Overview
- The foundation, which announced the appointment Thursday, set Chiu’s start for September 1.
- Current director Mariët Westermann will step back to run the foundation’s museums in Bilbao and Venice and the new outpost under construction in Abu Dhabi.
- Chiu leaves the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn, where she has led since 2014, raised about $250 million, tripled the board, and guided a sculpture garden redesign slated to open in October.
- Her exit is the fourth by a Smithsonian museum chief since President Trump returned to office, after White House moves to curb diversity efforts and fault exhibits on race, gender, and immigration.
- The hire fills a job left open since 2023 and locks in the split between the foundation chief and the New York museum director.