After graduation, Friedman spent the beginnings of his career teaching art in high schools and colleges around Los Angeles.
During the construction of the new art center, Friedman rejected entire shipments of brick for having slightly askew glaze.
He also would repeatedly change the shade of grey or white paint in a gallery to match the corresponding art and even had crews shovel over dirty snow.
In his later years, Friedman continued to write about the art world and oversaw smaller projects such as sculpture collections at Madison Square Park.
Weinberg said of Friedman, “Martin understood that the power of a museum comes from giving voice to artists as well as showcasing their art.