Environmental Responsibility
Support Art
Sustain Earth
Support artists, exhibitions, + climate-conscious initiatives shaping a more sustainable future.
A Museum for a Changing Planet
At the San José Museum of Art (SJMA) we recognize the urgency of the current climate crisis and are committed to minimizing our impact on climate change. We recognize the intrinsic links between environmental action, climate justice, and diversity. Through our Equity Task Force, we work to integrate an anti-oppressive lens in this work, removing implicit biases, eliminating inequitable practices, and fostering a collaborative internal and external culture rooted in the values of humility, dignity, and respect for all.
We are taking steps at both the individual and the institutional level to continually reduce the environmental impact of our work and we recognize environmental responsibility as one of the most critically urgent issues of the present. We commit to caring for our planet as we care for our visitors, our community, and our collections and pledge to do our part to build a more sustainable future for the next generations. SJMA’s Green Team consists of staff from across the institution who meet quarterly to review the Museum’s environmental commitments, share learnings, and implement new efforts.
Our climate action plan at work:
Exhibitions
- Recent exhibitions addressing climate change and environmental issues include: A Point Stretched: Views on Time, Rina Banerjee: Make Me a Summary of the World, The Darkened Mirror: Global Perspectives on Water, If Toxic Air is a Monument to Slavery, How Do We Take It Down?, Beta Space: Patty Chang and David Kelley.
- In 2022 SJMA participated in A Cool Million, a public arts initiative for climate awareness led by artists and arts institutions with the project Huldá Guzmán: Higuero.
- In 2024 SJMA’s Chief Curator, Lauren Dickens, was selected to participate in the Teiger Foundation’s Climate Action for Curators program
Education and Programs
- Environmental responsibility is a recurrent theme throughout SJMA’s cross-curricular STEAM education programs
- SJMA’s extensive arts education programs prioritize the use of found objects and repurposed materials whenever possible
- SJMA’s Art Learning Lab Journal, distributed for free to students and families, is printed on 100% recycled paper
- Environmentally themed exhibitions are frequently paired with “Walk with a Naturalist” gallery tours
- Throughout the run of Beta Space: Patty Chang and David Kelley we have offered monthly “Walk with a Naturalist” gallery tours
- Our environmental responsibility commitment is posted on a sign in the lobby with a QR code linking to further information
Galleries
- All of our gallery spaces and most of our public spaces use 100% LED lightbulbs to reduce power consumption. When LED lights are not used we use minimal impact fluorescent bulbs
- We have gone paperless for our gallery maps
- Throughout the building we use Eco-Spec Paint – a zero VOC, more biodegradable and non-toxic formula that is better for the environment, and for the people using it. We will be implementing the same or similar formula across our entire color system as we phase out older, less environmentally friendly formulas.
- When possible we are replacing vinyl with printed Falconboard panels. All of the text panels in Tending and Dreaming: Stories from the Collection, SJMA’s dedicated permanent collection galleries, use this 100% recyclable and biodegradable material. These panels are also printed with biodegradable ink.
- We have relaxed temperature and humidity requirements in the galleries per Bizot Green Protocol guidelines, now adopted by the American Association of Museum Directors. SJMA’s Collection Management Plan has a sustainability section that aligns with these guidelines.
- We have committed to reducing gallery change overs in order to limit the amount of exhibition building materials required to build new walls, pedestals and other exhibition elements.
Membership
- In 2023 SJMA switched from print to digital membership cards, thereby reducing paper waste and fossil fuel consumption
Facilities and Operations
- Anything we can reuse or recycle here we do, including large quantities of cardboard, packing materials, and the like. We make efforts to use recycled-content Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for all of our in-house construction and to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified plywood and timber
- We recycle all bulbs, including LED, florescent or otherwise in accordance with state mandates
- We reuse as much wrapping material for artwork as we possibly can including plastic, cardboard, foam, and other crating materials
- Wood products are also reused and repurposed into things like gallery furniture or other general uses
- Paint is properly stored and any discard is dried and properly disposed of
- Recycling bins for bottles, cans, paper, and plastic are placed throughout both the public and administrative areas of the Museum. In 2025 SJMA installed new recycling receptacles throughout the institution that align with California law SB 1383
- Our museum flyers are printed in-house and on-demand using recycled paper, helping to eliminate wasteful overages
- The Museum Store has supplied reusable bottles for staff to use during our gatherings, eliminating the need for paper or plastic cups
- We recycle all e-waste, anything from computers to cables
- We have implemented a plastic water-bottle ban throughout the building, and all cafe utensils and cafe take-out boxes are biodegradable
- In 2025 the Museum’s aging cooling towers were replaced with new energy-efficient models that use variable frequency controls to limit impact
Community
SJMA is an active partner with the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs’ Climate Art Program and hosted day 1 of the 2024 Climate Art Symposium at the Museum on October 11, 2024.
- SJMA Deputy Director Karen Rapp was a panelist at the 2025 Californian for the Arts Arts and Culture Summit session “Creative Climate Action: How Art and Collaborations Drive Environmental Resilience in Cities”
Oversight
- SJMA is committed to conducting regular carbon audits to assess our impact. In 2022 we completed our first carbon audit assessing the environmental impact of the single exhibition Kelly Akashi: Formations. In 2023 the carbon audit assessed the impact of all temporary exhibitions on view at the Museum. The 2024 audit took the most comprehensive look to-date including building energy consumption, off-site storage, museum store impact and education department travel.
- SJMA’s Green Team consists of staff from across the institution who meet quarterly to review the Museum’s environmental commitments, share learnings, and implement new efforts.
- In 2024 with support from Teiger Foundation SJMA leaders participated in a year of consulting with Rute Collaborative resulting in the creation of an institution-wide Climate Action Plan. The plan records accomplishments to-date and sets goals across multiple areas of operations: energy, travel/shipping; materials management; exhibitions; education and programs; policy; finance; fundraising and events; messaging and engagement; and supporting workers.
Active Member of the Gallery Climate Coalition
We are pleased to announce the San José Museum of Art has successfully qualified as an Active Member with @galleryclimatecoalition!
To achieve Active status we had to demonstrate that our organization had implemented environmental sustainability best practice in line with GCC guidance.
Active Membership is not a certification of sustainability nor a claim that we are doing things perfectly or have all the answers—none of us are at this point. We’re all doing our best to assess, report and reduce our impact, set targets in line with science, take any actions we can, and work out other solutions as we go.
We encourage all of our peers and colleagues to visit the Gallery Climate Coalition website to learn more about the initiative and how to get involved!
Artists Help Us See the World Differently
Coming soon
a small ocean swallowed
July 10, 2026 thru February 14, 2027
Part of our long-standing commitment to supporting artists and ideas that engage the defining environmental questions of our time, a small ocean swallowed brings together poetic and experimental artworks by women that explore ecological entwinement and our human relationship to water.
Opening Celebration: July 10, 6–9pm
Member Reception: July 10, 6–7pm
On View
Tending and Dreaming:
Stories from the Collection
Ongoing
There are numerous works currently on view from SJMA’s permanent collection that explore the intrinsic links between environmental action, climate justice, and diversity.
Tour
Walk with a Naturalist
Join an observation-based, scientific inquiry of works currently on display with Shelby Hendricks, group tour and family programs manager. This visual and tactile experience welcomes guests of all ages.
Visit our calendar for upcoming Walk with a Naturalist tours.
Give Today!
Please contact Matthew Keefe, director of development, at mkeefe@sjmusart.org with any questions or gift intentions.
Other Ways to Give
- Become a Member: Support SJMA year-round with free admission, member-only events, reciprocal museum benefits, and discounts in the Museum Store and Café.
- Volunteer: Share your passion for art by becoming a Museum docent, volunteer educator, or working in the Museum Store.
- Stock Gifts: Donating appreciated securities may provide significant tax advantages, including avoiding capital gains tax while receiving a charitable deduction. To notify SJMA of a stock gift, please contact development@sjmusart.org and include the name and number of shares being transferred.
- Donor-Advised Funds + Wire Transfers: To make a gift through a donor-advised fund or wire transfer, please contact development@sjmusart.org.
- Planned + Legacy Giving: Leave a lasting impact through estate gifts, beneficiary designations, or other planned giving options that help sustain SJMA for future generations.
- Gifts of Property or Art: Donations of artwork, real estate, jewelry, or other property may provide meaningful support for SJMA’s mission and programs. Please contact the development office to discuss opportunities.
