San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

This place is very welcoming. The staff are super friendly and genuinely happy people, and they were honestly the highlight of visiting this museum. The reason for my 3-star review is that there were no quilts on display, which was the sole reason why I went. I understand that exhibits rotate, but I feel there should be a year-round staple of quilts on display in at least a small part of the museum since "quilts" appears before "textiles" in the title of this establishment. I always support the arts, so I don't regret going. I was told there will be quilts coming in September, but I live in OC. There was ample street parking when I went, and you don't need more than an hour inside (it's a small museum).

Their permanent collection is quite beautiful. And the exhibitions always bring new charms.

The highlight of my trip to the Bay Area! It is on the smaller side, but incredibly well curated. I spent over an hour here. Your mileage may vary depending on your level of enthusiasm for textiles. I especially loved "You May Recognize Yourself," a show of mostly monochrome sewn portraits of women seen from the back, made of household textiles of the type that may have historically been found in a dowry, like tablecloths and bed linen. I did indeed recognize myself. Recommend for everyone who enjoys art, textiles, sewing, or crafts.

Small museum featuring thematic exhibits, all quilts during our visit. The Quilt National '21 works were featured, along with a few other pieces. Some were visually stunning, others with gorgeous handmade textiles or even paper, still others displayed incredible quilting craftsmanship. Most artists specified the meaning or message of their work, which deepened out appreciation. We took our time, then visited the gift shop (quilts, jewelry, scarves), bought stuff, in about 1.5 hrs. Worthy of a visit. We used our local library's 'Discover & Go" program and visited for free, but funded our visit with purchases.

Cute little Museum, if you sew in any capacity you will appreciate their pieces. They had some really cool pieces especially in the back rooms. They also had a small shop to get some interesting gifts. We found some easy parking on the street but I can imagine that it is difficult at peak times. The front desk person was very kind and approachable.

For those hesitating at the entrance, this museum is definitely worth the 10 bucks. An example how a gallery of modern art should look like. A must do for everybody in the area interested in art.

I attended a special event with Adam Savage. I had an opportunity to view the incredible array of quilts on display and was absolutely impressed with the gallery's use of its spaciousness. Would love to have my fiber work there on display there someday!

Tiny and VERY compelling. I don't really know how to deconvolve the particular exhibits that were there from the museum at large, as it's my first time, but their choices of exhibits were absolutely phenomenal. The pictures simply don't do them justice, but they all had a presence of their own, saying and whispering and singing and showing you lifetimes of stories.

We came here to see the exhibit called 25 million stitches and it was really impressive. The visitors we brought along are quilt enthusiasts, so they were a bit disappointed initially that the quilts had been taken down, but the quality of this exhibit is so great they ended up loving it. This museum is a small treasure!

If you had told me I would be going to a Quilt and Textiles museum a few years ago, I would have bet against it. Well... here I am. This is on the same block as a couple of other smaller museums. Quilts and textiles are a form of artist and quite interesting it turns out. We spent an hour here and it was educational and enjoyable. Really nice staff.

Don't know why I love checking museum on a raining day? Perhaps it's so relaxing to glaze at art and figuring out what the artist was thinking while making that particular piece of art. I tried making quilts (just the basic easy square ones) in high school. It was a lot of work, making sure the square patterns stay aligned with one other. The quilts at this museum were amazing, pay attention to the details!!

Nice little textile and quilt museum on First Street. Street Parking has meters that still take coins or cards. Didn't need much only put a half hour on meter and that was sufficient They have a small gift shop Admission $10 They offer discounts for students, teachers and seniors They change out pieces every few months

Quilts and textile art aren't usually my thing, but this gallery was pretty nice. Actually stood out as one of the better ones on this street for the First Friday Art Walk.

WOW! I did NOT think a QUILT could be so moving, contemporary, or relatable! Simply splendid! The two large rooms of this amazing juried quilt exhibit should be visited SOON! The exhibit ends on APRIL 16th, and YOU SHOULD NOT MISS this chance to see how dynamics QUILTS and FABRIC can be! I wished I could be in a room simultaneously with these quilters. The quilts are so varied, but the very human messages behind their creation are so similar. The humanity of this artwork is exemplary. GO. Go NOW!

This is such a delightful place to spend part of an afternoon. It took a friend and I just over an hour but we enjoyed every piece in the museum and the staff is super friendly

No more "free part of the museum" like the other review mentioned. For $10 per person, this is the lowest ROI on any museum ai can think off.

The free part of the museum is 4.5 stars. There's usually an artist in residency and you can check out their work. The actual gallery they charge for was meh. It was pretty small and I thought it should have been free given most of the artists are not well known. There are plenty of free galleries with great work like Pace and the nearby Museum of Contemporary Latin Art.

Went to SJ Museum of Quilts & Textiles for SOFA Fri 6/4/10. They are having a cool show called "Hawaii's Alfred Shaheen: Fabric to Fashion". He was a Lebanese engineer that started in 1948 w/ a dream & 4 seamstresses. HE built his own equipment, created own dyes, etc. He was the largest Hawaiian clothing manufacturer from the 50s - 70s. NO Photos allowed because it's all copyrighted. They had a wall w/ 21 Hawaiian shirts, lots of Hawaiian dresses, fabrics hanging on the wall too. Another room had Hawaiian quilts on the wall. Separate bathrooms available. There were some Hawaiian dancers performing out front their door. Pretty cool. I enjoyed it.

The museum was very well organized and had great pieces on the wall. The gift shop was really unique and all things were hand made! Wish it was a little bigger, but overall it was in a good location and enjoyed the surrounding businesses and environment!

I visited the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles for the Elite event and since my mom loves to quilt, I thought she would like to check out the museum. The exhibit was displaying a collection of Japanese quilts and they were beautiful. I enjoyed the different textures and colors the quilts had and the quilt work was intricate. Overall, the museum displayed some stunning quilts and I really enjoyed the gift shop. The space is on the smaller side. They do not let any space go to waste; they even have a quilt displayed in their bathroom! Thank you for letting me and my mom visit and we had a great time.

We stumbled in while at First Fridays. I thought it was going to be boring quilts. Not even close. So impressed with the current exhibit - cut paper, use of a wide variety of textiles I would have never considered. Worth a visit. Bravo.

The current exhibition, 'Changing Landscape: Contemporary Chinese Fiber Art', is pretty rad. After walking around the museum for a bit I said to my friend, "I usually don't like this museum, but this show is pretty cool. Maybe it's because there aren't any quilts? Supposedly it's the first Chinese fiber art show ever in the U.S. I find that hard to believe especially considering Chinese people live in the U.S. The cookies were really good at the opening reception! Oatmeal, double chocolate, and chocolate chip. They tend to have some of the best free refreshments.

What a gem of a museum! Mr Rinky and I took my mom to the original museum about 20+ years ago. It was a teeny tiny place in a different location. This time around we went with our friends, D,J & J. We used our library's Discover and Go passes and got in free. The current exhibit features original Amish quilt and modern Amish themed quilts. We were totally blown away by the details and craftsmanship, especially the older quilts--some over 100 years old. (See my pix) The space is great--roomy and well laid out. I can't wait to see future exhibits here! Sweet gift shop with quilt bookmarks for 25 cents to books, scarves, earrings, necklaces, and quilts that cost a bit more than 25 cents. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Street parking was easy--what more can one ask for?

Haha, I admit, there's a whole bunch of old ladies who come here, and I got a bunch of funny looks. This has been in all the travel brochures and I've been finding a right time to visit for awhile now. I was pleasantly surprised. I've never seen quilts and textiles as anything more than just for their practical use before I came. They have some gorgeous pieces here, and the exhibits change pretty frequently. Some of the garments they have on display, I would buy! First Friday of the month is FREE and there's checkin offer for a nice bag which is REALLY useful! Will definitely be back!

Surprisingly good. I got dragged her by my wife during our staycation and I expected it to be a horrible bore. I expected to see a bunch of dowdy quilts made by the nuns where my parents used to work, but in fact these were actually impressive works of art that could be legitimately be displayed at conventional art museums. Of particular interest was the room with clothing made from salvaged materials, with the accompanying display which depressingly lays out the cost - human and environmental - that goes into the production of clothing. I told my wife, "ha! you shouldn't have made me throw out those holey socks and torn up underwear or my old Metallica t-shirt". It's worth a visit. Look for the free ticket opportunities through your public library, as the admission price seemed a little steep for the size of the museum.

The Museum staff is very friendly and helpful. The exhibits are not always traditional. I remember last month they had a quilt that looked like a giant tortilla! It's fun to see the artists use quilts to express themselves. On South First Fridays of each month, admission is free and the Etsy.com team holds a crafting event that night. They would like you to RSVP by EventBrite, but they will let you in if you ask. You can see the craft items in the pictures that I posted. The sign up page is linked in the calendar section of the website.

I lived in the area for five years (grew up east bay) and had no idea this treasure was 15 minutes from my house. After my first visit I grabbed my fella and took him to share the experience. This place is small but wonderful. They are an active museum offering plenty of classroom enrichment, lectures, special events... I look forward to introducing more people to this fantastic little gem of a museum.

Walked through the front during normal business hours to find no one at the front desk. Took myself on a self guided tour of the exhibits, which were paltry, but interesting. While perusing the gift shop, someone came from a back room asking how we had got into the building. I put down my purchases, after she shrilly told us that they were closed, and demanded to know how we had found ourselves inside. Then, she showed us to the newly locked door, and pretended we must have floated through the walls because we couldn't have simply walked in. I would have spent a fortune on silly earrings and donated to the museum. Don't bother wasting your time. The staff isn't welcoming and the three rooms have minimal exhibits.

Don't miss the Beautiful quilted art exhibit by Denise Labadie "Stone Portraits and Sacred Stonescapes". It is so unusual, and inspiring work.

I had been wanting to go to this museum for quite awhile, because I am a quilter and had run across their website and heard about them for years. yesterday, I grabbed up Mom and we drove up. After an initial problem in finding the museum, we fed the parking meter in front and ambled inside for a look. The bored cashier was eager enough to take our 6.50 admission price (5.00 for seniors), but mostly she and her counterpart in the museum store were bored and more bored. I guess that this might be because Mom and I were the only people in the museum. It was nice to have the museum to ourselves. Down one hallway and around the walls of the first room on the left were 15 quilts of Dorothy Vance, a quilter from Berkeley who had an eye for both stitchery, political humor and quilting. You could track her progress from the early quilts made for children or grandchildren to the politcial satire quilts such as "Call Me Doctor". I love the Quilt titled "People of the Cloth" which included ministers and such with a small, but pithy saying of each. What was amazing was the breadth of ministers included from St. Barnabas to the minister from the Simpsons. It's easy to see how this quilt won a third prize at the 2004 Marin Quilt & Needle Arts Show. Through the double doors, in two gallery spaces was the exhibit, "Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches". This was an exhibit of extreme knitting, using all sorts of materials (wire, plastic bags, felt, yarn) to express all sorts of themes (rage against the war, powerlessness, hopefulness, sexism). This is a very powerful exhibit, but it not for the squeamish. One of my favorite pieces was by Blanka Sperkova, "Madonna of the New Age" which was a large metal knitted woman, suspended in air. Because she is somewhat transparent, you can see that she is pregnant. The last large gallery space held an exhibit of Batiks and figures called, "In Javanese Moonlight: Sha Sha Higby" . The Batiks were very fine and the figures were absolutely stunning. We were given on program when we walked in and reading it gave us more information and background behind the pieces. It's too bad there weren't more places to sit and read the program. I see now that I should have returned the program when we left. The museum gift store was disappointing. Usually I like to buy a catalog of the exhibits, because I like to revisit the visuals in my mind. If i can't find a catalog, I like to buy some postcards. The museum didn't have either for sale. The did have handcrafted quilts and beads and nice things, but ... we both left without buying anything. On the way out, we went into an alcove and discovered the Hausner Coral Reef exhibit made by the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School seventh grade class. Not only was it beautiful, but it was accompnied by a notebook of impressive research by the students. I loved the fact that they used art, hands, mind, research, and electronic publishing to pull together their knowledge and concern about the coral reefs. One part of the "reef" (made entirely of yarn) was vibrant and living, while another part was white on white or dying and dead. For a little more information and small photos of the Coral Reef: http://www.theiff.org/exhibits/iff-e14.html So, let's recap. I really liked the exhibits, but I was disappointed by the museum's size (more, I wanted MORE!!), and I wanted more quilts, of course. I loved the Coral Reef, but wasn't crazy about the museum store or it's employees. I thought the museum guide was helpful, but wanted more places to sit and read it. Will I come back? Maybe to see a different set of exhibits!

My mother in law is a quilter. When she visited us, I took her to this quilt museum. It's a small museum with some quilt works & clothings. I enjoyed it though I felt that i needed to more works after driving all the way down herr. Mother in law seemed to enjoy the ones at the museum shop & some quilting works in the lady's room :) If we are in the area, I would visit again to see if they have more works but I wouldn't drive all the way down to San Jose just to visit this museum.

My friend took me here recently. I'm not really a fan of textiles, but I do like to learn about other cultures. I was impressed by the place. The displays where really interesting, and unique like you'd find in a larger national museum. I enjoyed the visit and would go back to see new exibits.

I wouldn't have gone to this museum unless the world famous Hausner Crocheted Coral Reef Opening was not there. The place was ok, but the Hausner crocheted coral reef was amazing and definitely made the trip worth wile. The crocheted coral reef was phenomenal and the students and the science teacher (Mr. Harms) from Hausner should be very, very proud. I give the museum 3 stars but the Crocheted Coral Reef 5 stars!

While I had been excited to check this place out I was a little worried the group with me wouldn't appreciate it as much as I wanted them too. That said, they spent a fair amount of time in the exhibit and actually looked through everything. A lot of the items in here just baffle my mind when it comes to how they were made and the amount of thought and planning that has to go into making patterns or images. The place also makes you fight the urge to touch them, as I really wanted to touch them, but I couldn't.

Where the past and future come together. See very cool exhibits while engaging in fun activities with fun people.Truly a treasure, this museum. Easily accessed and in close proximity to other great places to eat and see. Enjoy!

I thought the exhibits were really interesting. I loved reading the informative on the wall. What I was disappointed was how little was up from their permanent collection. There were only about 3-4 quilts on display.

I've followed this little gem of a museum around downtown since the '80s and it's always worth a visit. Nice space, well lit exhibits and enough room to show 2-3 dozen quilts at a time. Exhibits range from traditional to modern, both on the forefront of textile art while maintaining connections to its roots. We had no difficulty finding metered street parking on a weekend, and there is excellent coffee, food, and a brewery within easy walking distance. With a visit, and worth keeping track of their changing exhibits!

I think this Museum is so amazing that I have volunteered my time to be on it's Board for the past 5 years. As the only textile museum in the Bay Area, it is a invaluable resource--through this Museum we are able to see and appreciate quilts, weavings, and fiber art of all kinds from the historical to the modern--the variety and range is impressive. I love being able to see all kinds of fiber art up close and learn more about the artists who make such extraordinary work. I've been a quilter for over 30 years and I still learn new things when I attend the programs here. And I love the unique items in the Museum store and find it to be a great place to buy gifts of all kinds. New exhibits are presented throughout the year so there's always a reason to come back. Make a day of it and enjoy the nearby museums and galleries and grab something to eat--new restaurants are opening all the time within a few blocks.

I would give the museum 4 stars for their exhibits and programs, but I'm only giving it one star because of the way their weekend staff was treated. FYI if you are visiting on the weekend: last time I checked the museum had new weekend hours: Saturday and Sunday closed for lunch from 2:00pm to 2:30pm for staff meal break. Nice to know they are making accommodations to let their weekend staff get meal breaks now. It used to be that the weekend staff (which was only 1 person not including any volunteers that may be there) worked there alone all day and could not even leave the museum to get a meal break if there were customers in the museum all throughout the day. If you visit the museum on the weekend and you only see one person working there, ask them if they are able to take a lunch break!

I have visited this museum twice and it is a gem! It is small but the displays are always very nice with a good variety. They have no parking lot but I have always found street parking. I know there are also several lots nearby that are free. Entrance fee is reasonable and they offer a Senior and student discount. The current Kaffe Fassett exhibit is fabulous!

Wonderful place for a drop in visit while in San Jose because you never know what you'll find about so many new ways to make art. I have seen things made from paper, wire, neckties, and fabrics from traditional quilting cotton to organza . The engineering of so much of this art is fascinating....how people creature structure and many 3D objects from cloth and fiber. I saw a giant wall size riff on a traditional stitched sampler but this piece listed ways people waste time at work . So the Museum's exhibits have very contemporary themes and they also show traditional quilts, modern Art Quilts and wearable art. The Museum is just a few minutes walk from The Tech and from the Convention Center. And plenty of parking under the 280 freeway; just be sure to look for the single pay station. The Museum itself is fairly priced ($8) and easy to visit; you can get up close to see the stitches or stand back and admire the concept for lots of different kinds of art...BTW, not all textiles and quilts hang on the wall or the bed these days. The piece made from neckties was a tent and there are bowls, flags and hats that I have seen there . I drove about an hour to get here and it is well worth seeing the various exhibits if you like color, texture, tradition or innovation

Came here as part of a Yelp art walk. It is a small museum, but they had some interesting things to look at, such as quilts & costumes from around the world. They also had a hands-on station, where you could put together your own patchwork square to contribute to their prayer blanket for victims of a natural disaster overseas. While you were making the square, you were supposed to think positive and healing thoughts to send their way. They also had a separate room where you could make shadow puppets. I entered a raffle they had for a really beautiful quilt with a galaxy pattern- & actually won! I never win games of chance! They were really great about contacting me and holding it until I could pick it up.

From a local internet site: "Performance: Abhinaya student Ishani Joshi performs The Thillana. A joyous piece containing intricate rhythmic patterns and sculputuresque poses. The concluding lyric of this vivacious finale praises the Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, the universal mother, who resides everywhere in the form of Om, and grants auspiciousness to all." - Am sure this has great significance for those well - educated as to what the dance means; for me the format and dance forms were spectacular and inspiring. I tried taking a portrait picture at this show and was so flustered and surprised by the authenticity of what I saw that I flubbed the picture - taking. Really a nice place to see something meaningful this week - exceptional given the difference between this and other shows on the street (at San Jose city center, i.e., between First, Second and Third as bounded by "Reed" and "Santa Clara.") I guess it's in the eye of the beholder here, and the addition of the dance to the ordinary gallery show was outstanding.

Really amazing "sculptural knitting" exhibit on until August 7. So creative! If you go to this museum with an open mind, you'll be rewarded with a memorable visual treat.

I've visited The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles a few times, most recently to see the Quilt National Show. There are several galleries filled with exhibits that are always fascinating and educational to learn about cultures and lifestyles as they relate to textiles and quilts. Staff are very welcoming and I believe all ages would enjoy a visit. The gift store is full of unique items from local artisans at reasonable prices. If you're going to be in San Jose, I found this Museum to be one of the more interesting places to visit in the city.

You will find neither quilts nor a museum at the Quilt Museum. No wonder I was the only person there. The only quilt on display was a small patchwork piece displayed in the bathroom. This is an art gallery that charges admission. Don't waste your time or your money.

An interesting place showing quilts/textile arts from around the world.

Very thorough selection of historic and modern quilts! I went here for a Yelp Arthouse preview and the staff were nice and friendly too.

Very friendly staff and STUPENDOUS exhibits. The museum is small, but it has quite a bit of art in it. The quilt displays are awesome -- I can't believe how intricate, bold, colorful, and beautiful the art work was! Some of the neatest textile-based art I've ever seen. Definitely worth a visit for anyone that likes art.

I really loved the Museum's most recent exhibit which featured quilts from Quilt National. There was such a variety of quilts. Some were totally realistic and some totally abstract, it was great to be able to see the quilts close up and spend time just looking at them. I also really love the museum's store. Most of the items there are handmade, and I often find the perfect gift for friends and family. I live in Berkeley and find the Sundays are a great day to visit. It's an easy drive and street parking is free.

I make an effort to see each show. The work on exhibit is thoughtfully selected and beautifully displayed. I don't always like every piece, but they make me think. In the recent show, I really enjoyed the quilts maked by survivors of domestic violence in their class. I always enjoy see what is new in the gift shop also.

Consistently the best gallery in San Jose for thought-provoking art, regardless of the medium. Check out exhibitions on the first Fridays of the month when the admission is free. Current exhibit is extremely interesting and goes to April 29, '12. -RH. From the Museum's website: "February 14 - April 29, 2012 Quilt National Returns to San Jose February 19: Opening Reception & Members Only Walkthrough Meet Artists: Lura Schwarz Smith and Tanya Brown" "The 17th biennial juried exhibition of Quilt National returns to the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles for the first time since 2006. This quintessential exhibition of contemporary art quilts features 46 works by first time entrants and established artists. Juried by Eleanor McCain, Pauline Verbeek-Cowart, and Nelda Warkentin in Ohio during the fall of 2010, the exhibit showcases state-of-the art contemporary quilting in all of its range of styles, techniques, and multi-faceted contemporary expressions. Its purpose is "to carry the definition of quilting far beyond its traditional parameters and to promote quilt making as what it always has been -- an art form." As always, the quilts selected for Quilt National have never before been exhibited or published before their premier showing at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio, May 28 through September 5, 2011. The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is the only west coast venue that will feature this portion of Quilt National. The diversity of surface design techniques, explosive color combinations, and textural inventions, combined with skilled craftsmanship and untold hours of stitching, set the stage for an exciting, unique, and dazzling exhibit. Abstraction, variations of geometric design, and nature are the prominent themes. The quilts in this stunning exhibit are bound by tradition in that they are pieced and stitched and utilize three layers of top, batting, and backing, while expanding the boundaries of the traditional by using new materials, techniques, and technologies. Ultimately, the works selected and exhibited in Quilt National are part of the continuing tradition of the fluid and transformative nature of this compelling medium."

The museum is small and not worth going out of the way for, particularly given the service. I had at least two encounters with racist. On the night I went, which was a First Friday, there were women stationed at the door asking for the zip codes of visitors. Each of them (one Asian and one white) deliberately pursed their lips and looked past me to avoid eye contact and asking me, the only African American in the place, for my zip code. Also, in the gift shop no one offered me service. It was great. I saved some on more junk that I did not need and learned the ilk of these folks.

Tiny specialized museum is great for any fiber lover! This little museum consistently delights and the collection changes several times a yesr. Some reviews say it's too small to drive to SJ, but if you love handcrafted textiles, It's unique. I have seen antique Native American rugs, wild crochet, knotted hangings as well as traditional and very modern art quilts. My policy is to schedule an extra hour any time I happen to be driving near SJ so I can pop in for an enjoyable 30 or 40 minutes.

That was a wonderful 2 hours well spent. Quilts are incredible and the time went quickly when you read every description of the art pieces. Spent time in thought in amazement of the talent of artists and their variety of expressions of joy, pain, laughter and just plain artist talent.

The museum is lovely, with stunning exhibits, but not so nice place to work in the past. They seem to be making an effort to improve their working conditions but lots remains to be accomplished. You wouldn't knowingly buy products produced by sweatshops? Don't support museums that don't treat their employees fairly.

The shows over the past couple of years have been great quality. Was there yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the shows, the textures, the colors, the talent.