A Sprinkle of Brittany Byrd

November 25, 2023

Brittany Byrd is not just an LA homebody but a dynamic creative force, a stylist, a fashion icon, an artist, a gallerist, and, at her core, a spiritual individual. Byrd is the visionary founder and operator of "Byrd Museum," a distinctive art and event space in Los Angeles crafted to function as a "safe haven for young POC and LGBTQ artists in LA." For Byrd, success emerged from the crucible of rejection. At 29 years old, her journey took an unexpected turn when a New York art curator dismissed her, citing that she was "not Black enough." This rejection became the catalyst for the inception of Byrd Museum, a testament to her resilience and commitment to inclusivity.

office sat down with Brittany to discuss her creative journey, sources of inspiration, and understanding how she navigates the world.

Words & Interview by Sarah Hersom
Photography by Jarrod Anderson
Talent Brittany Byrd
Creative Production & Styling by EJ Ellison
Assistant Stylist Toriano Lockhart

Hi Brittany!

What´s up!

In front of me on my computer screen is Brittany Byrd, seated near a large window that allows the Los Angeles sunlight into her living room. Her long locks in brown and dark blonde nuances frame her face in a half-up-half down hairstyle. Green plants are in the background and around her. A humble smile is displayed on her face as she begins to tell me about her travels for show season.

I´m a homebody by nature. Coming off of fashion month and everything I´m just now getting back in the pace of my insular life, my super personal life. I do yoga every day, meditation is really big for me. I´m in the process of setting up my house because I moved here like three months ago, but I never got to set it up because as soon as I got the keys, I was on road.

You mentioned that you traveled a lot recently. Tell me about that. Where did you go?

My first stop was Milan. Diesel flew me out to attend the Glenn Martin Show, which was amazing. It rained like torrential rain, probably the whole show, and it stopped on like the last look. So I was like, this is where God and fashion link up. The overall energy of the show was insane. My next stop after that was Paris. It was my first time in Paris and it was my first Paris Fashion Week. It was like overwhelming because, I mean, your first fashion week anywhere is a lot. But it was amazing. I met Erykah Badu and made it on Vogue's best dressed list with her. She's a huge inspiration for my style. It was sick.

BRITTANY wearing JEWELRY by MATERIAL GOOD, TRENCH COAT by DAILY PAPER, SHORTS by A. ROEGE HOVE and SHOES by GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

So after Paris you went back to LA?

I was in Paris for like two weeks, then I went to New York and tried to get my life together there, which I couldn't. So then I came back to LA.

You tried to get your life together in New York? What do you mean by that?

I´m a natural collector when it comes to clothes. I have stuff that I know I´ll never even wear. I store all of that stuff in my New York apartment. It's smaller, so it's easier to visually see everything. But it was overwhelming because I had bought a lot of clothes from Paris. So bringing the new stuff and trying to curate and organize was overwhelming. So I was like, I'ma just chill out in L.A for a little bit, and then I'm back in New York in five days. So yeah.

Explain to me why you would have clothing that you know you will never wear?

I´m a collector. I have these really sick, uh, pleats, this pleated dress by, Issey (Miyake). I have no intention of wearing it. But just to like own that period of design is important to me. I just love it, like… I love clothes.

I feel you.

Yeah [laughs]

BRITTANY wearing JEWELRY by MATERIAL GOOD, JACKET by FILIPPA K and SHOES by TELFAR

Can you tell me a little bit about Byrd Museum? I´d love to know how the idea started and what your goal is?

Byrd Museum is literally my brainchild. A lot of my work that I do that isn't influencing is rooted in community. That's what Byrd Museum is for me. It is a physical location in LA, but Byrd Museum is also wherever I am. I will throw an impromptu event. I have an amazing collection of humans in my life that I also like curate for different sectors. Whether it's art directors, set designers, DJs that's always a good formula for a party. It started because I was rejected after having my first art show in Seaport. I was rejected by a curator of maybe the Brooklyn Museum at the time, and she kind of told me, that I wasn't black enough to paint and put my art right fourth in the world. I was like, I wake up Black.

Byrd Museum started because I was rejected after having my first art show in Seaport. I was rejected by a curator of maybe the Brooklyn Museum at the time, and she kind of told me, that I wasn't black enough to paint and put my art right fourth in the world. I was like, I wake up Black.

I remember that like it was yesterday. I was sitting at the table and I kind of just like ate that. I was like, okay, I heard you. And I was like, I don't need this outward validation from the art world that was built predominantly by a white audience. I can validate myself. I don't care if I sell my work for $5 or $10. It's not about that for me. It's genuinely about creation, which will always fascinate my mind and the scientific management in which the way the artist's mind works in general. So that was the pinnacle for me to be like, I'm gonna do this shit on my own. I don't know how. I only have the knowledge that I soaked up from Parsons. In a literary sense, because you can only go so forth with art without getting your hands dirty.

BRITTANY wearing JEWELRY by MATERIAL GOOD, JACKET by TELFAR, SHOES by GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

So what happened after that?

I purchased a building a mile away from my mother's house. It used to be a grow house for marijuana, and I reconstructed it with my family, turning it into a literal community center. A lot wasn't posted on the internet, but I would have painting classes for kids, invite my artist friends to use the space, and more. It's hard for me to showcase everything on Instagram because everything is so brand-oriented. But those who have been to Byrd Museum events know. For me, it was like this cool underground moment that is ever-evolving. Byrd Museum, for me, is about execution, a lesson I learned because running a business is really hard. There are things I've tried and failed at, but I don't believe in the word 'failure.' It's all part of the learning process.

And then there´s "Primary Market"?

Primary Market is a more sustainable, actual business plan for me. It´s a flea market for designers and creators, and it's also a car show for vintage cars. It merges this beautiful balance of car guys with girls into vintage fashion. Somebody made us an installation out of, like, hair barrettes and turned it into primary colors; that was our main backdrop. We had a prominent artist from the LA area, David Sebastian. He came and created the backdrop for people to walk in and take pictures by. We had colored G-wagons to match, all vintage from Found Objects, which is owned by a really good friend of mine in the Arts district. So, it's like taking these bits and parts of LA.

Even though I travel so much now, I'm still from LA. I never want that to not be threaded into my story. We couldn't be here without the people that made us.

BRITTANY wears JEWELRY by MATERIAL GOOD, SHOES by GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI, PANTS and GLOVES by HARBISON

What has the gender role dynamic looked like in the industries you have worked in?

Most of the industries I’ve worked in — music, fashion — are male dominated. Sometimes it can be intimidating, and that’s when I have to get in my delulu bag of “I am who I say I am.” You have to trust your voice and the process, but also speak up for yourself in these male dominated spaces. I can’t stress that enough. I used to have a problem with that, to be honest. It wasn’t always natural to me. But standing up for yourself is key, because fashion is brutal.

BRITTANY wearing JEWELRY by MATERIAL GOOD, BRALETTE by HARBISON, SKIRT by A. ROEGE HOVE and FEATHERS by OSEREE

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

Culture

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Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.