Friedman lives in Medina and has been a long-time anchor of the arts scene in Northeast Ohio. She earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design before the B.F.A. in studio art at Kent State and then did postgraduate work at Cranbrook and completed the professional M.F.A. degree at the University of Wisconsin with a focus on printmaking and book arts. She teaches (Kent State University, John Carroll, Youngstown State University, University of Akron, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Cuyahoga Community College) and has worked as a curator and a gallery director. Her talent has been recognized with grants from the Ohio Arts Council and with residencies at Culloowhee Mountain Arts (North Carolina), the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Mass., and the Glen Arbor Michigan Artist Residency.