Art, Music, & Theater
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A Black Art Ecology of Portland (BAEP), PICA A Black Art Ecology of Portland (BAEP) is a multi-faceted, multi-discipline, multi-sited new initiative that brings together community organizations in coalition to devote resources to creating, reclaiming, and redefining spaces for Black art, youth, and audiences in Portland.
Alberta Arts Center Located at the corner of NE Williams and NE Killingsworth (5412 North Williams Avenue), the Albina Arts Center is a one-story, brick building that has been an important symbol of Portland’s Black community since the early 1960s. Used as a community hub, arts center, and meeting place, the Albina Arts Center was incorporated to give intentional space for the development of cultural and intellectual resources of the Albina neighborhood.
Alberta Abbey Alberta Abbey aims to nurture the creative, visual and performing arts in N/NE Portland by amplifying opportunities for Black and underrepresented communities. The Abbey serves this mission by providing affordable education, gallery, studio, and performance spaces, and showcasing events for local groups of all ages.
Albina Music Trust Albina Music Trust is the only full service community archive in the United States, dedicated to the restoration of a Black community's historic musical culture. Our programs amplify the legacy of Albina's musician community through archival media preservation, events and exhibitions, a record label, a radio program, oral history publications, and a sound walk. In collaboration with community members as well as civic and cultural organizations, we are the stewards of a digital repository documenting Albina’s arts and culture legacy, the Albina Community Archive. Our fiscal sponsor is the Black United Fund Of Oregon.
Anansi Beat: African Drumming & Dancing Classes We are Portland’s newest and most authentic source for African drums, rhythm instruments, music, clothing, artwork, and masks.
All drumming classes and traditional dance from Ghana taught by master Ghanian drummer and traditional instructor, Nii Ardey Allotey.
Ancestor’s Future: Crystallizing Our Call, Ashland Creek Park Ashland, OR The aim of this permanent installation is to create a dialogue about race, bring together Rogue Valley residents of all backgrounds, and serve as a declaration of our commitment in Ashland and the Rogue Valley to forging a community of acceptance, communication, and inclusivity in a real and sustainable way. We hope that through continued conversation, recognition of our shared history, and this public avowal, that we can work towards becoming a more united and inclusive Rogue Valley community. Coming Soon (as of 2024).
Art in Oregon Oregon City, OR The mission of Art in Oregon is to foster culturally rich regional communities through partnerships, advocacy, and investment in artists, businesses, educational spaces, and community spaces. Our goal is to build and sustain art patronage through pride in Oregon artists and pride in art ownership. We work to establish collaborative relationships with the common goal of increased visibility and access to art for all people.
Axios: “5 young Black Portland artists to watch,” 2024 Article by Joseph Gallivan
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Big Yard Studio Big Yard Studio is a celebration of the art that provide context and representation of our communities, both locally, nationally and globally. A celebration of artists whose works lend us insight and deeper understanding of their perspectives.
Black and Brown Art, City of Hillsboro We are a passionate group of individuals who believe in the power and beauty of art created by BIPOC and ALANA artists in Hillsboro. Our online website directory, Black and Brown Art, is our way of celebrating and uplifting the diverse voices and experiences within our community. We understand the value of representation and diversity in the arts, and we are committed to providing a platform for these talented artists to showcase their work.
Black Artists of Oregon, Portland Art Museum Considering both the presence and absence of Black artists is critical to understanding the breadth of Black artistic production in Oregon—even in the midst of historic exclusion—as well as how the impact of that history affects our understanding of American art history and the history of the Pacific Northwest. This exhibition serves to deepen our awareness of the talented artists who have shaped and inspired artists regionally and nationally, and it will be the first of its kind to consider the work of Black artists collectively in Oregon.
Black Artists of Oregon builds upon exhibition curator Intisar Abioto’s original research since 2018 exploring the lineage and legacy of Black artists in Oregon. The exhibition will continue Abioto’s research, which is grounded in Black American practices of listening, keeping, and passing on each others’ stories.
The Black Gallery, Don’t Shoot Portland In addition to being a Black owned and curated space, The BLACK Gallery focuses on promoting arts and education as a way to build community and support activist voices. With a dedication to building a more inclusive and diverse society, The Black Gallery showcases a range of artists whose work addresses social justice issues and explores themes of identity, culture, and history.
By providing a platform for independent artists, the gallery seeks to create a space for dialogue and reflection about the experiences of underrepresented communities. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery provides educational programs, workshops, and events that engage visitors of all ages in exploring the connections between art and social justice. Through its innovative programming and commitment to inclusivity, Don’t Shoot Portland has long been a vital cultural hub in the community and The BLACK Gallery will continue to promote new voices that advance social change.
Black Girl In Suburbia Documentary Black Girl In Suburbia (by Melissa Lowery) is a 55 minute feature documentary that looks into the experiences of black girls growing up in predominately White communities. This is a different look into suburbia from the perspective of women of color. This film explores through professional and personal interviews the conflict and issues black girls have relating to both white and black communities.
The Black Portlanders Illuminating Black Portlanders. A photographic journey across Portland.. and beyond. Chinook Land. Images by Intisar Abioto.
Bloom Agency A fast-growing full-service agency with a cultural edge. Culturally-inclusive management, talent, and consulting agency
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Celebrate Black Portlanders, City of Portland Celebrate Black Portlanders is a new virtual program within Portland Parks & Recreation’s Stay and Play video series. The program aims to offer a festive space for Black public employees as well as Portland’s Black community, at large; to celebrate one another and be their true, authentic selves. We welcome all Portlanders to view, learn from, and engage with this program.
“Conversations from the Heart,” Black Educational Achievement Movement (B.E.A.M.) The “Conversations from the Heart” porch is an interactive outdoor art exhibit and public forum on the most public-facing edge of the BEAM Learning Hub property.
Designed collaboratively by students from the BSTRONG Summer Program, the University of Oregon, and Rebuilding Cornerstones, this space seeks to foster conversations around Black history in Portland, current systemic issues, and how as a community we can be a part of creating a better future for ourselves and our community.
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Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA) The Dr Martin Luther King Jr School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA), is a contemporary art museum and social practice art project inside and in partnership with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, a Pre K - 5th grade public school in NE Portland, OR. Founded in 2014 by Portland State University professors Lisa Jarrett and Harrell Fletcher, KSMoCA connects public school students with internationally renowned contemporary artists through collaborative workshops, exhibitions, artists lectures and site-specific commissions. Students learn through experience about museum practice and careers in the arts by participating as curators, preparators, artists, gallerists, writers, and docents.
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Fernland Studios Fernland is an experimental ecological arts studio prioritizing rest, rejuvenation, and reciprocity. We sustain relationships with the Earth through art, education, and spiritual wellness. We offer Black, Indigenous, and all people of color artist residencies, courses, funding, and writing retreats at no cost and with additional funding to support their practice.
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The Golden West Hotel, Central City Concern This permanent virtual historical exhibit installed in 2009 tells the story of Portland’s African-American community in the early 1900s, and celebrates the rich history of the Golden West, the former center of Portland’s African-American social and business life in the first decades of the twentieth century.
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Habiba Addo African Arts & Culture Artist & Educator Habiba Addo is a native of Ghana, West Africa. She holds a degree in Theater and a Certificate of Dance from Portland State University. She has performed and taught in the United States and internationally for over fifteen years. She teaches and performs dance, rhythm and stories from Ghana, Guinea, Gambia and Senegal. She also shares the rich African cultures present today in Cuba and Brazil.
Hip Hop Soulsation Academy Dance is the key to life. Hip Hop Soulsation Academy not only teaches dance but builds relationships. Our school is considered family. We make sure every student is learning to their potential and never left behind. We are all about teaching life skills thru dance while making the experience a fun journey.
Historic Black Williams Project, City of Portland Local artists have gathered community stories and memories of historic Williams Ave and enshrined them in an art walk along the street.
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Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) is a community-based arts center located in North Portland. It was founded in 1982 by Portland's first Black Commissioner and Parks’ Director, Charles Jordan. IFCC has served as a cultural home for the Black community in N/NE since its founding. The structure consists of a 99-seat theater, rehearsal studio, and gallery. The building was originally constructed in 1910 and used as a fire station until 1959.
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KBOO Community Radio We are Volunteer-Powered, Non-Commercial, Listener-Sponsored, Full-Strength Community Radio for Portland, Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, the World and Beyond!
(Search programming that features/centers Black Music, Topics, or Issues)
KSOS Soul of Salem Radio Salem, OR As a Black-owned-and-operated online media organization, we’re more than just your average streaming radio station; we’re deeply committed to serving and empowering the BIPOC community in the Willamette Valley. Through our community-focused programming and advertising initiatives, we aim to uplift and advocate for BIPOC voices.
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Mayo House ARTchive, B.E.A.M. The Mayo House ARTchive is a space for the Black community as historians, artists, and members to preserve and create culture. The ARTchive is envisioned, owned, and operated by local artists and activists, Cleo Davis and Kayin Talton Davis. Funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) will support life, health, and safety repairs to the ARTchive classroom and workshop.
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The Numberz FM The Numberz FM is providing a very unique listener and creator experience, by carving out a media space to empower communities of color to share their thoughts, concerns and celebrate each other. The intent of our current musical format is to give a full representation of the Black music experience, not just Hip Hop and R&B. Along with those genres, we play Reggae, House, Afro Beat, Jazz, Funk and Gospel. The primary purpose of The Numberz is to create media space for Black people and communities of color, in a city where gentrification has played a significant part in scattering their voices.
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Open Signal Open Signal is a media arts center in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to nurture the change-making power of community media in service of a just and equitable world.
Oregon Arts Watch: Black Music Matters As coverage of the arts in other media has plunged, Oregon ArtsWatch has filled this critical news gap and become the state’s leading arts journal. We have been publishing independent Oregon-focused arts journalism and criticism at orartswatch.org since 2011, producing a breadth and depth of coverage not found elsewhere.
Oregon Humanities: Black Mark, Black Legend Uncovering the lineage of Black artists in Portland. Article by Intisar Abioto
Ori Gallery Ori Gallery is the brain child of the creative duo Maya Vivas & Leila Haile. Together they seek to reclaim and redefine "the white cube" through amplifying the voices of Trans and Queer Artists of color, community organizing and mobilization through the arts.
In addition to our rotating exhibitions; we also offer classes and workshops to the community for free or low-cost such as PoC figure drawing, Grant Writing for the People, Arts for Direct Action and meet-ups for Queer and Trans creatives of color. BIPOC and Trans-Centered.
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PassinArt Theatre Founded in 1982 in the Albina neighborhood, PassinArt follows in the tradition of the Black Theatre Movement, which began in the United States in 1821 with roots in many African traditions of oral history and story to pass along knowledge and grow subsequent generations.
For four decades and counting, PassinArt Theatre Company has provided training and opportunities for emerging and established Black artists and artists of color of all ages, abilities, faiths, and genders.
The People’s Poet Portland’s BIPOC Open Mic Experience. Amplifying Voices, One Poem At A Time.
PDX Jazz PDX Jazz, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is the largest organization presenting jazz performances and associated education programming in the Pacific Northwest. Our mission is to evolve the art of jazz by engaging our community, celebrating live performance, and enhancing arts education.
Portland In Color Portland in Color disrupts the homogeneity of Portland arts and media landscape by highlighting the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color.
Portland Playhouse: Confrontation Theatre Confrontation Theatre’s mission is to provoke all-inclusive audiences through excellent, affordable theatre as we confront the unique experiences and perspective of the Black diaspora by focusing on and supporting works by artists of African descent.
Prismid Sanctuary We cultivate time, place, and programming through cultural practices of healing, artistry and land reciprocity.
We’re building a sanctuary to ensure that sovereignty of the land and our community of BIPOC artists/cultural-workers are sustained over time.
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Red Door Project Founded in 2011, the Red Door Project is an award-winning nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon. Through storytelling, we inspire appreciation of our differences and an awareness of our fundamental interconnectedness.
Our core program, The Evolve Experience, presents live and filmed first-person narratives from police officers, judges, and Black community members describing their lived experiences at the intersection of race and the justice system. These true stories are written, directed, and performed by professional artists from across the country. Evolve Experience performances are supported by facilitated discussion and activities that teach the skills needed to successfully navigate conflict, bias, and change, including self-awareness, flexibility, and curiosity.
Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater (RDDT) Rejoice! is a Portland-based contemporary dance ensemble led by the bold vision and artistic direction of Oluyinka Akinjiola. Inspired by the folklore of the great African diaspora, Rejoice’s performance repertoire boldly weaves stories of adversity and hope, captivating audiences with their outspoken calls for social change.
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Sebé Kan African Dance and Drum Ensemble A West African Drum & Dance troupe. We study works from Mali, Guinea, & the Ivory Coast.
Sekou Soumah African Dance & Drum Open African Dance Class: Every Sunday, 1:00pm- 2:30pm at Matt Dishman Community Center.
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Third Eye Books Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts LLC was founded in 2019 in Portland Oregon by Michelle Lewis and Charles Hannah. Our vision is to be the number one supplier of African Centered books, accessories and gifts in the Portland Metro Area. We believe our products can be used as a tool to motivate, inspire, restore or enhance a persons cultural pride and to bring forth happiness and healing into the hearts of our customers.
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The University of Oregon Gospel Program Eugene, OR Under the direction of Andiel Brown, the Gospel Program features:
Gospel Choir-The UO Gospel Choir is a large, all-comers choir, open to any student who wishes to learn and sing gospel music. No audition is required but a vocal placement exam is mandatory before joining.
Gospel Ensemble-The UO Gospel Ensemble is an advanced choir of singers with a moderate background in the tradition of Black gospel music. Audition required.
Gospel Singers-The UO Gospel Singers is an elite group of singers from Choir and Ensemble with a strong background in the tradition of Black gospel music. The Gospel Singers are back-to-back, two-time national champions (2010 and 2011) at the Disney Gospel Choir Fest. Audition required.
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Vanport Mosaic: Theater From first table reads, through staged readings, to fully mounted productions, we partner with local playwrights, designers, performers and dramaturgs from the communities whose stories we look to elevate.
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West African Cultural Arts Institute Eugene, OR WACAI’s mission is to share the joy and passion of Guinean culture through vibrant educational programs focusing on music and dance.
World Arts Foundation Inc. Through community events and educational programming, we amplify regional contributions to arts and culture.
Founded in 1976, our work integrates the arts and education to inspire culture-building among community leaders, artists, educators, activists, and youth. We are stewards of a multicultural archive which documents our community's legacy in Portland's Albina District. Our programs and community events highlight Albina's cultural heritage for future generations.
World Stage Theatre World Stage Theatre is proud to be an arts, culture, and community-centered organization where imagination, exploration, creativity, and growth thrive in artists and audiences of all ages and abilities. With a focus on process and a holistic approach, our goal is to teach life skills through the exploration of the arts and help those who wish to pursue professional artistic endeavors hone their skills and confidence. We inspire youth and adults to explore their unlimited possibilities through exposure and experience and recognize the arts as a mirror that imitates life and uses it as a vehicle to educate, heal, unite, uplift, and celebrate our experiences.