In recognition of Juneteenth, Pride Month, and Black Music Month, and to highlight Black LGBTQ+ creatives of Los Angeles, the Pieter Performance Space is proud to present “Sissies: Something Perfect Between Ourselves”.
Opening on June 19, the weekend of Juneteenth, the exhibit will be open to the public through Sunday, June 21, and will take place at the Pieter Performance Space at 2701 Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031.
“Sissies” is led by choreographer and artistic director Bernard Brown, who is also the director of his own organization known as bbmoves, in collaboration with co-creators Du’Ron Fisher and Malachi Miffleton.
Brown spoke to Our Weekly to discuss the meaning behind the exhibit and what it will entail. “This [exhibition honors] the people who keep our stories alive. I see the Black queer underground as a blueprint for how we survive and thrive, and this exhibit is a capsule—a living document of that legacy.” He further added, “I hope people come in and feel their most authentic selves. These sissy domains are spaces where you can be held in your memories and your joy, so the exhibit becomes a place to feel seen, liberated, and deeply loved.”
Bernard Brown is a South Central Los Angeles native who was discovered young by legendary choreographer Lula Washington, earning a scholarship to her dance school and moving from the youth program into her professional company. He went on to train at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California and in New York with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Ailey School, building a 30-plus-year career as a dancer, choreographer, and steward of Black dance.
Rooted in L.A.’s Black queer underground, from growing up and attending clubs like Catch One and other community wellness spaces—he now leads his own company, bbmoves, creating work that centers Black and brown queer experiences, memory, and survival.
“I grew up in Los Angeles watching mentors and whole generations disappear because of HIV and AIDS, and yet our community kept showing up for itself—building institutions, caring for each other, creating joy,” said Brown. He continued, “My life’s work is about honouring that legacy and making a piece that becomes a capsule of the stories and brilliance the underground has always carried.”
“Sissies” transforms the Pieter event space into a dynamic gallery, blending film, fashion, movement, and sound all in one. Guests are invited to witness and inhabit the occupiable sculptural environments that live as a time capsule of underground LGBTQ+ life through collective narratives. The goal is to directly relate to attendees and for them to feel seen. Essentially, it’s a sanctuary of activism, care, and joy.
A guest who attended one of the private previews of “Sissies” said, “I am in awe of the depth at which this work explores, excavates, and reimagines our queer past, present, and futures… It was entirely disarming. As a gay HIV survivor, it made me feel seen, vulnerable – and saved.”
The executive director of the Pieter Performance Space, Rosalie Tucker, also discussed the urgency of preserving Black queer and Indigenous histories through the “Sissies” project.
“The urgency is extremely high. I think that we’ve been dealing with this for a really long time as a world; obviously this isn’t a new phenomenon where we [see] directed attacks on Black people, queer people, and people living at those intersections, but I feel like what we’re seeing more is an attempt to actually erase the history and to, like, rewrite the history again.”
Tucker further added, “Working with Bernard over the last few years, we collaborated on writing a grant for this project, as well as helping to bring to life this particular vision at Pieter. It’s really essential that organizations like Pieter’s do what we can to help support this site’s project of archiving the visual art, fashion, music, and dance culture of our communities.”
The project, funded by the Mike Kelly Foundation’s Infinite Expansion Grant, has been in development for about three years, with previews at Red Cat and Annenberg Beach House.
The Pieter Performance Space is also seeking donations and sponsorships, as it is a small non-profit arts organisation. They recently launched the Pieter Emergency Fundraiser and have a goal of reaching a total of $75,000 to stabilize their staffing and operations through 2026. It is a space that is a resource in Los Angeles and has struggled following the 2024 election, which caused them a 75 percent decrease in grant funding due to it being a space that highlights diversity, art, and inclusion. Fundraiser information can be found at www.givebutter.com/pieter-emergency-fundraiser or their Instagram page @pieterperformancespace.
The event details are as follows:
Event Details:
June 19-21, 2026
Friday, June 19: exhibition hours 1pm – 5pm.
Saturday, June 20: exhibition hours 1pm – 4pm; performance 8:30pm.
Sunday June 21: exhibition hours 11am – 2pm
Location: Pieter Performance Space, 2701 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031
For Information and Tickets: www.pieterpasd.com/sissies-something-perfect-between-ourselves
