Free First Thursday
Overview
Portland Art Museum invites the community to join a Free First Thursday event, offering free admission to the museum for all, plus DJs from Basement Sessions and Look With Me tours.
Basement Sessions are hosted by a rotating roster of respected Portland DJs. The series was created to contribute to and preserve the long artistic legacy of vinyl DJ culture — from early 1940s radio DJs spinning records on single turntables to the evolution of modern sound systems shaped by Reggae and Hip-Hop innovators of the 1960s and 70s. At its core, Basement Sessions celebrates music as a tool for connection, cultural exchange, and community gathering across genres and generations.
In this special Museum Sessions edition, DJ will play a set in response to an exhibition, weaving their own reflections through their designed playlists. These sets will be recorded live and streamed directly from the galleries.
Museum sessions DJ schedule:
- 12 – 1 p.m. DJ Velvet Ginger
- 1 – 2 p.m. DJ Tobias
- 2 – 3 p.m. DJ Amygdala
- 3 – 4 p.m. DJ Chris the Dad
- 4 – 6 p.m. DJ Rejekt
- 6– 7 p.m. DJ ATM
Tickets
Free First Thursday tickets can be reserved online one week in advance and are also available at the door. Tickets to Free First Thursday programs at the Tomorrow Theater are available online.
Free First Thursdays at the Museum and PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater aligns with the revitalization of the long-standing Portland art galleries’ tradition of opening their doors for openings, receptions, and events on the first Thursday of each month. In recent months art and culture organizations have joined to bring back this popular activity, including the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in the North Park Blocks.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
