Natalie & James Thompson Gallery
The mission of the SJSU Art Galleries is to provide an extensive and diverse exhibition program that serves as a cultural and educational focal point for the University and the San José community. The privately endowed Natalie and James Thompson Gallery, in particular, creates a bridge between the campus and the regional, national and international worlds of professional art practice.
SJSU Art Galleries inspire visitors to explore the past, present, and future influences of art and design on our daily lives. We challenge conventional assumptions through scholarly research and public programs; champion diversity through the presentation of an expansive range of object-based and process-oriented genres; and facilitate an ongoing dialogue that diminishes the distance between studying and creating works of art and design.
The gallery program complements formal course offerings and serves as a cultural and educational focal point for SJSU and the surrounding community. The professionally-curated exhibitions in the Natalie and James Thompson Gallery create a direct link to academic curricula, and explore varied issues of contemporary and traditional arts. Thompson Gallery exhibitions have traveled to other museums and galleries nationwide, documented by catalogs that provide in-depth interpretive analyses based on original scholarship.
Dr. Alena Sauzade
Gallery Director, Curator and University Art Collections Manager
Alena Sauzade comes to SJSU from the City of Pleasanton, where she served as the Visual Arts and Gallery curator at the city’s Harrington Art Gallery. She earned her Phd in Art History from Stony Brook University, where she specialized in public art and commemoration and wrote a dissertation on memorials to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. She's currently working remotely from a pillow and blanket fort built by her two and four year old daughters.
Contact Information
Phone: (408) 924 - 4330
E-mail: gallery@sjsu.edu
Events Calendar: gallery.sjsu.edu
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! @sjsuartgalleries
Visitor Information
Art Building 127
Department of Art & Art History
(near 10th/San Carlos Street)
San Jose State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95129
For more information, driving directions and campus maps – click here.
