We have a new animal friend—a bearded dragon! Stop by to meet her and help us choose her name.
Saturdays, Sept 6 – Oct 4 10am – 4pm
This will also kick off a standing lunch with our reptiles. Stop by at noon for a live feeding!
The winning name will be displayed on a special plaque next to her enclosure, and the winner will also receive a special STEAM prize!
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@juniorenter.org
We are happy to announce that the Junior Center of Art and Science will be participating in Creek to Bay Day this year!
Creek to Bay Day is a day of watershed cleanups, education, and commitment to practices to keep our city and water clean, from creek, to bay, and beyond! Be part of a citywide day of action as we roll up our sleeves to clean and green Oakland’s creeks, shorelines, parks, and neighborhoods.
We’ll gather at 10:00 AM on Saturday,Sept 20th at our center (558 Bellevue Ave.). We’ll work alongside our neighbors at the Rotary Nature Centerto restore our shared outdoor spaces and Lake Merritt’s shoreline. Projects include trash removal, habitat restoration, and beautification.
The 30th annual Oakland Creek to Bay Day is part of California and International Coastal Cleanup Day. By participating, you’ll not only make a positive impact on our community but also help protect our creeks, bay, ocean, and beaches.
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@juniorenter.org
Participants will combine poetry and drawing to create their own handmade books. We’ll explore simple bookbinding techniques, using stitching and folding to assemble personalized booklets to be filled with memories. Books will include drawings and free-verse poetry. The drawings will have a focus on linework, emphasizing confidence of line and contour drawing. There will be creative writing exercises focused on sensory descriptions of familiar spaces. The focus is on creative expression and blending words with visual art in a fun, low-pressure environment. This workshop is specifically for families.
Gracianne Kirsch is an Oakland-based queer and trans artist working in the mediums of painting, drawing, poetry, and video. Kirsch received their BA in Art Practice and Social Welfare at University of California Berkeley in 2022, and their MFA in Art Studio from University of California Davis in 2024.
Kirsch’s work has been shown at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Basement Gallery at UC Davis, Pence Gallery, and Worth Ryder Gallery. Kirsch will be featured in an upcoming show at 120710 Art Space.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
You can indicate any accommodation needs or concerns when registering your child under the “Special Instructions about my child” section. You can also reach out directly at contact@juniorcenter.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Tend : Share : Grow is an open dialogue forum with the Sprout & Bloom artists: Lana Williams, Alex Arzt, and Sigrid Hubbell. Come join these artists as they talk “shop” about plants, flowers, shrubs, trees, and all the many forms of gardening care that are a part of their art practice, and daily life. Patrons are welcomed and encouraged to share their knowledge and experience with plants and gardening.
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. Our gallery space is curated to connect professional artists with our local creative community. Our exhibits showcase local, emerging artists and include hands-on community workshops—because art is meant to be experienced, not just observed. Your participation directly empowers emerging artists and makes inspiring exhibitions and programs possible for all.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
Join us for Create & Protest, a FREE hands-on workshop where art meets activism. This all-ages gathering is a chance to raise your voice, stand up for immigrant rights and free speech, and connect with others through the power of art.
We’re protesting mass deportations and standing in solidarity with immigrant communities—and we’re doing it with bold visuals, loud messages, and collective energy.
🎨 What’s Happening:
Live screen printing with a professional artist! Bring your own T-shirts or tote bags, or make a poster—we’ll have paper and ink ready to go.
DIY protest station with all the materials you need: poster board, cardboard, paint, markers, and more.
Community connection: Meet others, share your story, amplify your message.
Whether you come with a message in mind or just want to create in solidarity, everyone is welcome. Youth are especially welcome to join to create posters for May Day!
Date: Saturday, April 26th
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Location: 558 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA (Lake Merritt)
Cost: Free!
Open to all ages – families, teens, and first-time protesters encouraged.
Meet the Artist
Yael Levy is a mixed media artist, storyteller, printmaker and art teacher based in Berkeley, CA. She believes the creative process to be its own reward and the act of making an incredible tool for healing and growing.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
The gigantic portable mural will be on display from Feb 19 – Feb 22 11 – 5pm, culminating in a presentation on Saturday, Feb 22 from 4-6pm, before it heads off to another stop. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!!
From Carles:
This project took almost two years to make, it maps out the complexities and forces that operate when it comes to deciding over our own bodies. It started amidst huge protests in Spain for the right to access safe abortions. We interviewed people about the issue and slowly crafted a mind map that was then translated to drawings. Each scene represents a “small” picture, and interconnects with every other scene to give us the “big picture “. We have been giving oral storytelling presentations with it around the world ever since. This project was a huge learning experience and one I’m deeply proud of.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
Celebrate spring with ecologically grown, freshly harvested, Oakland-grown botanicals! In this workshop, you’ll explore the unique textures, scents, and forms of flowers, herbs, and seed pods grown by our host, Sigrid Hubbell, just two miles from JCAS. Drop-in to design a micro bouquet to take home and tend. All botanicals and small glass vases provided. No experience necessary and children are welcome!
Awestruck by the endless diversity, adaptations, and resilience of the natural world, Sigrid Hubbell spends the majority of her time in her urban garden cultivating flowers, herbs, food, medicine, and habitat. Growing and preserving the botanicals that comprise her work, she observes the vivid lessons revealed by natural rhythms. She hopes that noticing the contour of a leaf, the color of a petal, or the plumage of an individual seed invokes deep appreciation for the elegant intelligence and healing qualities of plants.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
ONE DAY SESSION, OFFERED TWICE • 11/16 & 12/7 • 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
All Ages • FREE Drop-in
Set It Up: A Workshop in Repurposed Materiality, is an opportunity to meet Luka Vergoz and learn their process. They will demonstrate how to use discarded and recycled materials to create objects, as well as explore scale and landscape. Luka’s installation has places that are lifted up from the floor, providing a range of heights within the landscape for participants to address. Participants will build and create objects with discarded materials such as paper, cardboard, and wood, and then add their creations to the installation.
Happy Pride! Come celebrate with the Junior Center of Art and Science!
Junior Center Teaching Artist Marco Garcia AKA Kico Le Strange, and friend Cy Berspace, will be reading 3 LGBTQIIA+ children books, one of which will be Julian The Mermaid. After story time, Kico will guide the young creatives through an oceanic craftmaking excursion; making sea crowns!
