Winter and Spring Quarters 2025

Application Due Date: November 8, 2024

Position Start Date: January 21, 2025

TITLE: Emerging Arts Leader Intern, Digital & Web Design

DEPARTMENT & LOCATION: Communications Department, Seattle Art Museum

DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR: Associate Creative Director

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, DIGITAL & WEB DESIGN

Partnering with the creative team and the Communications & Marketing department, this intern will gain experience designing for digital, web, email, and interactive projects. The intern will work in tandem with designers, developers, content creators, project managers, marketers, and other museum staff to:

• Support optimization and UX improvements on SAM’s website
• Update content on SAM’s website, including longform content and archival exhibition pages
• Audit UX for SAM’s collection pages
• Help test website accessibility utilizing assistive tech/screen readers and recommend/implement updates
• Build emails and collaborate with marketing staff to understand and achieve outreach goals
• Assist creative team in designing for digital marketing, advertising, slide decks, and internal SAM materials
• Organize files and assets using SAM’s Digital Asset Manager
• Participate in meetings and working sessions with creative and technology teams

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This intern will learn how SAM’s in-house creative team operates, gain familiarity with the expression of SAM’s brand, and practice digital & web design in multiple disciplines. The intern will also:

• Gain experience working with multiple projects in a fast-paced, non-profit setting.
• Learn strategies to maximize the visibility of selected exhibitions and programs at SAM.
• Work collaboratively with designers, marketers, project managers, content creators, writers to gain a broader perspective on digital design, user experience, communications, & museum work.

PAY RANGE: $20.76 hourly

FSLA STATUS & COMPENSATION:

This intern will be hired as a temporary, non-exempt employee. Along with the above pay rate, this intern will be eligible for the following benefits:

• Paid sick time accrued at a rate of 0.0385 per hour worked, estimated at 5.75 hours total for a 10-week intern.
• SAM Savings & 403(b) Retirement Plan, with Roth option available.

Fringe benefits include two guest passes to SAM, access to RIC Fitness Center, Tier III AAM membership, discounts for SAM membership, Shop, and MARKET, access to member rates for ticketed events at SAM, and a subsidized ORCA card.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT:

20 hours per week, for 18 weeks. Schedule is flexible within Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm office hours. Start and end dates may be flexible depending on intern needs and academic schedule.

Due to the hands-on nature of this internship, a majority of this position’s work will be on-site.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Perform design tasks as assigned by Associate Creative Director, Digital Designer, and project managers.
2. Follow SAM’s brand guidelines to create cohesive deliverables.
3. Develop and evaluate digital experiences and visual content for target audiences on SAM’s website and other platforms.
4. Contribute to concept, design, review, and production of SAM website updates and email.
5. Track work tasks through SAM’s project management software (Asana).
6. Develop a 30 minute presentation, featuring your interests, perspectives, and experience at SAM.
7. Complete a 2 hour job shadow with frontline volunteers during open hours.
8. Attend Enrichment Sessions, informational interviews, and check-ins as available.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

In addition to the below, a portfolio of web design and/or creative work is required. Please see the application instructions for more information on how to submit those materials.

1. Demonstrated interest and some experience with digital design, web design/user experience, graphic design, or the arts. Competitive candidates will be able to articulate why this internship supports their professional goals in museums or the wider arts industry.
2. Familiarity with CSS or HTML is required.
3. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustration, and InDesign) is required. Experience with AfterEffects, Premiere, Figma, or other web content management systems a plus.
4. General understanding of typography, color theory, layout, and branding. Familiarity with print production and pre-press knowledge a plus, but not required.
5. Clear understanding of and ability to discuss concepts related to racial equity, intersectionality, and social justice.
6. Strong written, verbal, and communication skills.
7. Ability to ask for help and accept supervision and evaluation of your work.
8. Ability to work with others professionally and tactfully.
9. Ability to adhere to museum policies and support management decisions in a positive, professional manner.
10. Proficiency in general computer use.

EDUCATION

Applicants for this position are not required to have previous professional or museum experience. Competitive applicants will show a demonstrated commitment to the arts and leadership in community building.

This internship is project-intensive and previous academic or professional experience in web design or graphic design is strongly recommended. At minimum, a high school diploma or equivalent is required.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with light background noise. Work is occasionally performed at other indoor and outdoor sites. 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED FOR ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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 when assisting at museum events.

Communication: Clear and effective verbal and written communication in English 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.

APPLICATION PROCESS (APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 8TH AT 5:00PM)

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 700 words detailing:
  • How your personal background or academic/professional experiences inform your perspective on digital design’s role 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 as 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.
• Portfolio of your previous work in web design, graphic design, or similar area. Candidates should submit a link to their portfolios as a website URL through the application on SAM’s website or emailed directly to [email protected].

Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers enjoy a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. SAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status, retaliation or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The Seattle Art Museum will consider applicants who may need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions/duties. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HR@seattleartmuseum.org for additional information or to request reasonable accommodations for the application or interview process.

SAM is dedicated to racial equity and strives for employees, volunteers, and interns who are passionate, qualified, and offer diverse perspectives. SAM prioritizes racial equity in the workplace because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to inequities. We are particularly interested in engaging with historically under-represented groups in the museum field as we strive to be inclusive and equitable. SAM is responsive to cultural communities and experiences, and our strategic plan goals address the role art plays in empowering social justice and structural change to promote equity in our society.

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 every single qualification. 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.

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!