Exhibitions Associate, Full Time

ROLE OVERVIEW: The Exhibitions Associate, situated in SAM’s Curatorial division, supports the Senior Manager of Exhibitions & Publications with the concurrent management of 15 - 20 exhibitions at varying stages in the planning process. This includes project management, process ownership, documentation maintenance, cross-functional collaboration, payment processing, rights & reproductions, and image maintenance.  

FSLA STATUS: Full Time (35 hours/week), Non-Exempt

REPORTS TO: Sr. Manager of Exhibitions & Publications

COMPENSATION: $27.50 - $29.79 / hour

WORK SCHEDULE: This role is scheduled to work 35 hours / week, standard business hours Monday – Friday.

BENEFITS: Full Time SAM Staff are eligible to enroll in medical (through Kaiser), dental (through Delta Dental of WA), vision (through Vision Service Pan), and basic life insurance/LTD/AD&D (through LifeMap), as well as a Flexible Spending Account (through Navia Benefit Solutions). FT Staff also have the option to elect Short Term Disability or Supplemental Dental Insurance (through Aflac). FT Staff can participate in SAM’s 403b retirement plan and begin receiving a guaranteed 3% employer contribution following 1 year & 1,000 hours worked. Additionally, as of July 1, 2025 the employer match program will resume. FT Staff have access to paid time off for vacation, sick leave, bereavement leave, and jury duty per accrual and pro-rated schedules. SAM observes 11 holidays each year and offers FT Staff 1 paid floating holiday of their choice. FT Staff can opt into a 50% subsidized unlimited Orca card. FT Staff also receive a Patron level membership to SAM, and a Tier III membership to the American Alliance of Museums, as well as access to an onsite fitness facility, SAM museum library, a no-cost Employee Assistance Program resource, a 20% discount at the SAM Museum Shop, a 10% discount at SAM’s MARKET cafe, and 8 Home Free Guarantee cab rides home per year.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Exhibitions Project Management

• Create and maintain each exhibition planning Asana board, practicing fluid project management by adjusting information, milestones, and deliverable deadlines as necessary, in consultant with the Senior Manager of Exhibitions and Publications
• Schedule and attend cross-departmental Exhibition Milestone meetings, including booking meeting rooms, helping prepare agendas, taking meeting notes, and ensuring next steps are correctly captured in exhibition planning Asana board and corresponding planning materials
• Along with Sr. Manager of Publications & Exhibitions, lead internal trainings on effective use of exhibition planning tools. Trainees are members of exhibition project teams across various SAM departments; Curatorial, Registrarial, Conservation, Design & Installation, Development, Marketing, and Education & Public Engagement
• Responsible for coordinating with SAM’s Marketing & Communications department to upload exhibition information to SAM’s website
• Own maintenance of present and future exhibition documentation on internal channels; SAM’s internal Intranet, digital file storage, and analog file storage (both uploading & archiving)
• Execute payments related to exhibition planning, such as artist fees, exhibition fees to organizing museums, guest curator fees, advisor honoraria, travel costs for artists and guests, etc, including working with SAM’s Finance department for proper documentation and budget coding
• Coordinate hospitality for artists and VIPs

External Rights & Reproductions

• Obtain photographs and high-resolution images, clearing reproduction permissions for images selected for promotional, commercial, and educational use for all exhibitions, including use in the galleries during the run of the exhibitions
• Act as clearinghouse for permissions by outside exhibition organizers and rights holders
• Process payments pertaining to Communications, Education, and Curatorial uses for non-commercial use of selected images and educational films in galleries for all traveling exhibitions
• Manage and maintain images that SAM receives for special exhibitions and installations
• Oversee legal request process for Rights and Reproduction agreement negotiations for SAM to use non-SAM images and videos
• Prepare, share, and maintain usage guideline spreadsheets for other departments to adhere to when using images

Other

• Support the Exhibitions & Publications department on additional duties as requested 

WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 4+ years of professional work experience 
• 2+ years’ experience with image rights and copyright administration
• Proficient knowledge of U.S. copyright law
• Proficient knowledge of archival procedures
• Proficiency with Asana
• Strong organizational skills and a keen eye for the details
• Experience with database management across multiple database systems
• Skilled handling of competing priorities, demonstrating effective judgement on prioritization and time management
• Skilled at taking initiative, working independently, and a self-directed approach to problem solving
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint
• Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, FileMaker Pro, Asana, and TMS preferred
• Advanced project management coursework or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred
• Familiarity with art and photographic terminology and institutions preferred
• Familiarity with Exhibition planning at an arts institution preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Exposure: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with moderate background noise. 

Stationary Work: Approximately 80% of time is spent stationary while working at a desk. Balance of time (approximately 20%) is spent moving around the work area. Occasional extended periods of standing may be required.

Communication: Clear and effective verbal and written communication in English with trustees, the public, and co-workers is necessary.

Vision: Ability to effectively use a computer screen and interpret printed materials, memos and other appropriate paperwork.

Office Work: Ability to effectively and regularly operate a computer, keyboard, telephone, 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.

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Celebrating difference. At Seattle Art Museum, 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 strengthens our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call us to be responsive to a multitude of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements, and promoting structural change to further 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. We know that equity is not a single fixed destination, it’s ongoing reckoning. As SAM continually strives to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with those who have been historically underrepresented in the museum field. 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 celebrate difference.

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.

Criminal background check. Employment at SAM is contingent upon successful clearing of both a federal and state criminal background check.

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!