LaRussell set for an all-ages Uptown show as 81st Avenue library opens Mam art exhibit

Two public events highlight Oakland’s week ahead

Oakland’s cultural calendar this week includes a live hip-hop performance in Uptown and a community-based visual art exhibit in East Oakland. Both events are scheduled as all-ages offerings and are positioned as accessible entry points into local music and neighborhood-based cultural programming.

LaRussell booked at Crybaby on Sunday, Jan. 25

Rapper LaRussell is scheduled to perform at Crybaby, an Uptown Oakland venue on Telegraph Avenue, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. Doors are listed for 1 p.m., with the show set to begin at 2 p.m. The event is advertised as all ages.

Crybaby operates in the space previously known as the Uptown Nightclub, across from the Fox Theater. Venue descriptions identify the room as a mid-sized concert space with mezzanine and patio areas and a capacity of roughly 600 people, designed to accommodate both live and DJ-driven performances.

For Uptown, the booking continues a pattern of live programming clustered around the Telegraph corridor, where multiple venues operate within walking distance and commonly share audiences moving between shows, restaurants and late-night activity. For an all-ages listing, the early start time is consistent with promoters’ efforts to accommodate younger fans while keeping the performance within typical venue operating constraints.

Indigenous Maya Mam art exhibit opens at 81st Avenue Branch Library

In East Oakland, the 81st Avenue Branch of the Oakland Public Library is hosting an exhibit titled “Indigenous Maya Mam Art Show – Exposición de Arte Indígena Maya Mam.” The exhibit is scheduled to run from Jan. 17 through March 31, with display hours aligned with normal branch operations.

The exhibit features original works by Maya Mam artists in Oakland selected through a 2024 Maya Mam art contest. Event materials describe pieces as reflecting on Maya Mam and Guatemalan identity and presenting artists’ visions for community improvement. The show is presented bilingually (English and Spanish) and is listed as suitable for adults and teens.

The library event listing also notes that the exhibit is supported through a collaboration that includes community health and county behavioral health partners. In addition to the 81st Avenue Branch, the same exhibit is scheduled to be shown at the César E. Chávez and Melrose branches.

What to know before you go

• Crybaby (Uptown): 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. LaRussell performance scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 (doors 1 p.m., show 2 p.m.). Event listed as all ages.

• 81st Avenue Branch Library (East Oakland): 1021 81st Ave., Oakland. Indigenous Maya Mam art exhibit scheduled Jan. 17–March 31 during regular library hours.

Oakland’s week ahead pairs a ticketed music event in Uptown with a free, neighborhood-based library exhibit that centers local Indigenous Mam artists.