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Art & Culture

Melissa Chiu Appointed as Director of the Guggenheim Museum

Dr. Mariët Westermann made the announcement on Thursday

By Alexandria Sillo
Melissa Chiu in front of a monumental commission by Mark Bradford, Pickett’s Charge (2017), at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.
Melissa Chiu in front of a monumental commission by Mark Bradford, Pickett’s Charge (2017), at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. Photo: SHURAN HUANG

Dr. Melissa Chiu is stepping down from her role with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to take over as Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. In an announcement posted Thursday, Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, said Chiu will start her role in September and will be responsible for providing artistic direction and leading the operations of the museum.

Melissa Chiu standing next to a geometric art piece on a white wall, featuring intricate patterns and metallic elements.
Melissa Chiu with one of Monir Farmanfarmaian’s hallucinatory mirror and reversed painted glass works at Haines Gallery’s booth. Photo: Justin J. Wee

“I am thrilled to welcome Melissa Chiu as the next director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York,” Westermann said. “My priority has been to build an agile, collaborative leadership team across our constellation while we anticipate opening the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi soon. Melissa has an outstanding and inspiring track record of leadership in the arts, most recently as Director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. She transformed the Hirshhorn with the international and local disposition that is so special to our institution, and I look forward to working in close partnership with her.”

Chiu, who has served as director of Hirshhorn since 2014, is a native of Australia and has authored and edited several books on contemporary art. During her tenure at Hirshhorn, she increased museum attendance and increased fundraising by 75 percent. “It is an honor to be appointed Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, a singularly iconic institution that has played a vital role in shaping culture since 1959,” Chiu said. “I am delighted to join Mariët Westermann, along with my colleagues in Bilbao, Venice, and Abu Dhabi, as we build the Guggenheim of the future together. I want to thank Mariët and the Foundation’s Board of Trustees for entrusting me with this opportunity. I look forward to ensuring that the Guggenheim in New York remains a place of joy and learning about art and artists for all who visit.”