Hirshhorn Director

Director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden since 2014, Melissa Chiu broadens access to global artists and artworks through record-breaking exhibitions, including “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors,” opening of Hirshhorn Art School education center, and supporting digital and broadcast outreach through “Studio Hirshhorn” and a docu-series, “The Exhibit,” co-produced with MTV.  Earlier this year, the Hirshhorn launched “50 for 50,” the largest museum loans program in the U.S.  This fall, the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden reopens revitalized to engage more visitors with the art of our time. Previously, she served as Director of the Asia Society Museum in New York. Her global curatorial leadership stretches across continents, and she is known for expanding access, representation, and experimental public programming within major cultural institutions.

Managing Director,
Retail and Mixed-Use
Americas | U.S. East & U.S. Sunbelt

Hines

Timothy R. Lowery is a commercial real estate executive and is Managing Director of Retail and Mixed-Use at Hines, the global real estate investment firm. He has overseen more than ten million square feet of projects across U.S. markets. Notably, he led the CityCenterDC project, the acclaimed 2.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in downtown Washington, D.C. Under his leadership, CityCenterDC received numerous accolades including MAXI® Awards from ICSC, ADDY® American Advertising Awards, and three Emmy® Awards from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  

With a background as an internationally published commercial photographer, Timothy brings a creative lens and deep passion for the arts that have been instrumental in establishing CityCenterDC as a leader in urban art and cultural engagement, expanding the presence of the arts beyond traditional venues and into the public realm.

Timothy has been recognized outside of real estate as well, named a top Washington, D.C. Style Setter by Washingtonian Magazine, featured as one of DC Magazine’s Washington Men of Style, and a Washington Life Magazine Trendsetter. He currently holds several prominent board memberships including The Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Ballet, and Children’s National Hospital.

Fashion Editor & Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer

Robin Givhan the former senior critic-at-large for The Washington Post. Her work has also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, New York, the New Yorker and the New York Times. She’s the author of “The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History” and “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.”

In 2006, she won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her fashion coverage. In 2024, she was the recipient of the Rabkin Prize for her arts writing. She lives in Washington, DC.

Head of Communications & Marketing

Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery 

Concetta Duncan specializes in external affairs for cultural brands and institutions. She is currently Head of Communications and Marketing at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery where she has directed record-setting campaigns including the unveiling and multi-city tour of the Obama Portraits and the Portrait of a Nation Gala. She has coordinated with stakeholders including former Presidents and First Ladies, heads of state, celebrities, and thought leaders. She has served on pan-institutional branding committees for the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History and America’s 250th initiatives.  In New York, Concetta played an integral role in developing the U.S. office of a global communications agency following her time at Pace Gallery.

Throughout her career she has directed communications campaigns and events for numerous cultural organizations across the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Dubai and Hong Kong. Concetta has served as a board member of STABLE Arts, ArtTable’s Executive Committee and PERFORMA Biennial’s Advisory Council, and is a representative for the Downtown Arts & Entertainment Coalition. She is currently a member of Meridian International’s Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council. She has a BA from Connecticut College. 

Director, Irene and Richard Frary Gallery

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center

Caitlin Berry is the inaugural Director of the Irene & Richard Frary Gallery at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. Berry brings a depth of experience working with artistic communities across the museum, commercial, and academic sectors in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Before joining Hopkins, she was the inaugural director of the Rubell Museum DC, where she oversaw the launch of the new museum and established it as a hub for community and conversation.

Before the Rubell Museum DC, Caitlin was director of the Cody Gallery at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and ran an independent art advisory with international clients. Her experience in commercial art includes Hemphill Artworks, a leading art gallery in D.C. with a focus on local emerging, mid-career, and established artists and the secondary market. Specializing in the Washington Color School, Mid-Century African American Art, and Contemporary Art, Berry has also held positions at Eykyn Maclean and Cristin Tierney Gallery in New York.

She holds a post baccalaureate degree in Gallery Management and a B.A. in Communication and Art History from Wake Forest University. 

Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder,
Design Army

Chair of the Board
The One Club for Creativity

Pum Lefebure is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army. An award-winning creative director and savvy business leader, Pum has developed numerous international campaigns for high-profile clients such as the Adobe, MORPHE, Netflix, Neenah Paper, The Ritz-Carlton, PepsiCo, Saucony, Hong Kong Ballet, and the Smithsonian. Born in Thailand, she brings a global sensibility to American design—a creative point of view that draws from different cultures and resonates with diverse audiences.

Guided by an entrepreneurial edge, Pum has elevated Design Army’s reputation as a trendsetter, while establishing her own hallmark: a distinctive union of the artistic and the commercial. With a rare balance of creativity, strategic thinking, and industry savvy, she has proven that good design is the cornerstone of good business. Her thought leadership has appeared in Fast Company, the New York Times, Adweek, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, to name a few.

Pum regularly judges elite global design competitions, including Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, and Spikes Asia. She has served as jury President for Cannes Design Lions, One Show Design, AdFest, and London International Awards. Her own work has earned a plethora of awards, including D&AD, One Show, ADC, Red Dot, AIGA, SPD, and TDC, and she has lectured and led workshops around the world, from Copenhagen and Durban to Bangkok and Beijing. She currently serves as Chair of the Board at The One Club for Creativity. 

VP, Visual Merchandising

Americas GUCCI

Jeffery rejoined GUCCI in September 2024 as Vice President of Visual – Americas, having previously held similar roles at Prada, Zara and Louis Vuitton.

While at GUCCI, Jeffery oversees and executes the creativity seen in in-store displays, windows and special visual production & pop ins. While at GUCCI, Jeffery has had the pleasure to work in collaboration with his team on a plethora of activations including Dapper Dan, Adidas and The North Face. With over 10 yrs in the fashion industry, Jeffery’s creative passion is driven by collaboration, innovation, the arts and his culture.

As a proud alumnus of Marymount University in Arlington, Va., Jeffery received his B.A and immediately following his M.B.A in Strategy Marketing.

Jeffery enjoys giving back to his community and spending time volunteering at his local church, mentoring fashion school students as they transition to graduates and supporting various charities.

CMO & Director of Sales

Design Foundry

Cory Ryan Frank is the CMO and Director of Sales at Design Foundry, where for the past 13 years he has worked at the intersection of experiential design, fabrication, and client-driven storytelling. With an MFA in Theatre Design and Production, Cory brings a sharp understanding of how ideas translate into buildable, impactful structures, including multi-year collaborations with CityCenter and the widely recognized Summer Stream ribbon installation, as well as corporate, social, and nonprofit projects across the country. Cory is excited to bring his eye for craft, innovation, and buildability to this year’s judging panel.