Melissa Chiu Appointed Guggenheim New York Director as Museum Expands Global Constellation
This September, Melissa Chiu will take on the role of director at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, transitioning from her position at the Hirshhorn Museum, where she has served since 2014. Mariët Westermann, the Guggenheim's director and CEO, sought strong leadership in light of the museum's global expansion, particularly with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi set to open next January. With Chiu's appointment, all four Guggenheim museums will be headed by women. During her tenure at the Hirshhorn, she raised around $250 million, expanded the development team, and managed a $70 million redesign of the sculpture garden by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Additionally, she curated the 2017 Yayoi Kusama exhibition, which drew nearly 160,000 visitors. Previously, she led the Asia Society in New York in the mid-2000s.
Key facts
- Melissa Chiu appointed director of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York starting September
- Chiu leaves position as director of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden since 2014
- Mariët Westermann conducted search personally without using a search firm
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi scheduled to open next January
- All four Guggenheim museums now led by women directors
- Chiu raised approximately $250 million during her 12-year Hirshhorn tenure
- Hirshhorn sculpture garden redesign by Hiroshi Sugimoto budgeted near $70 million
- 2017 Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Hirshhorn attracted nearly 160,000 visitors
Entities
Artists
- Melissa Chiu
- Mariët Westermann
- Richard Armstrong
- Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Karole P. B. Vail
- Miren Arzalluz
- Stephanie Rosenthal
- Katya Kazakina
- Yayoi Kusama
- Hans Berg
- Nathalie Djurberg
- Rachael Champion
- Rodney McMillian
- David Altmejd
- Rashid Johnson
- Tony Lewis
- Donna Huanca
- Ha Chong-Hyun
- Jose Davila
- Alex Israel
- Ahmed Alsoudani
- Matt Saunders
- Agnieszka Kurant
- Ragnar Kjartansson
- Justin Matherly
- Ed Atkins
- Katherine Bernhardt
- Jordan Wolfson
- Antoine Catala
- Secundino Hernandez
- Reynier Leyva Novo
- Mika Tajima
- Michael E. Smith
- Eduardo Basualdo
- Dean Levin
- Neil Beloufa
- Harold Ancart
- Ivan Argote
- Ali Banisadr
- Aaron Garber-Maikovska
- Eileen Quinlan
- Avery Singer
- Davide Balula
- Sam Falls
- Peggy Guggenheim
- Carol Bove
- Theaster Gates
- Mika Rottenberg
- Laurie Anderson
- Dread Scott
- Danica Lundy
- Mary Anne Unger
- Lonnie Bunch III
- Aaron Seeto
- J. Tomilson Hill
- Mark Grotjahn
- Lauren Halsey
- Lonnie G. Bunch III
- Yuqian Fan
- Kim Sajet
- Stephanie Stebich
- Kevin Young
- Solomon R. Guggenheim
- Kandinsky
- Picasso
- Pollock
- Rothko
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Joseph Hirshhorn
- Alice de Monaco
- Donald Trump
- Mark Bradford
- Ai Weiwei
- Lauren Stakias
- Todd Quinn
- Juan Ignacio Vidarte
- Monir Farmanfarmaian
- Justin J. Wee
Institutions
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
- Guggenheim Museum New York
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- Smithsonian Institution
- Asia Society
- Mellon Foundation
- New York University
- Artnet News
- Thames and Hudson
- Washington Post
- Broad Museum
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- National Mall
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Guggenheim Foundation
- Asia Society Museum
- MTV
- Smithsonian Channel
- Hyperallergic
- Smithsonian
- Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
- Guggenheim Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- Milwaukee Art Museum
- New York Times
- ArtAsiaPacific
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- University of Western Sydney
- Gallery 4A
- 4A Center for Contemporary Asian Art
- The Guardian
- Le Journal des Arts
- Château de Breteuil
- Château du Haut-Buisson
- Cathédrale de Saint-Brieuc
- Musée-aquarium d'Arcachon
- Seattle Art Museum
- Mystic Seaport Museum
- The Times
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Western Sydney University
- University of New South Wales Faculty of Fine Arts
- MIT Press
- Harvard
- Yale
- Columbia
- MoMA
- Haines Gallery
- Galerie Magazine
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- Bilbao
- Spain
- Venice
- Italy
- Washington D.C.
- Hong Kong
- China
- Houston
- Texas
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Seattle
- Washington
- Los Angeles
- California
- Toronto
- Canada
- Cleveland
- Ohio
- New York City
- Washington, DC
- Manhattan
- National Mall
- Australia
- Washington, D.C.
- Milwaukee
- Washington DC
- Sydney
- Vallée de Chevreuse
- Sarthe
- Monaco
- Saint-Brieuc
- Arcachon
- France
- Darwin
- Northern Territory
- St. Louis
- Connecticut
- Western Sydney
- New South Wales