This Museum is comprised of two buildings..one a historical former post office and the other modern.
The San Jose tourism site (
visit link) informs us:
"Recently celebrating its 40th anniversary the San Jose Museum of Art has been a showcase for contemporary West Coast collections. Its distinct voice exhibits the unique evolution of the institution from a small Richardsonian Romanesque inspired art gallery to a museum which reflects the bay area’s visual art. Not surprisingly, the museum won the prestigious MUSE award from the American Association of Museums Technology Committee in 2007 and again in 2009, but don’t feel you need to be an art major to appreciate this downtown landmark, the Museum hosts an ice rink in its courtyard each winter and is available for many private and corporate events year round."
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"The museum's historic wing was originally designed by architect Willoughby J. Edbrooke and built as the San Jose post office in 1892, then served as the city's library from 1937 to 1969. The building was then converted by The Fine Arts Gallery Association, reopening as the "Civic Art Gallery". In 1972 the building was named a California Historical Landmark (#854), and in 1973 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The "New Wing", comprising the majority of the current exhibition space, opened in 1991...
Many of the changing exhibitions at the San Jose Museum of Art focus on the West Coast and California. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, a great many exhibitions are centered on the intersection of art and technology. Exhibitions and individual installations typically remain on view between 4 to 6 months.
The Museum is open from 11 AM to 5 PM Tuesday through Sunday. Public tours are available for visitors at 1:00 PM on weekdays and at 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM on weekends, and also by appointment. Guided school tours tied to classroom curriculum are also available by appointment.
CollectionThe permanent collection focuses on 20th- and 21st-century art, with a focus on US West Coast artists and a growing emphasis on art of the Pacific Rim. The collection includes more than 2,000 works in a variety of media, including sculpture, paintings, prints, digital media, photographs, and drawings by artists such as Robert Arneson, Milton Avery, Gregory Barsamian, Joan Brown, Deborah Butterfield, Jim Campbell, Enrique Chagoya, Dale Chihuly, Ron Davis, Jay DeFeo, Roy DeForest, Tony Delap, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Rupert Garcia, Philip Guston, Oliver Jackson, Hung Liu, Michael McMillen, Manuel Neri, Long Nguyen, Manuel Ocampo, Nathan Oliveira, Deborah Oropallo, Alan Rath, Raymond Saunders, Richard Shaw, Wayne Thiebaud, Bill Viola, and William T. Wiley."