The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) just made a power move, tapping Frank Feltens as its new chief curator. He's set to start on August 17, stepping into the rather large shoes left by José Carlos Diaz, who decamped for Miami last October. Apparently, Seattle wasn't quite sunny enough.
Feltens comes from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., where he was basically the Swiss Army knife of curatorial affairs and Japanese art. He started as a postdoctoral fellow in 2016 and, in a trajectory that makes most of us feel like we're moving in slow motion, became associate director by July 2025. Yes, 2025. The man is so ahead of the curve, he’s already working in the future. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
From Zen Masters to Olympic Sculptures
While at the Smithsonian, Feltens was busy conjuring up exhibitions like "Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980" (2024), "Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan" (2022), and the rather fittingly titled "Hokusai: Mad about Painting" (2021). Earlier this year, he even zipped over to Tokyo to curate "From Kiyochika to Hasui: Modern Japan in Prints and Photographs." Clearly, his passport gets as much use as his art history books.
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Start Your News DetoxAt SAM, Feltens will be the grand conductor for all things exhibitions, collections, and research across the museum's three distinct venues: the main Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the expansive Olympic Sculpture Park. So, from ancient scrolls to outdoor marvels, he'll be overseeing quite the artistic smorgasbord.
Scott Stulen, SAM's director and CEO, is clearly thrilled, calling Feltens a "visionary leader" with an impressive blend of deep knowledge, collaborative spirit, and ambitious ideas. Stulen also noted Feltens' "curiosity and enthusiasm for Seattle," which is always a good sign. Nobody wants an unenthusiastic art guru.
Feltens himself is equally jazzed, praising Stulen's vision and seeing SAM as a crucial hub for local communities and a big player on the global museum stage. He's ready to dive in and, presumably, keep moving mountains of art — perhaps even some that haven't been created yet.
