Emerging Arts Leader Intern, Summer Public Programs

Applications Due: January 31, 2025

Position Start: april 14, 2025 (Est.)

Position End: August 30, 2025 (Est.)

TITLE: Emerging Arts Leader, Summer Public Programs

DEPARTMENT STAFF MENTOR: Manager of Public Engagement, Olympic Sculpture Park

FLSA Status: Temporary, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $20.77 per hour

Benefits: Temporary SAM Staff have access to an onsite fitness facility and SAM’s museum library, can access a no-cost Employee Assistance Program resource, enjoy a 20% discount at the SAM Museum Shop and a 10% discount at SAM’s MARKET cafe, receive 2 SAM guest passes per quarter worked, can access 8 Home Free Guarantee cab rides home per year, and accrue paid sick leave at a rate of .0385 per hour worked.

SAM Interns are also eligible for a Tier III membership to the American Alliance of Museums, access to member rates for ticketed events at SAM, and access to a subsidized ORCA card.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Seattle Art Museum connects art to life. SAM strives for its employees, volunteers, and interns to reflect the community in which it exists. Emerging Arts Leader internships are intended to open career pathways for individuals who bring dynamic backgrounds and perspectives to their work in art, museums, or community engagement.

While diversity can embody many characteristics, this internship program is intended to engage with historically under-represented groups in the museum field including, but not limited to, individuals of African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent.

EMERGING ARTS LEADER, Summer public programs

The Public Engagement department seeks an intern to assist with development, administration, and on-site production of summer programming at Seattle Art Museum. This intern will focus on Summer at SAM, offered Thursdays and Sundays at Olympic Sculpture Park, and SAM Remix, the museum’s end of summer party.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Through this position, this intern will gain an understanding of the full process involved with creating and implementing museum programs, including:

• Administrative support for public programs
• Coordinating logistics of art activities in collaboration with teaching artists
• Collaboration with community partners
• Evaluation of summer programs to help guide future improvements
• Coordination with staff in other departments to gain a broader perspective on museum work.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT:

15-20 hours per week, for 20 weeks. Candidates who are available mid-June through Labor Day are preferred and will have an optimal experience working on the program series from start to finish. Summer program dates include:

Summer at SAM 2025

Thursdays (3-10pm) – 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8

Sundays (8:30am-4:30pm) – 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11

SAM REMIX

Friday, 8/22

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Administrative support for events, including onsite coordination, supplied orders, filing, printing, and outreach.
2. Coordinate volunteers and teaching artists to help with event set up, tear down, and workflow for Thursday and Sunday programs.
3. Assist teaching artists and work with guests during hands-on art activities.
4. Develop and deliver a presentation related to your internship work or professional interests.
5. Complete a job shadow with frontline volunteers during open hours.
6. Complete a one-page reflection, blog post, or interview about your internship experience.
7. Attend workshops, informational interviews, and check-ins as available.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

1. Strong project management and organizational skills are required, and prior experience with events coordination is preferred.
2. Demonstrated interest in art-making, community service, or arts programming. Competitive candidates will be able to articulate why this internship supports their professional goals in museums, public engagement, or the wider arts industry.
3. Strong writing and communication skills, and ability to clearly articulate goals, progress, and outcomes to a professional audience.
4. Clear understanding of concepts related to racial equity, intersectionality, and social justice.
5. Demonstrated proficiency in general computer use, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and the internet.
6. Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and proprietary information.
7. Ability to independently take initiative, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
8. Ability to work accurately with close attention to detail.
9. Ability to ask for help and accept supervision and evaluation of your work.
10. Ability to work with co-workers, vendors, and volunteers professionally and tactfully.
11. Ability to adhere to museum policies and support management decisions in a positive, professional manner.

EDUCATION & REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Please note that this internship is project-intensive, and it is recommended that applicants have previous academic or professional experience in events planning, public engagement, project management, or another related field. At minimum, a high school diploma or equivalent is required.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Exposure: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with light background noise. Events work will be performed at outdoor sites. Evening events may feature loud noise and bright lights during musical performances.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED FOR ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Stationary Work: Approximately 60% of time is spent stationary while working at a desk. Balance of time (approximately 40%) is spent moving around the work area. Occasional extended periods of standing may be required at museum events.

Communication: Clear and effective communication with volunteers, donors, members, the public, and co-workers is necessary.

Moving: The ability to move up to twenty pounds on occasion is necessary for moving files, equipment, and supplies. Must be able to regularly position self to access files.

Office Work: Ability to effectively and regularly operate a computer, keyboard, and other office productivity machinery, such as copy machines and printers, and ability to inspect, prepare, and use paperwork, files, equipment, and supplies is necessary.

Come as you are. At Seattle Art Museum (SAM), our members, visitors, and local community come from all walks of life, and so do our employees, volunteers, and interns. The plurality of our identities and experiences makes us stronger and better able to further our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call upon us to be responsive to a wide swath of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our 2024 – 2029 Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements and promoting structural change towards greater equity in our society. SAM is particularly dedicated to racial equity in the workplace, because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to both historical and present inequities. As we strive to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with folx who hold an identity that has been historically underrepresented in the museum field.

SAM is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. SAM is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and will consider candidates for employment who may need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the job. Please contact the Human Resources Department at [email protected] for additional information, or to request reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check.

Please be aware that SAM does not sponsor work or study visas for interns at this time.

Want to learn more? If you haven’t already, check out our Careers page for more on working at SAM.

Though we’d love to be able to reply to every question that crosses our desk, due to the high volume of applications we receive, our HR team is unfortunately unable to offer a response to inquiries requesting search status updates, inquiries about hiring timeline, or requests to be put in touch directly with the Hiring Team. If your experiences and capabilities are well suited to an open role, our Recruiter or the Hiring Manager will reach out directly to schedule an interview. Thanks for your understanding!

APPLICATION PROCESS (APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 31 AT 5 PM)

Applications are only accepted via the online form at https://seattleartmuseum.applytojob.com/apply.

Application materials in PDF format may also be sent to [email protected].

Each application should include:

• Application Form (completed online)
• A Personal Statement or Cover Letter of no more than 500 words detailing:
  • How your personal background or academic/professional experiences inform your perspective on the role of public programs in museums, community, and the arts.
  • How questions of equity and inclusion shape your personal and professional goals.
  • What you hope to gain from this experience and how it might enhance your education and career plans.
  • How you consider yourself meeting the specific criteria set out in the job description for this internship.
• Resume, which describes experience you believe is relevant to this internship and your professional goals. This may include professional experience, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, community service, and academic projects.
• At least one Letter of Recommendation, ideally from a teacher, supervisor, or mentor. References should be emailed directly to [email protected], with the applicant name noted in the Subject line.

For additional information or to request reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at (206) 654-3188 or at [email protected]

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Come as you are. At Seattle Art Museum (SAM), our members, visitors, and local community come from all walks of life, and so do our employees, volunteers, and interns. The plurality of our identities and experiences make us stronger, and better able to further our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call upon us to be responsive to a wide swath of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our 2024 – 2029 Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements, and promoting structural change towards greater equity in our society. SAM is particularly dedicated to racial equity in the workplace, because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to both historical and present inequities. As we strive to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with folx who hold an identity that has been historically underrepresented in the museum field.

SAM is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer, and consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. SAM is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures, and will consider candidates for employment who may need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the job. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HR@seattleartmuseum.org for additional information, or to request reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process.

We encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we include, celebrate and embrace difference. We encourage you to submit an application, even if your experience doesn’t feel like a 100% match with the position. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, and research tells us that womxn and folks of color are less likely to apply if they don’t see themselves meeting or exceeding every single qualification listed. We encourage you to apply, even if you feel unsure about whether you meet every requirement in this job post. You could very well be a great fit for this role or others.

Want to learn more? If you haven’t already, check out our Careers page for more on working at SAM.

Though we’d love to be able to reply to every question that crosses our desk, due to the high volume of applications we receive, our HR team is unfortunately unable to offer a response to inquiries requesting search status updates, inquiries about hiring timeline, or requests to be put in touch with directly with the Hiring Team. If your experiences and capabilities are well suited to an open role, our Recruiter or the Hiring Manager will reach out directly to schedule an interview. Thanks for your understanding!

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