Convocation on Tuesday, May 14 in Durnan Auditorium recognized Distinguished Alumnus Seth Feman and welcomed the Class of 2024 into the PDS/USN Alumni Association.
By Juanita I.C. Traughber, Director of Marketing & Communications
The Peabody Demonstration School and University School of Nashville Alumni Association is pleased to present the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award to Seth Feman ’97 in recognition of his contributions to fostering cultural enrichment through the visual arts, nurturing artistic passion, and providing educational opportunities to inspire future generations of creatives. Feman, the Executive Director and CEO of the Frist Art Museum, is the keynote speaker during Convocation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 in Durnan Auditorium. This event kicks off Senior Week and officially welcomes the 103 soon-to-be graduates of the Class of 2024 into the PDS/USN Alumni Association.
The Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1978 to honor a graduate of PDS/USN who has made outstanding professional or civic achievements on a local, national, or international level. Recipients have included authors, educators, researchers, musicians, and volunteer leaders. In addition to honoring these individuals, the award brings them to the attention of the PDS/USN community and the city at large. Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to students and graduates and as a reminder to the citizens of Nashville of the high-quality education that has long been a tradition at our school.
After graduating from University School of Nashville in 1997, Feman received his Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Vassar College as well as his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies from the College of William and Mary. He previously was the Deputy Director for Art & Interpretation at the Chrysler Museum of Art, where he oversaw the curatorial, education, and registration departments and served as Curator of Photography. His exhibitions and essays on American art and photography examine how qualities of affect, mobility, and vision become embedded in museum spaces, the built environment, the language of the media, and specific works of art. His scholarship and exhibitions have received support from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Getty Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Feman has taught at the College of William and Mary and at Lewis and Clark College and has worked as an educator at the
Smithsonian American Art Museum. He returned to Nashville in April 2022 to lead the Frist, a nonprofit art exhibition center located on Broadway and dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities.
During a fun, cross-division lesson, students from HS History Teacher Ayesha Nawaz’s class came together to tell the story of Native American displacement to Social Studies Teacher Connie Fink’s fifth graders.
Chris Carrabba, legendary artist and father to USN students Caden ‘27 and Alexa ‘29, will perform an acoustic set on Saturday, March 29 for Music Night, our annual adult-only concert in Durnan Auditorium. Tickets are available now for this fundraiser, which supports the arts and athletics at USN.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.