a 24 Festive Drum performance by Developing Virtue Secondary School, and Samgo-Mu, or Korean Drum Dance, by Ong Dance Company. Families with young children can activate their imagination with story time featuring The Year of the Sheep: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac with author Oliver Chin, and get close to fuzzy animals with the Little Explorers Petting Zoo. Visitors can adorn themselves

CONTACT: Claudia Leung 510-318-8459

ODELL HUSSEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Oakland Museum of California • 1000 Oak Street • Oakland, CA 94607 • 510-318-8400

with Chinese Opera-style face makeup and Henna art. Children will have the opportunity to make Chinese zodiac buttons, dragon puppets, and try their hand at Chinese calligraphy. An array of demonstrations includes beautiful Ikebana flower arrangements, Vietnamese spring roll-making, Korean wrapping cloths, Japanese handmade dolls, and more. OMCA continues its tradition of welcoming the Deaf and hard of hearing community to this annual celebration, with a New Year craft activity led by the Bay Area Asian Deaf Association, and storytelling with Nan Zhou from DEAF Media. All performances and demonstrations are included with Museum admission. Full program details will be posted at museumca.org/lunar-new-year-2015 CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE LIST: WHAT: OMCA’s Lunar New Year Celebration, a fun, culture-filled family day

celebrating the Year of the Sheep. WHEN: Sunday, February 22, 12–4:30 pm WHERE: Oakland Museum of California at 1000 Oak Street in Oakland, CA COST: Included with regular Museum admission. 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 1.9 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 The Oakland Museum of California is located at 1000 Oak Street in Oakland, California. Museum admission is $15 general; $10 seniors and students with valid ID, $6 youth ages 9 to 17, and free for Members and children 8 and under. OMCA offers onsite underground parking 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. For more information, visit museumca.org. * * *