With this re-design of the Museum's approximately 90,000 square feet of gallery space, our goal is to create spaces that are welcoming, accessible, and relevant to our broad audience of visitors – from the Bay Area and beyond.
Design and concepts for the new galleries were created over the process of five years from an interdisciplinary collaboration between Museum staff, docents, professional consultants, Museum Advisory Councils, community advisors, scholars, and visitors.
The design team of Kathy McLean of Independent Exhibitions, Gordon Chun of Gordon Chun Design, and Dirk Dieter of Dirk Dieter Design are working with the Museum's Art and History staff, together with community advisors, evaluators, and researchers. Most appropriately, Kathy and Gordon actually began their exhibit design careers at the Oakland Museum in the 1970's. While showcasing the Museum's collections, the exhibit designs are marked by the incorporation of visitor perspectives and visitor-generated content; the extensive use of hands-on interactive exhibit elements throughout the galleries; the use of first-person voices to tell the stories of California's history and creative development; and the attention to a range of learning styles and visitor experiences within the galleries.
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