Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden director Dr. Melissa Chiu will leave her post to become the director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Chiu, who has led the Hirshhorn since 2014, will leave the Washington museum on August 31st after 12 years in the role. She will begin at the Guggenheim on September 1st, where she will oversee its artistic direction and operations.
The move marks a major leadership change for two prominent U.S. art institutions. At the Hirshhorn, Chiu is credited with overseeing a period of growth and expanded public engagement. She played a key role in strengthening the museum’s standing in modern and contemporary art while broadening its audience and advancing its support for artists, scholarship, and public programming.
Dr. Chiu also helped to boost the Hirshhorn’s fundraising, grow its collection, and expand its digital and educational work. Her tenure included laying the groundwork for the revitalization of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, which is 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,” Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said in a statement. “We are grateful for her leadership and wish her continued success in this next chapter.”
In a statement, Dr.Chiu said it had been “an honor” to work with the museum’s staff, artists, and partners. “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,” she added.
Deputy Director Aaron Seeto will serve as interim director of the Hirshhorn during the transition.
At the Guggenheim, Chiu’s appointment was announced by Mariët Westermann, director and chief executive of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Westermann said Chiu’s arrival represents an important step in the continuing development of the foundation and its network of museums in New York, Venice, Bilbao, and its upcoming Abu Dhabi venue.
