The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is honored to have been awarded a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the Museums Empowered category to support a new initiative titled "Borderless Inside Out: Building a Non-hierarchical Museum Culture." The grant enables a substantial investment in professional development for the Museum’s staff and state-of-the-art upgrades to its systems and practices around digital collaboration. The three-year project will launch this month and will benefit staff across all departments. It will be led by an internal, cross-department steering committee.
“This project is aligned with our core values to ensure a collaborative and equitable internal culture and to encourage deliberate listening, learning, and sharing. But most importantly, it responds to concerns we have heard from staff across the Museum. We hope this work will help us break down silos, empower staff at all levels, and foster creativity and risk taking across the Museum,” said S. Sayre Batton, Oshman Executive Director, San José Museum of Art.
Currently, the Museum lacks standardized digital collaboration tools and unified managerial strategies to support collaboration, risk-taking, and experimentation. With this grant, the Museum can revise its Museum’s performance review practices, unify its systems for saving and sharing files on the cloud, implement trainings for all on usage of Microsoft 365 tools, and develop a more collaborative budgeting process. Streamlined systems will make more time available for staff work on cross-departmental initiatives like equity and public programs.
"As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore, and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities."
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SCIENCES
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.
SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART
The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to inclusivity, new thinking, and visionary ideas. Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, its dynamic exhibitions, collection, and programs resonate with defining characteristics of San José and the Silicon Valley—from its rich diversity to its hallmark innovative ethos. The Museum offers lifelong learning for school children and their educators, multigenerational families, creative adults, university students and faculty, and community groups. SJMA is committed to being a borderless museum, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and beyond.
SJMA is located at 110 South Market Street in downtown San José, California. The Museum is open Thursday 4–9pm; Friday 11am–9pm; and Saturday–Sunday 11am–6pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and free to members, college students, youth and children ages 17 and under, and school teachers (with valid ID). Admission is free from 6–9pm on the first Friday of every month. For up-to-date information, call 408.271.6840 or visit SanJoseMuseumofArt.org.