Olga Viso is a prominent American museum director and curator, recognized for her leadership in contemporary art institutions. Her career has spanned over two decades, during which she has held significant roles at major museums, contributing to the acquisition, exhibition, and interpretation of modern and contemporary art.
Viso served as the Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2017. During her tenure, she oversaw the museum's curatorial vision, educational programs, and institutional growth, emphasizing a global perspective on contemporary art. Prior to the Hirshhorn, she was the Director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 2007 to 2012, where she had previously served as Deputy Director and Curator of Contemporary Art starting in 1995. At the Walker, she was instrumental in commissioning and presenting new works, particularly in performance and media art.
Before her roles at the Walker Art Center, Viso held positions at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, and the National Museum of American Art (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum) in Washington, D.C. She is known for her advocacy for living artists, her commitment to diverse artistic voices, and her strategic approach to museum leadership in the 21st century. Her curatorial projects have often focused on interdisciplinary practices and artists from Latin America and other underrepresented regions.