Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee (Ph.D) 李林嘉敏 is an arts and culture leader with research interests in public art and social practice.

She is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Chinese Canadian Museum, which was successfully opened on July 1st 2023, showcasing 3 inaugural exhibitions in a 27,000 square foot space in the heart of Chinatown. Since it’s opening, the museum has presented six featured exhibitions at its main location and its two temporary sites in Vancouver and Victoria and offered numerous in-person and online programs to communities across Canada.

From 2019-2022, she was the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Vancouver Art Gallery. In this position, she oversaw public programs designed for diverse audiences of all ages to enhance the understanding of the Gallery’s over 12,000-piece art collection and of travelling contemporary and modern exhibitions.

From 2016-2019 she was on the founding team to open Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Art, Hong Kong—a UNESCO heritage site—serving as the Education and Public Programs Curator and led over 200 programs with a robust team of full-time staff and part-time docents. In 2016, she was the Scholar in Residence at the David Lam Centre, Simon Fraser University. From 2008-2015, she was on faculty as Senior Lecturer at the English Department of Chinese University of Hong Kong.

She was born on  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwu7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories in Vancouver, Canada. She holds degrees from McGill, Canterbury and Lancaster Universities.