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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The director of the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden announced Tuesday she is resigning to take a new position leading the newly expanded Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Olga M. Viso, 41, has spent 12 years at the Hirshhorn, rising quickly from assistant curator to curator of contemporary art to the museum's fourth director in September 2005 at the age of 38. She will remain in the post until Dec. 31. "In the past 12 years ... I have seen the museum evolve into a vibrant hub for contemporary art, artists and ideas," Viso said. She said the museum has become a place where 700,000 visitors come to find out what's next in the world of visual art. Viso is credited with shifting the Hirshhorn's focus to more contemporary programs of international art, including more experimental work with timely exhibitions. Acting Smithsonian Secretary Cristian Samper said Viso helped expand the museum's presence in the art world. Before coming to the Smithsonian, Viso held positions at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla., and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. A nationwide search for a new director will begin immediately, said Smithsonian Under Secretary for Art Ned Rifkin.
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