Melissa Chiu announced today that she will step down as director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden after 12 years of leadership, as she prepares to join the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City as its next director.
Since joining the Hirshhorn in 2014, Chiu has guided the museum through a period of growth, innovation and expanded public engagement. Under her leadership, the Hirshhorn strengthened its position as a leading institution for modern and contemporary art, broadened its audiences and deepened its commitment to artists, scholarship and public programming.
Chiu also played a key role in strengthening fundraising efforts and expanding the museum’s collection, while advancing digital and educational initiatives and laying the groundwork for the revitalization of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, scheduled to reopen in fall 2026.
“Melissa has guided the Hirshhorn with thoughtfulness and purpose, strengthening its role as a national museum while supporting artists, scholars and the public,” said Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. “We are grateful for her leadership and wish her continued success in this next chapter.”
“It has been an honor to work alongside the talented staff, artists and partners who make the Hirshhorn such a dynamic institution,” Chiu said. “Together, we have expanded how the museum engages with audiences here in Washington and across the country. I am proud of what we have built and confident in the museum’s path forward.”
Chiu will depart the Hirshhorn Aug. 31. Deputy Director Aaron Seeto will serve as interim director to ensure continuity during the transition.
About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time—free to all. The Hirshhorn Museum is open Mondays noon–5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays–Sundays 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.