"The AUX/MUTE Gallery presented by The Numberz FM and the Portland Art Museum is an endeavor designed to reduce the barrier for BIPOC practicing artists to be represented within an institution of high art. The name is derived from the history of marginalized groups being MUTED in their ability to tell their own stories and share their work within the art world. This space gives them the AUX, the open pathway or signal into conveying their truths, their passions, and their art. In this ongoing partnership between The Numberz FM and PAM, AUX/MUTE will seek to engage the community in conversation around artists who have historically been underrepresented within institutions of art and provide physical space for their stories to be told. 

The gallery includes the exhibition AWAY|HOME and the upcoming AUX|MUTE Bodega, where visitors can browse, appreciate, and purchase creative work by local BIPOC artists.

AWAY|HOME is a cumulation of work created by Portland based artist Sa’rah Melinda Sabino, a.k.a. “Rah.” The title of the show is a double entendre that can be read AWAY|HOME as reference to sport teams, and A Way Home in reference to a journey. Rah hopes to create space for stories of underrepresented people and inspire conversations around what it means to be a mixed-race person in America. Growing up as a Moroccan-American in the U.S., she was stuck in between two different identities, never fully fitting into either. The works displayed are designed to convey the human experience of being put in a box and the limitations of racial identity. This show is a peek into the intimate journey of finding home in oneself, and an example of how representation, community and collaboration are pivotal when creating more inclusive spaces.
" (Promo Copy)