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Kris Jensen, Director of the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, has woven together a range of experiences in taking the helm of one of the Bay Area’s most niche and quietly radical museums. Born and raised in San Jose, Jensen grew up in a family of artists, but came in contact with the realities of food insecurity and housing instability after his mother passed away when he was still very young. Jensen’s father, a folk artist and interior designer, was accepting of all lifestyles at a time when that was uncommon, and frequently had friends from various communities at his house. That early exposure to diverse relationships and identities was part of what helped shape Kris’s understanding of social justice from a young age.

Those early experiences led Jensen to study political science and pursue a career in community service. He has decades of nonprofit leadership experience, including as director of development at Alameda County Community Food Bank, Executive Director of Collective Roots in East Palo Alto, and Executive Director of San Bruno Mountain Watch. The same sense of advocacy and inclusion he brought to those roles now shapes Jensen’s mission at the museum. Having taken over in September 2023, just 15 months after the museum reopened post-pandemic, Jensen has stepped into the role, focusing on rebuilding audiences and deepening the museum’s roots in San Jose’s diverse communities.

The museum is emphasizing hands-on engagement and community storytelling. With many people still engaging with museums online and foot traffic slower to return post-COVID, Jensen is exploring new strategies to bring people back into the space, especially by expanding class offerings in textile techniques like weaving and crocheting, reviving the artist-in-residence program, and curating exhibitions that speak to contemporary issues through the lens of fiber art. Past shows have tackled gun violence through bullet-stitched fabric or featured Hmong story cloths that narrate histories of displacement and resilience.

In this conversation, Kris reflects on his path from food justice to textile arts, the importance of redefining museums as interactive spaces, and how fiber art—often dismissed as craft or “women’s work”—has long been a vehicle for social commentary.

Follow the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles on Instagram @sjmqt and on the web at sj-mqt.org