The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is a contemporary art museum dedicated to inclusivity, new thinking, and visionary ideas. SJMA is committed to being a borderless museum, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and beyond. 

SJMA has been awarded re-accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), a recognition given to just 1,106 of the nation’s 33,000 museums and SJMA is one of only 78 museums accredited in California. With its mix of self-assessment, peer review, and public recognition, AAM Accreditation ensures the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforces the education and public service roles of museums, and requires good governance practices and ethical behavior.   

The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence. For more than 50 years, the Accreditation Program has been recognized as the gold standard of museum excellence. With its mix of self-assessment, peer review, and public recognition, AAM Accreditation helps to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforce the education and public service roles of museums and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior. As the museum field’s mark of distinction, accreditation offers high profile, peer-based validation of a museum’s operations and impact. 

The San José Museum of Art is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization located on the central city plaza in downtown San José, SJMA serves 100,000 people a year, including some 40,000 school children: SJMA is the largest provider of arts education in Santa Clara County. Initiatives such as the award-winning school program Let’s Look at Art Program and SJMA’s participatory activity stations in the galleries further distinguish the Museum as an innovator in museum education.

SUPPORT

Operations and programs at the San José Museum of Art are made possible by principal support from SJMA’s Board of Trustees, a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José, and the Lipman Family Foundation; by lead support from the Adobe Foundation, the California Arts Council, Brook Hartzell and Tad Freese, the Institute of Museums and Library Services, the Richard A. Karp Charitable Foundation, Tammy and Tom Kiely, Kimberly and Patrick Lin, Sally Lucas, Yvonne and Mike Nevens, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Skyline Foundation, and the SJMA Director's Council and Council of 100; and with significant endowment support from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and the San José Museum of Art Endowment Fund established by the Knight Foundation at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. 

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