Wellesley in Art: Interview with Maryam Eisler ’89

For the full interview, see it on Wellesley Underground.
Originally published on November 2, 2014.

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As part of Wellesley Underground’s ongoing Wellesley in Art series, WU Assistant Editor, E.B. Bartels ’10, had the chance to interview Maryam Eisler ’89. Eisler was born in Iran, left in 1978 before the Revolution, and was then raised in Paris before attending Wellesley. After receiving her BA, Eisler pursued an MBA at Columbia University, spending the first part of her career working in marketing for L’Oreal and Estée Lauder. Now, Eisler is not only a trustee of Wellesley College, but she is also co-chair of the Tate Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee, a Tate International Council member, a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery in London, as well as a member of the Guggenheim Middle East Circle. In the last five years, Eisler has contributed to four book titles, co-published by TransGlobe Publishing and Thames and Hudson, including Sanctuary: Britain’s artists and their Studios, as well as Art Studio America: Contemporary Artist Spaces. Eisler was also just voted by Artnet as one of 100 most influential women in the art world.

So how did Eisler move from business to art? WU spoke with Eisler to find that out and more.