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CWR1A Section 23
Teri Crisp
04/02/19
The Heart of California: A Review of OMCA

“In which way is California the world’s biodiversity hotspot?”- This was a question I

overheard a child asking the curator as they entered the Gallery of Natural Sciences at the

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). “There are over 3500 species of plants and animals

residing in California!”- A curator answered a child enthusiastically. Overhearing the curator’s

explanation, I was able to absorb the museum’s intention of presenting both mild and strong

human’s impact on California’s ecosystem. Undergoing seven years of renovation, The Gallery

was reopened in 2014 for the public to fully experience the richness of California as a state that

interconnects natural and anthropogenic biomes, portraying the relationship between humans,

plants, and animals and their importance in the environment. Through seven sections that

represent places in California, the Gallery raises questions about how we might preserve these

rich biomes for future generations to enjoy. In the article, “A Curator’s Perspective,” Douglas

Long, the Chief Curator of Natural Sciences emphasizes how mass media is an unreliable source

for scientific information. Indeed, he intentionally re-created the museum for the public to be

able to gain the most truthful information with “associated interpretive and interactive elements”

(Long 2).

Long’s colleague, the Senior Exhibition Developer Don Pohlman explains in his article

“Adding Humans to a Natural Sciences Gallery,” that the renewal of the museum has the main

intention of “expanding possibilities of visitors engagement” (Pohlman 1). Believing in an

interactive and engaging museum, Long and Pohlman have incorporated history of people in

each following sections, successfully bringing the museum back to life. As you walk into the

first display, there is an image of three indigenous people performing a ritual, demonstrating to
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visitors the sophisticated materials indigenous people

have incorporated into their clothing. From the bighead

headdress to the skirt, these are made out of complexed

materials such as tule, cattail and cottonwood fibers.

These garments reflect the environment, and how

indigenous people have used natural resources for their

survival and comfort. Located next to the image is a

basket made out of pine needle and a pelican’s feather

to store their food resources effectively. The basket is

filled with bird’s eggs to illustrate how native people

have stored their main protein sources. Intrigued by this sophisticated knowledge, I felt

admiration for the way they incorporated natural resources into their everyday lives.

As you walk pass the indigenous section, you will enter the replica of a Yosemite lodge,

where you will encounter a warning sign not to feed the bear in the park. According to the
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National Park Service, 30 bears die every year due to humans frequently feeding them. This

comes in part because humans food has so many more

calories than natural foods, resulting in obesity later in their

lives. In line with the vision of the curators to make an

interactive experience for the visitors, there are wooden seats

and interactive screens out in the balcony, allowing visitors to

engage and learn about the transformation of Yosemite from

pre-conquest of the indigenous people to modern days. Inside

the lodge, we see a portrayal of an ideal Yosemite with

Indian homes and iconic waterfall by the great

landscape painter of the 19th century, Albert Bierstadt.

However, in the painting, there are drawings of the settlers where

after the park was established as a protected park in 1890, all the

natives people that live in the area were pushed out to go up North

and settle on their own. Looking closely at the paint, I was

initially surprised by how spacious Yosemite was back in the

indigenous period. With doubt in mind, I quickly approached the

curator and asked her why was this considered the ideal Yosemite.

She articulately replied that the ideal forests in modern days are

completely different from 300 years ago. In

today’s Yosemite, the park suffers from excessive

tree density per area and also hazardous fuel loads

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that are caused by deforestation and growth of invasive plant species that are taking over the

native plant species. This was a mind blowing fact for me since throughout my life I thought

forests are supposed to be covered with all trees and not with open lands.

Walking from the lodge to the Oakland section, I saw a big transformation in the flooring

materials. While the lodge area is made out of wood, the Oakland area is made out of concrete,

suggesting to visitors how people in urbanized areas have separated themselves from nature. The

walls are painted in red with displays and description of vegetables and fruits gardeners in

Oakland plant to distribute within the Bay Area. So there is more than concrete, as gardens have

made a controlled and nurtured ecosystem, growing their favorite food crops and removing pests

and weeds. ​Through tillage turning the soil between crops to incorporate crop residues and soil

amendments, farmers avoid the use of chemical substances for their organic crops. ​Through this

unique system for growing food, they benefit the environment and the locals that live in the area.

This local agricultural firm truly creates organic vegetables and fruits being sold cheaply to the

farm, demonstrating visitors that a local market economy in produce can benefit both sellers and

buyers.
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The new OMCA is like nothing else in California. It has created a new standard for local

museums by portraying the modest and down to Earth perspective of California through its

history, people and ecosystems. With accessible route navigating from sections to sections on

which part of California you are experiencing, the museum provides simple but unique

experiences towards visitors. Through delicate artifacts and interactive media, it welcomes

people, but does not follow the mainstream media. The museum is suitable for every ages to

truly grasp what it is to be a Californian. Before you leave the museum, do not forget to go up

the rooftop of the museum, to experience the 360 view of Oakland and stunning Lake Merritt.
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Works Cited

Long, Douglas J. “A Curator's Perspective.” ​Transforming the Gallery of California Natural,​

Sept.2014

Pohlman, Don “Adding Humans to a Natural Sciences Gallery” ​Transforming the Gallery of

​ ept.2014
California Natural, S