Growing up, Nashville native Seth Feman — executive director of the Frist Art Museum — developed a profound love of the arts — particularly photography. His passion for the art form blossomed while in high school at the University School of Nashville. After graduating from Vassar College, Seth pursued a career in photography, interning as a photo editor and researcher at Newsweek and Artforum, then working at Condé Nast for several years.
After receiving a master’s degree and doctorate from William & Mary, Seth began an illustrious career in the museum field. Before joining the Frist Art Museum in 2022, Seth spent 10 years at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, leading the curatorial, education and registration departments in his role as deputy director for art and interpretations and curator of photography
What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was really little, I had all kinds of interests. I wanted to be a geologist, a doctor — everything was on the table. Early on, I got interested in art, and in high school in particular, I got really interested in photography.
What inspired you to pursue a career in museums?
As a child, my mom would take me to Cheekwood back in the days when Cheekwood was not a very active place — very different than it is now. I remember specifically encountering the portrait of Andy Warhol in their collection, and I was afraid of it. I knew then that [art] could make me feel something really powerful when I encountered it.
Later, I got an internship at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). I started doing academic research on museums when I was in grad school, and part of my dissertation research was on the history of the National Gallery.
What are your favorite things about the Frist Art Museum?
One of the things I really love about the museum is that it surprises people. When you approach the building itself, it has an air of stability because it looks like it’s been here forever. When you get inside, you see total dynamism — that things here are changing all the time.
That quality is something we’re leaning into quite a bit. If you come in and see an exhibition and it doesn’t really resonate for you, come back a few weeks later — you’re going to see something different. Without a [permanent] collection, we are always changing exhibitions. It defies the expectations of museums in some ways. And that, for me, is pretty exciting.
Tell us about your exhibition selection process.
In selecting upcoming exhibitions, we try to change the perspective. Even if we’re returning to a similar category, we try to change how we approach that category. For example, we’ve done a Christian Dior exhibition of high-couture fashion. When we bring the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the end of May, we’re looking at his designs alongside photographs made by one of his closest friends. It is both a photography show and a fashion show. And it’s also about the relationship between these two artists, and how they were responding and thinking together.
Are there any upcoming events that really excite you?
I am excited about the Alexander McQueen show. I’m also excited that in the spring, we will start launching some Friday night activities. When I got back to town, the first question somebody asked me was, “When are Frist Fridays coming back?” I am happy to say they are coming back on May 31.
What challenges or opportunities do you see for museums moving forward?
There are always these questions about whether you should be a local museum or a national museum — where should you focus your aspirations? In my view, you should be focusing on the community. I think people have realized that if you do local well, it’s going to put you on the map nationally.
We are also focusing on how we get out beyond the building. We’re putting a lot of effort into community outreach initiatives, and in the next year, we’ll be hiring several artists who will work with us as teachers to go out to community centers and run art programs. Meanwhile, we’re doing a lot to make the experience here richer for people. If you’re going to make the trek downtown, you really want a warm welcome.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.