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Melissa Ho

Melissa Ho is the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s curator of 20th-century art; she joined the museum’s staff in September 2016. She is responsible for research, acquisitions and exhibitions related to the museum’s collections, focusing on art made since 1945. Ho is particularly concerned with studying the connections between artistic practice and social and historical conditions. She is also interested in debates surrounding abstraction, conceptualism and experimental art.

Stories from this author

Jesse Treviño speaking in front of guests. His artwork "Mi Vida" is projected behind him.

Remembering Artist and Veteran Jesse Treviño

A tribute to the photorealist painter and Vietnam War veteran who left an indelible mark on his hometown San Antonio

Yayoi Kusama,

The Lost Kusamas

Discovering four watercolors by Yayoi Kusama in SAAM's Joseph Cornell Study Center

Martha Rosler,

American Art and the Vietnam War

Curator Melissa Ho reflects on what drew her to the subject matter for her upcoming exhibition exploring how American artists responded to the turbulence of the Vietnam War.