Susan Edwards Prepares Frist Exit

Susan Edwards, the executive director and CEO of the Frist Art Museum since 2004, has told the downtown institution’s board of trustees she will retire in the coming year.

“As the Frist is always in a state of becoming, it is difficult to pinpoint a good moment to step down,” Edwards says in a statement. “During our 20th anniversary year, it seems an opportune moment to transition to the next generation of leadership. Serving the community, the mission, and the field in this position has been rewarding on every level. I remain ever grateful.”

Edwards’ time at the helm of the Frist has seen the museum steadily build its presence both in Nashville and in the broader art world. Choosing to forego a collection of its own, the museum — housed in an art deco building that formerly housed the U.S. Post Office — has hosted more than 225 exhibitions and been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It welcomed nearly 360,000 people in 2019 — finishing the year with more than 13,000 households as members — and pushed its total visitor count since opening in April 2001 to more than 4 million.

“Susan Edwards has elevated Nashville’s museum in ways we could only imagine in our early days,” says Billy Frist, chairman of the museum’s board. “Not only has she made the presentation of the visual arts and discourse surrounding them diverse and accessible during her time at the museum, she also changed lives and Nashville in the process. We are grateful she is giving us time to consider our next steps thoughtfully.”

Edwards came to Nashville after working as the executive director of Katonah Museum of Art in New York for six years and being a curator at Hunter College for more than a decade. She also has taught at New York University, Queens College/CUNY and Vanderbilt University, among others.