Kira Marie Britt Is A Selfless Swiss Army Artist

Kira Marie Britt has always been adventurous. Britt is a multi-disciplinary NYC artist who is a painter, filmmaker, scenic designer, creative community organizer and mural painter, in short a veritable Swiss Army artist. Britt learned she loved to paint at the Joan Mitchel Foundation and Cue Art Gallery. She later pursued filmmaking at DCTV, scenic design at Playwright’s Horizons, and has become a mural artist. Today, Britt loves creating her own original work.

What does your name Swiss Army Artist stand for?

“I couldn’t identify with any kind of artistic profession. One of the students in my cohort said, ‘You’re a Swiss army knife.’ You know how they have a bunch of different tools in their belt? I branded myself as a Swiss Army Artist and was able to snag it everywhere. I wanted to make something artistically pliable.”

What is Gothic Botany?

“Gothic Botany was created as a way for me to bring my passions into one space. My personal style has always been a struggle for me ever since I was a kid. Gothic Botany is telling a story with the art that I enjoy the most. Gothic Botany moved into a real experience. I’ve been able to meet so many people and talk about my art. Even if I don’t make money doing it, I’m still enjoying the presence of others.”

Why do you host the Dead Petal Club?

“I feel passionately about everyone’s ability to create art. Whether you think it is beautiful or not, that’s not the point. I don’t find myself very good at sculpture work, but that doesn’t mean I’m not an artist. The first one was a flower arranging workshop with a focus on doing still life drawings. We have so much pent up inside of us when it comes to our past traumas or our future endeavors. Art is a cathartic way to understand yourself. The people who are attending are like, ‘I haven’t held a paintbrush since I was in kindergarten!’ Everyone should hold the brush every now and then. It is who we are as people. Cavemen did it.”

What is the Summer Spell Market?

“I’ve been selling my art for about a year now at markets all over the city. I find these markets are really wonderful places where communities can come together and meet other people and artists. There will be twenty different artists Dead Petal Club are collaborating with.”

What are some special activities at the Summer Spell Market?

“You will learn how to make your own candles, pick your own fragrances, learn the holistic meanings behind some fragrances and incorporate crystals. I didn’t want this to be something where you are just going to spend money. I want this to be a community event.”

What is your relationship with anime?

“I’ve been an illustrator of my own art and original pieces for a while. I do really enjoy creating this fan art. I get to meet so many people who enjoy those things and have conversations with them at every market. It brings smiles to people’s faces. I got addicted to giving people those smiles.”

How do you create your illustrated drawings?

“I create the work on my iPad using an app called procreate. I’ve switched more into doing digital artwork instead of the normal vibe of painting. It has been nice to just be drawing digitally for now.”

What was the process like in developing your new key chains with Melody Charms?

“They manufacture them with nice big machines that can print out these beautiful acrylic images. The fire one with the little face is Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle.”

Why is cosplay an important part of this event?

“As someone who cosplays, it can be hard to find places. Even if you have a cloak lying at home or some garb that you don’t get to wear multiple times a year. I definitely want people to cosplay. As someone who has these things in her closet, it is so nice to pull them out and be your authentic self.”

How did you become involved with Angela of Regal Candle Bar, Patricia of Esoteric Calling, and Brittany of Village Witch Bakes?

“It has been really nice working with Angela. I said, ‘would you like to host a workshop with me for free? I linked her up with a friend of mine. Her name is Patricia. She is a resin artist. They are going to create this crystal candle workshop which should be really nice. Patricia will be walking everyone through what each crystal means. Angela will be talking about specific scents like rosemary and thyme. Brittany will make gluten free and holistic products. Her witchcraft is about baking in the sense of the products she uses.”

Was it important for you to make this event free?

“I do want people to hang out. You get to meet new people. There are multiple chill zones where you can take pictures and then play video games or board games. You can purchase everything when you are there for the candle workshop. You have to pre-register. The rest of it is free.”

How did you transition from gallery art to mural art?

“My transition into mural art stemmed from working in theater because of the scenic painting you would do in theaters off- Broadway. Bigger paintings are more three-dimensional and more intense. It made me realize I can bring my illustration knowledge and theater knowledge together.”

Was there a mural experience you remember fondly?

“The one that sticks out most is the murals that I did for the Boys Club in Flushing. The boys in this program are inspired to shoot for the stars. I wanted the murals to represent Flushing as well as whoever they wanted to be. I was able to do four different walls of murals. It has movie tropes in it and a boy dreaming about writing those scripts. Every time I go back there are people who know me. They are like, ‘Do you know those murals in the basement? She painted those murals!’”

How was filmmaking at DCTV?

“One of my graduating projects was Evolution. It won an editorial award for a PBS story called Our Camera Our Stories. It touched so many people. Young women of color identified so heavily with it that they joined the program. Filmmaking can live on beyond you just as much as art. Being a part of that program really shaped who I am today. I like to speak for myself and be strong and that came from making films that I was passionate about.”

Is your mission to create art that affects people?

“Art is meant to cause a reaction. A lot of the work that I create is centered around understanding there is joy in everything. Joy is really important in a world that is trying to take that away. It is so innate in our human DNA to be creative. It is nice because these are things that bring you joy and peace in times of stress.”