Museum – Seton Melvin

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Guggenheim

Seton Melvin is the director of the brain donor program at Mount Sinai Hospital, a position she’s held since 1996. In her free time, Seton Melvin in actively involved with many art museums in New York City, including the Whitney Museum and the Guggenheim Museum.

The Guggenheim is famous in part for its iconic exterior, designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and recently identified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1943, Wright was commissioned to design a museum for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Collection, which was then held in a temporary space on 54th Street. He spent the next 15 years on the project, creating 700 sketches and six sets of working drawings for the building.

Construction began in 1956, and continued for 3 years, with the museum officially opening at the end of 1959. Tragically, Wright died 6 months before the completion. Many art critics declared that the building was as much a monument to Frank Lloyd Wright himself as it was an art museum.

You can tour the building virtually while listening to an audio guide by visiting https://www.guggenheim.org/plan-your-visit/guggenheim-from-home.

Introduction to the Cloisters

Based in New York City, Seton Melvin directs the brain donor program at Mount Sinai Hospital, and previously served as vice president of Mitsubishi Bank. In her free time, Seton Melvin sits on the directors group for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most famous art museums in the world, and most people are most familiar with the main location on Fifth Avenue, along the park. However, the museum also operates the Cloisters, a branch of the museum that highlights the art and architecture of medieval Europe.

Officially opened to the public in 1938, the Cloisters are located in Fort Tryon Park in the very north of Manhattan. The building, which overlooks the Hudson River, is the compilation of elements from medieval cloisters throughout Europe, and was designed by Charles Collens, who helped design the Riverside Church in New York City. The gardens were crafted based on horticultural information found in literature from the time, and the nearly 2,000 pieces of artwork mostly date to between the 12th and 15th centuries. The museum’s galleries were designed for a logical flow from the Romanesque through the Gothic period.

MASS MoCa Supports World Artists

A resident of New York City, New York, Seton Melvin earned her degree from Williams College where she studied political science and economics. Presently, Seton Melvin directs the Mount Sinai Hospital’s brain donor program, the first center in the USA focused on brains afflicted by clinically documented brain injuries. She also belongs to several organizations within the art industry including the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).

A center devoted to making and showcasing evocative and novel art, MASS MoCA offers indoor and outdoor performing arts venues and vast galleries. Many forms of art including theater, film, painting, sculpture, art, photography, and music are embraced at MASS MoCA.

Hundreds of the best and most innovative artists on the planet come to the center throughout the year to produce art during extended rehearsal and fabrication residencies that are subsequently showcased on site. MASS MoCA is dedicated to supporting artists in creating art that is forward-looking, fresh, and engaging while also making their visiting experience most enjoyable. Key on-campus features include a full-service restaurant, microbrewery, reasonably priced cafes, and free parking among other perks.