Melissa Chiu

Melissa Chiu is the director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. She has been the museum's director since 2014 and has been instrumental in its growth and development. Prior to her tenure at the Hirshhorn, Chiu served as the chief curator of contemporary art at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She has also held positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Chiu has curated numerous high-profile exhibitions, including the museum's 2019 retrospective of artist Yayoi Kusama's "Infinity Rooms." She has also been recognized for her work in promoting diversity and inclusion in the art world. Chiu is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a master's degree in art history from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a frequent speaker and commentator on art and culture, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Artforum.