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San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles facts for kids
SJMQT
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| Established | 1977 |
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| Location | 520 S. First Street, San Jose, California 95113 United States  |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collections | textiles, fiber arts |
| Collection size | 1,000 |
| Public transit access | Santa Clara station (VTA) San Jose Diridon station |
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is a special art museum located in Downtown San Jose, California, USA. It opened in 1977. This museum was the very first in the United States to focus only on quilts and textiles as a form of art. The museum has a large collection of over 1,000 quilts, clothes, and textiles from different cultures. It mostly features art from the 1900s and 2000s. There is also a library with over 500 books about the history and methods of making these crafts.
Contents
History of the Museum
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles (SJMQT) started in 1977. It was first called the American Museum of Quilts and Related Arts. It was founded in Los Altos, California by the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association. In 1986, it became a nonprofit museum. This means it works for the public good, not to make money. A group of people called a board of trustees managed it.
The museum moved several times over the years. In 2005, it found its permanent home in San Jose's SoFA (South First Area) Arts District. This building is about 13,000 square feet. Before its current name, it was known as the American Museum of Quilts & Related Arts. Later, it became the American Museum of Quilts & Textiles. In 1998, it officially became the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles.
At first, the museum's collection mainly had quilts from the 1800s and 1900s. These were given by the people who started the museum. By 1999, the museum received the Porcella Collection. This added many ethnic textiles and garments, making the collection one-third larger. Today, the museum's permanent collection has over 1,500 items. In 2017, for its 40th anniversary, the museum received the Marbaum Collection. This was a gift from Marvin Fletcher and his late wife.
What You Can See: Exhibitions
The museum shows art from all over the world. It focuses on how people use textiles to share their stories and ideas. Many artists featured at the museum use new technology with old fiber art traditions. Exhibitions and special displays usually stay for about three months.
Past exhibitions have shown works by modern Bay Area fiber artists. They have also explored international cultural traditions and how they are expressed today.
Programs and Activities
The museum wants to connect with the local community. It has created programs for people to join and learn more about quilts and textiles. Some programs are run by the museum itself, like their free community open houses. Other programs are made with artists and other nonprofit groups.
Artist in Residence Program
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles started its Artist in Residence (AIR) program in October 2016. This program hosts an artist or a group of artists for three months. They get an open studio and exhibition space inside the museum's Maker Space and Gallery. For visitors, the AIR program offers workshops. These workshops teach different styles and methods used in textile making.
Many talented artists have been part of this program. Some past artists include Amy Ahlstrom, Cristina Velázquez, Laurie Shapiro, Heather Deyling, RoCoCo, The Rhinoceros Project (Michelle Wilson and Anne Beck), Liz Harvey, Alise Anderson, Margaret Timbrell, Lisa Solomon, Alexander Hernandez, Amber Imire, Tricia Royal, Mung Lar Lam, and Christine Meuris.