the black gallery is where art and activism intersect.

The gallery functions as a tool for connection and community engagement. We host a variety of workshops, exhibitions, events, and educational programs, all to encourage and engage our community. By bringing people together, we create opportunities for learning, expression, and dialogue through diverse art forms. Our main mission is to foster relationships and strengthen our community by using art as a means to inspire change and promote understanding.

Our history


The BLACK Gallery opened their doors in 2023 as an extension of Don’t Shoot Portland’s (DSPDX) programming as an 501(c)(3) Arts and Education Non-profit — In 2017 DSPDX hosted many events and installations in collaboration with Holding Contemporary.

At Holding they displayed their Black Lives Matter Installations and ongoing project Archives for Black Lives now known as Memory Work for Black Lives at The University of Oregon. The Black Gallery and DSPDX have also worked as community partners and collaborators all over Portland including; the Portland Art Museum (PAM) as a community partner in residence for the Hank Willis Thomas Exhibit,  the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA) with their Center of Injustice Installation in collaboration with Media Pollution,  and the Pacific Northwest College of art (PNCA) with ongoing Community Art Builds.

The BLACK Gallery powered by DSPDX

exhibits

2026

  • If We Could Talk

  • For Artists of Color

  • Window into Solitary

2025

  • Black Snake Killaz

  • Graffiti As Resistance

  • BlackOut

  • Love is the Power

2024

  • Room for Conversation

  • Resistance is Happening Now: Archiving the Black Lives Matter Movement

  • The Emancipation of Isaka Shamsud-Din

  • Power Prayer for the Community

  • Still Life of Lives Made Still

2023

  • Hip Hop Lives The Remix: An Ode to the Culture

  • Hip Hop Lives: Honoring 50 Years of Art, History and Culture

 

visit the gallery

Our gallery is conveniently located in downtown Portlands’ Pearl District. Please email info@theblackgallerypdx.com to make an appointment or direct inquiries about rentals, group visits, and more.