Anything Goes | Ellen L. Meyer

When and where are you most happy?

In the company of good friends around a fabulous dinner table or in Venice, Italy, in the presence of lush architecture and the sea, doing just about anything.

What characteristic do you most like about yourself?

An insatiable sense of curiosity and adventure.

And what do you like least?

My unstoppable appetite for chocolate—the bitter, the better.

What was the last book you read?

The White Cascade by Gary Krist.

Who would you most like to meet?

The Dalai Lama.

What are you going to be when you grow up?

A master chef of French-Chinese fusion cooking that challenges gastronomic sensibilities.

Who has most inspired you?

A close friend in Minneapolis, who seems to have hailed from another planet.

Who is your favorite artist?

The German artist Anselm Kiefer who, in my view, is the most important artist of the latter twentieth century and who continues his breakthrough work in 2010.

What are you most proud of?

Fostering young artists and designers, who always amaze me by their ability to approach their work with openness and courage—and my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Why Nashville?

Nashville has given me the opportunity to lead a very exciting college of art, design and film.

What do you like most about the city?

It is creative and lively, with great authenticity and immense potential. It’s also very pretty and has super, aware people living here.

What do you like least?

I would love to see greater diversity in the population.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d be exercising daily.

An embarrassing moment you would most like to forget?

Staring down Madonna in a small New York restaurant.

Are you happy with where you’re heading?

Yes.

What’s your mantra?

Be authentic, make a difference, play with ideas, and have fun.

What’s it like being you these days?

I’m an explorer in my new city.

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d like to dance in a major modern dance company.

What is your most treasured possession?

A four-foot-high, student-created, sculptured dog with graffiti proclaiming comfort!

What is your greatest regret?

Arriving at the Museum of Modern Art five minutes after it closed.

You have five minutes left to live; what are you going to do?

Scuba dive off a barrier island in South Carolina.

What changes would you like to see in Nashville?

A broader interest in contemporary visual art, alongside music.

Ellen L. Meyer serves as president of Watkins College of Art, Design & Film. As Watkins’ president, she brings a lifelong commitment to the arts and art education. Ms. Meyer previously served as president of Atlanta College of Art for fourteen years with many accomplishments to her credit.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Meyer was Director of Continuing Education and Special Programs at Rhode Island School of Design and Vice President of Marketing and Extension at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her wide and varied experience in the arts, art education, and arts management includes five years as a practicing ceramist, college gallery director, an instructor in art history, director of a ceramics program for the National Parks Service, and researcher and lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution. President Meyer is an active member of the art, design, and business communities locally, regionally, and nationally.