A three-by-three matrix of drawn portraits of Brian Foo with a photo of him in the middle A series of portraits drawn by colleagues in 2020

My name is Brian Foo. I am an artist and computer scientist living and working in Washington, DC. My work focuses on making public resources such as audiovisual collections, scientific datasets, and cultural objects more accessible and remixable for the general public. I tend to do this through visualization, sonification, and play. I take a very public approach to my work, where I openly document my creative and technical decisions as well as share my tools, software, and assets for others to copy, extend, and adapt.

I am a Senior Innovation Technologist at the Library of Congress’s Digital Innovation Division where I support, encourage, and explore innovative and imaginative uses of the Library’s content and services.

I was a data visualization artist at the American Museum of Natural History where I communicated scientific data and research through interactive digital and physical exhibits including the Museum’s first permanent exhibit on climate change.

I was a 2020 Innovator in Residence at the Library of Congress making it easier to make hip hop music using free-to-use audio from the Library.

I combined music, data, and algorithms as the Data-Driven DJ.

I used code, design, and data to make library materials more available to the public at The New York Public Library.

I try to be a better friend by using art, technology, and joy.

I try to make my work and processes freely availabile, easily accessible, and well-documented.