SPRING 2026 Ransom Everglades LOG 17 place: “It was the right academic school and the neighborhood school,” Freidin said. While attending the upper school, she remembers daily walks to class and learning Photoshop in a computer lab next to the photography darkroom back in 2001 when the technology was, in her words, “pretty cutting edge.” Throughout her time at RE, Freidin gravitated towards teachers whose own creativity and rich knowledge of art inspired her, like art teacher Ellen Grant, photography teacher Sheila de Lemos and others. While the many hats Freidin now wears at the Museum of Graffiti, the Art of Hip Hop, and the Private Gallery mean that her days are often packed to the brim with pressing to-dos, she described being lucky to count on the connections she made at Ransom Everglades for help and guidance along the way. “This business would not be open without my Ransom Everglades network,” Freidin said of the Museum. She cited classmates like Jessica Katz ’03, whose own career as a regional director at Christie’s auction house inspired Freidin to carry out her transition from law to the arts. Miami attorney Christian Fong ’02 proved another invaluable resource to Freidin, who said his expertise in intellectual property law allowed her “to get the [Museum’s] doors open.” “She wasn’t afraid to pick up the phone and ask for my help,” Fong said in an email. “She knew what she wanted and what she needed, and together we got it done. That initiative says everything about her, and our RE connection certainly helped make it happen.” Since opening the museum, Freidin has also given back to the Ransom Everglades community by offering up the space for her 20-year reunion in 2023. She described it as her way of giving thanks to all the fellow Raiders who have helped her navigate her career and its many twists and turns. “It takes a village,” she said. “And I was able to look up to a lot of people.” Miami’s fortunate that Freidin’s guiding vision is that of a village that is large and welcoming. Over the years, the Museum of Graffiti, Private Gallery and Art of Hip Hop have welcomed thousands of guests from the Magic City and beyond, inaugurating many into the fascinating history of urban art and its creators. In her classmate Christian Fong’s words: “Watching the Museum of Graffiti grow from its earliest stages into what it is today has been incredibly special. Because of Allison’s vision, courage and tenacity, she transformed an idea into a global destination with worldwide appeal – right in the heart of Wynwood.” “This business would not be open without my Ransom Everglades network.” – Allison Freidin ’03 Allison Freidin ’03 (far right) with friends at commencement
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