The curators behind the new “Pirate Radio” exhibit at Gallery5 could have taken the easy way out.

Tasked with creating a visual display to mark this year’s 20th anniversary of WRIR, the independent low-power radio station, they could’ve just mounted some old station T-shirts on the wall and called it a day.

Instead, they plan to showcase a lively mashup of history and fantasy, a kitchen sink presentation paying tribute to the community radio station’s D.I.Y. journey while imagining a whole lot of what ifs. “Pirate Radio” opens at the gallery during First Fridays, along with a WRIR anniversary block party on May 2.

“We came up with this alternate universe idea of WRIR as a 20-year-old pirate radio station,” says Taron, a.k.a. Silly Genius, graphic designer and exhibit co-organizer, with fellow artist Erek Jones a.k.a. Stachesquash. The inspiration, he says, came out of a wide mix of things: the Jet Set Radio video game, the visual look of the band Gorillaz, the movie, “Pirate Radio”….

And the station’s own history. WRIR was never a pirate radio station, but many early volunteers had been contributors to a less-than-legal frequency called “Free Radio Oregon Hill.”  WRIR was launched in 2005, the same year Richmond saw other alternative-minded ventures emerge,  such as RVA Mag and Gallery5.  “Gallery5 is celebrating their 20th anniversary as well,” Stachesquatch reminds.” The station and the gallery share a similar mission, he feels. “We both want Richmond to stay weird.”

There will be plenty of local music history on display, Silly Genius says.

“Vinyl Conflict donated some vintage punk flyers, and WRIR had some old ephemera. We’re going to pull in all of these real elements but they will be interspersed with items such as fake flyers for concerts that never happened”—like Ohbliv performing with Flying Lotus at Strange Matter in 2011. “People will wonder, ‘Was I there for that?'” he laughs.

Both Stachesquash and SillyGenius had earlier created popular T-shirt designs for the listener-supported station’s fund drives. Melissa Vaughn, the station’s president, says she wanted to tap into their visual energy. “Their shirts were eye-catching, and their appeal spanned generations—everybody loved them. We just knew that they would do something different and exciting.”

Two other recent WRIR T-shirt creators, the artists Noah Scalin and James “Barf” Callahan, also contribute works to “Pirate Radio.” Scalin, who made this year’s 20th anniversary shirt, is building a gigantic boombox out of cardboard for the exhibit. “So it will feel like a pirate radio station when you walk in,” Stachesquatch laughs.

“Pirate radio… it’s kind of a sign of the times, right?” Vaughn says. “In a way, as we rebrand and prepare to move the station, it’s our chance to get back to our roots, a return to being a little more subversive. The energy that’s in the organization right now is one of youth and revolution and trying new things.”

While the block party is free, there’s also business to attend to, Vaughn adds. In addition to hawking its on-air pledge drive, happening now, the listener-supported WRIR is announcing a Go Fund Me page to help with the station’s imminent move from West Broad Street, above the Camel, into new, ADA-compliant digs in Shockoe Bottom. “We aren’t able to finish construction on our new home and vacate our current space without more resources,” Vaughn explains on the Go Fund Me page. The move is expected to cost as much as $1 million.

In addition to the “Pirate Radio” exhibit, the block party will also feature live music from Zinia, Flashlight Tag and Miracle Time, and showcase the outdoor Moon Market, an alternative craft and wellness bazaar. There will also be an on-site recording booth (“so that people can record something for posterity,” says Stachsquash) and live screen printing, where patrons are invited to bring their own shirts and get a station design imprinted on them.

The artists are keen on extending the “Pirate Radio” concept beyond its one-month stint on Gallery5’s wall. “We want to keep it going,” says Silly Genius. “We’d like to create more collaborations between the radio station and Richmond’s musicians and visual artists. WRIR would have its regular programming blocks but there would also be this alternate world happening under the same umbrella.”

One of those ideas, say the artists, is a Jerry Lewis-style telethon—complete with music, sweaty foreheads and unhinged commentary—to raise money for the station.

“We couldn’t pull it together for the Gallery5 show,” says Stachesquash. “But it’s gonna happen.” Silly Genius laughs. “Yeah, the telethon is definitely going to happen.”

“Pirate Radio” runs May 2-31 at Gallery5. The opening and WRIR 20th Anniversary Block Party is Friday, May 2 during First Friday. 5:30 p.m. Free.  gallery5arts.org

Update: The article has been edited to better clarify the difference between WRIR and Free Radio Oregon Hill.