Knowledge Friday with Tom Freston

“I Want My MTV!” Our Knowledge Friday kicks off this summer season by welcoming MTV cofounder and media mogul Tom Freston! The local bestselling author, anti-poverty advocate, and esteemed board member of several arts and media institutions, invites audiences to peer into his life and experiences as captured in his book UNPLUGGED: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A and book signing. Copies of Unplugged will be available for purchase through our community bookseller Book Hampton.

Travelling through Europe and Asia before starting a lucrative clothing export business in Afghanistan and India, Freston was immersed in a diverse cultural landscape before he returned to the United States and landed himself a job with the team that would develop MTV. Overseeing legendary networks like MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, and others, Freston’s unique career lent itself to a massive cultural impact that transformed our social landscape.

This Knowledge Friday has been programmed in tandem with our Summer Exhibition THIS LAND: Considering the American Landscape, which can be viewed June 21 – September 6 during our exhibition hours 11 AM – 5 PM, Thursday-Monday.