San Jose Museum of Art Announces New Executive Director | KQED

"Davis comes to San José from Oklahoma Contemporary, a non-collecting museum with a focus on living artists, located in Oklahoma City. He has worked there for nearly nine years as artistic director, then director, and most recently as director emeritus. He will start at the SJMA on Oct. 1, 2025. Davis steps into the role during a challenging time for arts funding in the United States."

"Oklahoma Contemporary grew significantly while Davis was working there; the center moved to a new downtown campus in 2020 and grew its attendance from 10,000 to 80,000 visitors a year. As director and CEO of the SJMA, he will be tasked with advancing the museum's 2023-2027 strategic plan, growing its operating capacity and solidifying its role as a cultural center in the region."

""In this new role, I look forward to collaborating with the diverse communities of San José and Silicon Valley to celebrate the region's unique histories," Davis stated in today's announcement, "and to imagine and implement new ways of engaging with art, culture, and ideas together." The first exhibition to open under Davis' leadership will be the upcoming ektor garcia: loose ends, a craft-based sculptural installation from the Northern California-born artist, opening Oct. 17, 2025."

Jeremiah Matthew Davis becomes director and CEO of the San José Museum of Art, starting Oct. 1, 2025, succeeding Sayre Batton. He served nearly nine years at Oklahoma Contemporary in Oklahoma City as artistic director, then director, and most recently as director emeritus. Oklahoma Contemporary moved to a new downtown campus in 2020 and increased annual attendance from 10,000 to 80,000 during his tenure. Davis will advance the SJMA's 2023–2027 strategic plan, expand operating capacity, and strengthen the museum's role as a regional cultural center. He assumes leadership amid federal arts funding reductions and recent grant cancellations from NEA, NEH, and IMLS. The first exhibition under his leadership opens Oct. 17, 2025.

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