Free The most extensive collection of its kind in the West comprises holdings related to the performing arts, including dance, music, theater, and design. The museum operates partly out of a striking 1892 post-office building with a clock tower, and partly out of the adjacent modern building that opened in 1991. Bright red cloth paneling across the front of the new building announces the museum's name. SJMA is not large for a big-city museum, but the quality of the work on display is high. It also imports exhibits from New York's Whitney Museum of American Art.
Exhibits are interesting and include contemporary painting, photography, and more.
There are jazz or classical music concerts the first Wednesday of each month, and free children's programs on the last Sunday of each month. Poetry and book readings, Sunday afternoon jazz concerts in the winter, and daily tours round out the calendar of events. Visitors can also enjoy the cafe and museum store. Thurs until 8pm. Exhibits of contemporary and traditional quilts, plus textile arts, presented in context of cultural traditions.