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Melissa Chiu leaves the Hirshhorn to direct the Guggenheim in New York
Melissa Chiu has announced her departure as director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., to assume the directorship of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, effective September 1. Her appointment is part of a broader restructuring of the Guggenheim Foundation, which is preparing for the opening of its new headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Chiu arrived at the Hirshhorn in 2014 and, for more than a decade, has spearheaded a significant transformation of the museum, solidifying its position as one of the most dynamic spaces dedicated to modern and contemporary art in the United States. Prior to this, she held senior positions at the Asia Society Museum in New York, where she also developed internationally focused art programs.
Her appointment to the Guggenheim coincides with a new organizational phase. The foundation's current director and CEO, Mariët Westermann, will reduce her responsibilities at the New York museum to focus on overseeing the network of institutions that make up the global organization—New York, Venice, Bilbao, and the future branch in Abu Dhabi.
From his position as chairman of the board of trustees, J. Tomilson Hill highlighted Chiu's ability to lead complex institutions with both a local and global vision, emphasizing his key role in revitalizing the Hirshhorn. Similarly, the Smithsonian Secretary of State, Lonnie G. Bunch III, praised his leadership in strengthening the museum's role as a national institution and for his support of diverse artists, researchers, and audiences.
For his part, Chiu described his time in Washington as an “honor,” highlighting his collaborative work with the museum team and his commitment to expanding ways of connecting with audiences. While the transition is being formalized, the current deputy director, Aaron Seeto, will assume the interim directorship of the Hirshhorn.
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