If you are trying to learn about art in Oakland you are definitely in the right place and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.
After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.
You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including an Oakland art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.
The collection at the Oakland Museum of California which opens at 11am Wednesday through Sunday has over 70,000 unique works including pieces from artists like Dorothea Lange, Richard Diebenkorn, Albert Bierstadt, Edward Weston, and Hung Liu. They also host the very popular Friday Night at OMCA events that we are sure many of you would enjoy.
Everyone can enter the Mills College Art Museum which is open from from 11am to 4pm Tuesday through Sunday while staying open until 7:30pm on Wednesday for free to check out their growing collection of other 12,000 items. They display the newest pieces by many local Northern California artists like William Wendt, Maynard Dixon, Joseph Raphael, and Anne Bremer.
Not only can you check out some cool stuff at Studios 11 from noon to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and starting at 11am on weekends but they also sell originals and prints plus rent our studio space.
Another place where you can go to buy art is Vessel Gallery who rents it out too plus they prove curatorial services, acquisition commissions, and installations but don’t go on Monday because they will be closed.
Creative Growth is one of the largest art centers for people with disabilities in the country and they provide supplies, studio space, and even gallery space to people with disabilities.
There are well over 20,000 items in the collection at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive that you can check out from 11am to 7pm Wednesday through Sunday. They team up to present over 20 exhibitions and hundreds of film programs annually plus they have nice workshops, performances, and lectures.
Every other year the Berkeley Art Center presents the Young Artists Biennial which is an exhibition of works created by students in elementary and middle school. Oh ya, the BAC is always free to enter when they are open from 11am to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday.
Acci Gallery is open from 11am to 6pm Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5pm on Sunday selling art, putting on lectures and workshops, and hosting other events like concerts and performances.
The Kala Art Gallery can offer local, national, and international artists a leg up thanks to their Kala Fellowship Award plus they host auctions, sell art, rent out studio space, and have instructors who give classes to both kids and adults.
4th Street Fine Art has workshops, classes, and studio space available and they are open from noon to 5pm Friday through Sunday.
You may have heard of the Blacklight Art Show that takes place each October, well it is hosted by Studio 23 but be warned the gallery is only open to the public from 7pm to 9pm on Friday nights.
Those who need more options for workshops, classes, and studio space can contact Autobody Fine Art who is open from 6pm to 9pm on Friday and 2pm to 6pm on Saturday.
Materials & Supplies Near You
These local art stores should have all of the materials and supplies you desire:
Every June Twelve Mile Road gets filled to the brim when The Berkley Art Bash takes place as you can expect to find live music, food trucks, activities for kids, and hundreds of artists showing off their latest works and entertaining the crowd.
At the Art + Soul Festival there will be live music, dance, hands-on activities, live art demonstrations, and more each July.
Get a little mix of heat and creativity when watching the open-air exhibits at the Fire Arts Festival which is also held in July.
Coolidge Highway between Catalpa and Wiltshire is where you will need to head for the Berkley Street Art Fest which is the thirst straight July festival we have mentioned. One of the highlights of this great event is all the colorful street chalk art near you and the prizes that are given to the best creators.
Over 10,000 people generally gather in the Gardens at Lake Merritt for the free Autumn Lights Festival every October.
Earlier we mentioned how Studio 23 hosts the Blacklight Art Show every October.
Every week you can go to Friday Nights at the OMCA at Oak Street Plaza.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
When you want to find some new unique pieces to add to your collection or figure out the true value of something visit art dealers and appraisers like:
Masterworks Fine Art Gallery provides free assistance with appraisals and secondary market sales including buying and selling works from masters like Picasso, Warhol, Chagall, and Miro among others.
In addition to being a great consultant Slate Art also offers services like appraisals, restorations, conservations, framing, installations, and insurance.
Britta Campbell Art Consultant specializes in collection management, acquisitions, custom framing, and appraisals.
Studios 11, Vessel Gallery, Acci Gallery, Kala Art Gallery from our first list also sell art in your area.
Walking Tours
Art walking tours can be a lot of fun when the weather is nice:
There are both public and private tours available from Oakland Art Murmur that focus on the cities great Arts Districts. They also have an app you can download to take a self-guided tour if you prefer to go that route.
The 2 hour journeys with Temescal Public Art Walking Tour begin at Beauty’s Bagel Shop and stop at Telegraph on 51st Street.
Sculptures & Statues
You might enjoy taking photos of these statues and sculptures near you:
There! Statue at Center Walk
Remember Them at 19th St & Rashida Muhammad Path
Vitality at 334 Frank H Ogawa Plaza
Guardian Sculpture at Seawall Dr University Ave, Berkeley
Gardensia at 2820 Eighth St, Berkeley
The There! Statue can be found at City Center Plaza where it has been since 1988 after being sculpted by Roselyn Mazzilli.
Mario Chiodo unveiled his Remember Them sculpture back in 2013 in Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park.
Frank Ogawa Plaza is the home to Vitality by Bruce Beasley.
Fredric Fierstein was the mastermind behind the Guardian Sculpture which sits at Shorebird Park Nature Center.
Oakland Art Classes
You might be interested in private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults but either way the best art schools in Oakland would be:
There are 22 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs available at California College of the Arts.
Over 750 students attend Oakland School For the Arts which is a non-profit public charter school for kids in grades 6 to 12.
The instructors at Golden Gate Atelier focus on providing traditional painting and drawing classes for adults.
The Atelier School of Classical Realism has old master drawing and painting classes in your area from Tuesday through Thursday in the afternoons and evenings plus they do life drawing workshops on Sundays and Mondays.
Wine & Design provides paint and sip parties for all ages including girls nights out, birthday parties, and corporate events.
Every Wednesday Castle In the Air provides free classes for everyone.
There are classes and workshops for adults available at Alameda Art Lab plus they have after-school lessons and summer camps for kids.
At Studio 1.6 you will find life drawing sessions, camps, workshops, open studio time and even help with portfolio preparation.
Kala Art Gallery and Autobody Fine Art from our best galleries in Oakland list also have classes.
Studios For Rent Near You
You might be able to rent art studio space in your area at:
Studios 11, Kala Art Gallery, 4th Street Fine Art, and Autobody Fine Art are other places we have listed throughout the post that also rent out studio space.
Some of the services at Galleria Scola Picture Framing include consultations, deliveries, installations, and restorations.
You can get same day framing from The Great Frame Up plus they do all kinds of custom digital imaging services like restorations, photo-to-art processes, and custom prints.
Framer’s Workshop can provide custom or do it yourself framing solutions in addition to photo restorations and large format printing services.
Slate Art and Britta Campbell Art Consultant from the dealers list also do framing.
We have also written posts on some smaller towns in the region like Stockton, Sacramento, and Fresno if you are interested.
Have Fun Enjoying The Oakland Art Scene
At the moment that is all we know about the art scene near you. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers that you may want to check out.
If you made it this far you might just know quite a bit about art in your area too. Feel free to share your own tips, or to let us know if we may have gotten anything wrong in the comments.
We hope you enjoy your time at the best Oakland art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.
This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.
