San Jose quilt museum in danger of closing
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – The first museum in the country dedicated to fabric arts is in danger of closing for good.
For nearly 50 years, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles has showcased art from all over the region and around the world. But now its time could be coming to an end.
In a row of other museums along the south side of San Jose’s downtown, it may be easy to miss, but for museum director Kris Jensen, his museum hits above its weight class.
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“Coming here to this museum you can see the true extent of what can be done with fibers. We have an incredible history of fiber arts here in the Bay,” Jensen said.
The museum is down to what Jensen calls a “skeleton crew,” which could force it to shut down.
“Due to the pandemic, we just haven’t been able to raise the resources we need to operate like we want to,” he said.
He says the museum needs $300,000 by this summer. It is halfway to its goal but has a ways to go.
“The funding we are asking for is to fund the staff needed to operate the museum,” he said. “We also have to maintain a collection of 1,500 pieces, and that costs money.”
The hope is if the museum can collect enough funds from the community, it can create an endowment and stay open for years to come.
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