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.
Being involved in The Numberz doesn't require that you are a musician. Through our Community Playlist campaign we're able to highlight change makers, activists, entrepreneurs and people making a positive impact, by asking them to share the music that moves and motivates them. We then turn that music into an hour mix that is then shared with everyone via our broadcast. Doing this creates a dialog in the community through those songs. We also offer airtime for community organizations to share event information that will benefit our listeners.
From the North to the Numberz
Inside the Portland Art Museum’s Aux/Mute Gallery
At the top of the Portland Art Museum sits a welcome explosion of color. The building’s fourth floor galleries, historically used as painting studios and then as a showplace for Northwest art, have been repainted in shocks of blue and red. Near the stairs there’s a faux-rooftop with neon sneakers slumped over a power line; high windows refract a rainbow across the ground.
Since August, the space has been home to the Aux/Mute Gallery, the latest fruit from the museum’s partnership with local radio station the Numberz. The two orgs first linked up in 2019, when the station became an integral part of PAM’s Hank Willis Thomas exhibition, hosting workshops and live broadcasts from within the exhibit. Read More
19 Winter Art Exhibitions To See
Institutions like the Portland Art Museum and Times Square Arts are also evolving the terms of partnerships they’re forming with artists like Pamela Council and collectives like The Numberz, taking regional art away from begrudging basements and attics and into the spotlight.
By adding unique programming that compliments the art including stylish pop-up shops, buoyant cabarets, public wish fulfillment, and tapping people who understand the art and their patrons to engage with its message they are speaking to the communities they are designed to serve. Read More
How Museums Are Reaching Out to Their Local Communities
Brian Ferriso, the director of the Portland Art Museum in Oregon, is keenly aware of how empty his art museum still is. “We are still much more locked down than the rest of the country, and we can only allow 50 people in at a time,” he said. “For a museum of 200,000 square feet, let’s say it’s a very special experience for people.”
So when the independent Black radio station The Numberz was looking for a new place to broadcast from, the museum offered their space. Read More
Listening to Community: Reflecting on The Numberz and Portland Art Museum Partnership
A central component of our work at the Museum is building meaningful relationships that strengthen the bridge between art and community. This guiding principal has been at the core of an ongoing partnership with The Numberz FM, a community-based radio station that identifies with the taglines “Liberated Black Media” and “The Black Music Experience for Black Portland.” The Museum and The Numberz first worked together during the exhibition Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… in 2019, where The Numberz was a community partner in residence, conducting interviews, broadcasting on-site, presenting playlist workshops, and more. Read More
State of Wonder: Carving Out Space on the Airwaves
“If you’re ever driving around on Portland’s east side, tune your radio to 96.7 FM, and you’ll find something special. The Numberz is the city’s only station committed to airing “Black music by Black people from Black Portland.” Listen Here
Willamette Weekly: Portland’s Only All-Black Radio Station Aims to Be as Diverse as the Community it Serves
“Just because you have two of us, doesn’t mean you have us. We’re such a deep, rich people. If we had 200 community playlists on there, it’s not enough, because that’s how dope and rich we are.” Read More
Portland Monthly Magazine: Launched by two Grant High School alums, the Numberz aims to unite a community spread thin by gentrification.
“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.” Read More
