Brooklyn Mirage CEO Josh Wyatt, hired in October to rebrand and revamp Avant Gardner, was fired on Thursday after a tumultuous and brief tenure at the company that was plagued by four weekends of cancelled shows due to failed safety inspections, unmet construction deadlines, and a worsening relationship with fans.
“Effective immediately, Josh Wyatt is no longer with Avant Gardner,” wrote Avant Gardner’s Director of People and Culture, Geraldine Clerfe in an email to the company obtained by BKMAG. “We appreciate Josh for his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors.” In the days leading up to his termination, Wyatt had removed several posts off his Instagram related to construction updates and articles where he was interviewed. He also changed his Instagram page from public to private. When BKMAG reached out for comment on Friday for a recent article, his team said he was abroad dealing with a family emergency.
An Avant Gardner operations team member—who has been at the company for nine months and asked for their name not to be used for fear of retribution—opened up with us about the firing, as well as the culture of the company under Wyatt.
“We’ve been told for months that anyone who posts about the construction of Mirage, or sent pictures of it to anyone, would be fired, no questions asked,” they said. “It’s been absolutely miserable financially at least considering Mirage season is when all of us rely on getting our paychecks. It’s when the most shows happen, it’s when the most customers come.”
They said employees found out about the initial show cancellations at the exact same time as the public.
The employee also noted that Wyatt made it seem like he was working with the Department of State and the Department of Buildings, despite the venue being nowhere near completed. “It just wasn’t finished. He wasn’t being transparent with the staff regarding what was happening. They couldn’t tell us anything. Our team leads weren’t getting any transparency either. From the top down, no one knew what the fuck was going on.”
Clerfe, in her email to employees, said that non-executive Chairman of the Board Gary Richards would be managing day-to-day operations, and would be supported by “key members” of the leadership team. Those members who will help Richards include Clerfe, Vice President of Finance Alec Ifshin, General Counsel Faisal Lateef, Director of Operations Jermaine Santiago, Director of Programming & Partnerships Kenny Schachter, and Chief Technical Officer Stephen Wyker.
“Gary brings extensive experience from the music industry and his leadership will be instrumental during this transition,” Clerfe wrote. “Our immediate collective goal is to ensure the successful opening of the new Brooklyn Mirage. This is a critical milestone for us, and everyone’s dedication and teamwork are essential.”
In a sweeping interview last month, Wyatt told BKMAG the venue would “100 percent” be open on May 1 for its initial show with techno DJ Sara Landry. Building inspectors, however, had other plans. Security crews had already arrived for a night’s work, and fans were beginning to gather in the area. But after failing the safety inspection, the Mirage was forced to cancel just hours before doors were set to open.
One weekend of cancelled shows turned to two, then three, and finally four, as all of the Memorial Day Weekend shows were nixed. And it remains unclear when the venue will finally be able to open.
The post Brooklyn Mirage Fires CEO Josh Wyatt appeared first on BKMAG.
