After closure, SF museum moves to sell its downtown home |
FILE: A view of the Contemporary Jewish Museum building in San Francisco, designed by Daniel Libeskind.
Less than two years after announcing its open-ended closure, the Contemporary Jewish Museum has listed its iconic downtown building for sale. In a press release shared with SFGATE, the museum stated that “like many cultural institutions in the Bay Area and nationwide, The CJM has been adapting to a rapidly changing nonprofit and arts landscape.” The museum is looking for a buyer that will be a cultural fit for the neighborhood.
The CJM cited financial struggles and sluggish post-pandemic recovery as the reason for its closure in December 2024, which it stated would last at least one year. “The Museum will thoroughly evaluate its financial framework and engage in intense planning and organizational assessment, with the clear goal of emerging as a more resilient organization,” the museum said at the time. It also announced a round of layoffs that affected “about two-thirds of the 30-member museum staff,” wrote the Jewish News of Northern California.
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News of the CJM listing its building comes just months after another cultural institution, the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, prematurely departed its downtown home. ICA SF, which was set to remain in the building for at least another year, announced it would be shifting to a citywide model as it cleared the way for the Wharton School of Business.
In January 2025, the California Historical Society also shared that it would be closing its doors at 678 Mission St. and moving its extensive collection to Stanford University. Nearby SFMOMA has also not been impervious to financial strains. In May 2025, the long-standing museum abruptly laid off 29 employees, sparking immediate backlash.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum seen from the lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco on Aug. 29, 2025.
Located in the historic Jessie Street substation at 736 Mission St., a block away from SFMOMA, the CJM was a downtown standout, with its instantly recognizable tilted blue cube structure.
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“It was such a beautiful, peaceful space. The exhibits were all well curated and allowed time to read and reflect,” a Yelp user wrote in September 2024.
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In the news release, the CJM said it will continue providing digital content. Building events and rentals will be honored through January 2027.
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