Frank Feltens Named Chief Curator of Seattle Art Museum
6July 6, 2026
TheSeattle Art Museum(SAM) has appointedFrank Feltenschief curator, effective August 17. Feltens arrives to the institution from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, where he was associate director for curatorial affairs and curator of Japanese art. He succeedsJosé Carlos Diaz, whodeparted last autumnto serve as senior director of curatorial affairs and chief curator at thePérez Art Museum Miami.
Feltens joined he National Museum of Asian Art in 2016, rising to his most recent position in July 2025. While there, he curated group shows, including “Imagined Neighbors: Japanese Visions of China, 1680–1980” (2024) and “Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan” (2022), as well as solo shows, including a 2021 Hokusai exhibition. He curated “From Kiyochika to Hasui: Modern Japan in Prints and Photographs,” a group show drawing from museum’s collection and presented at Tokyo’s Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum in this year. In his new role at SAM, Feltens will shape the curatorial vision, collections, and programming across theSeattle Art Museum, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the Olympic Sculpture Park.
“Frank is exactly the kind of visionary leader we were looking for at this moment in SAM’s history,” said SAM director and CEO Scott Stulen said in a statement. “He brings an exceptional combination of deep scholarship, collaborative leadership, and ambitious thinking about what museums can be. Throughout the search, Frank impressed us with his curiosity, preparation, and genuine enthusiasm about Seattle—from spending time in our galleries listening to visitors to sharing thoughtful ideas about how SAM can build on its strengths while creating new opportunities for artists, audiences, and our community.”