The Armory Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Taylor Bythewood-Porter as its new Director of Exhibitions, effective August 2025. A distinguished curator and writer, Bythewood-Porter brings a deep commitment to history, material culture, and Black feminist thought, with a practice that bridges archival research and curatorial innovation to illuminate overlooked narratives and cultural memory. In her new role, Bythewood-Porter will oversee all aspects of the Armory’s exhibitions program—developing a creative and strategic vision that aligns with the Armory’s mission and cultural equity and inclusion plan.
Most recently, Bythewood-Porter served as Curator of History at the Museum of Riverside, where she organized exhibitions including First Comes Love: Courtship in the Victorian Era (2025). Her work has earned national recognition, including the American Association for State and Local History’s Award of Excellence for Rights and Rituals: The Making of African American Debutante Culture (2021), a critically acclaimed exhibition she curated during her tenure as Assistant Curator at the California African American Museum (CAAM).
At CAAM, Bythewood-Porter co-curated groundbreaking exhibitions including Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: Speaking to Falling Seeds (2023), Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century (2020), and The Liberator: Chronicling Black Los Angeles, 1900–1914 (2019).
Her early career included serving as president and a founding member of SIA Curates, a curatorial initiative through Sotheby’s Institute of Art at Claremont Graduate University, connecting emerging curators with MFA artists to develop annual exhibitions. She has participated in prestigious professional programs, including the Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive (2019) and the Professional Alliance for Curators of Color (2021).
Bythewood-Porter holds a Master of Arts in Art Business with a concentration in contemporary art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art at Claremont Graduate University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in art history from Monmouth University.
“We are thrilled to welcome Taylor to the Armory,” said Karen Satzman, Vice President of Programs. “Her curatorial vision and commitment to inclusive storytelling will help shape a bold and dynamic future for our exhibitions program.”