Winter Quarter 2025

Applications Due: November 8, 2024

Position Start: January 8, 2025 (Estimated)

Position End: March 15, 2025 (Estimated)

TITLE: Emerging Arts Leader, School & Educator Programs

DEPARTMENT: Education & Public Engagement

DEPARTMENT STAFF MENTOR: Manager for School & Educator Programs

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, SCHOOL & EDUCATOR PROGRAMS

Partnering with SAM’s Education team, this intern will focus on developing tour stops and visual aids/touchable objects for SAM’s upcoming exhibitions of artwork by Suchitra Mattai and Ai Weiwei.

Guided tours at SAM Downtown and Seattle Asian Art Museum currently integrate one object from a special exhibition to ensure that students visiting the museum are able to experience these exhibitions during the limited time they are on view. The intern will be responsible for selecting an object in the Suchitra Mattai exhibition and 1-3 objects in the Ai Weiwei exhibition to be integrated as a tour stop in the following guided tour types: Families Around the World, Artistic Elements/Choices, Art of Empathy, and Eyes on Asia.

In addition to developing a tour stop with looking questions, key points, and engagement strategies, the intern will also create visual aids and source touchable objects to enhance each stop based on tour theme and relevant learning standards. The intern will also have the option to lead guided school tours to familiarize themselves with tour format and curriculum.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This intern will learn to navigate a multi-department organization, form meaningful professional relationships, and apply their own perspectives and leadership experience to work at the museum. In addition, this intern will:

• Develop a clear understanding of SAM’s current strategies in developing educational programs and engaging a broad range of audiences within our galleries.
• Learn to collect, organize, and summarize information from multiple sources.
• Refine a writing style that clearly articulates program goals, learning outcomes, and impacts for visiting audiences.

FSLA STATUS: Temporary, Non-Exempt

COMPENSATION: $20.76 per hour, 15 hours per week, for 10 weeks

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT:

15 hours per week, for 10 weeks. Schedule is flexible within Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm office hours. Start and end dates may also 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. Limited weekly hours for remote work may be available, if flexible scheduling is needed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Research artwork and educational strategies to engage school tour audiences in Suchitra Mattai and Ai Weiwei exhibitions.
2. Learn about key concepts and techniques related to learning in a museum gallery, such as Visual Thinking Strategies, multimodal communication, and relevant curriculum/learning standards.
3. Develop 1 tour stop for Suchitra Mattai exhibition and 1-3 tour stops for Ai Weiwei exhibition, including visual aids and touchables for each stop.
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 Enrichment Sessions, informational interviews, and check-ins as available.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

1. Demonstrated interest or experience in the arts, education, or public arts programs. Competitive candidates will be able to articulate why this Emerging Arts Leader Internship supports their professional goals in museums or the wider arts industry.
2. Familiarity with engaging multilingual learners and differentiating educational approaches for student needs is preferred. Candidates with in-classroom instructional experience are well-positioned to get the most out of this internship experience.
3. Some familiarity with Visual Thinking Strategies or engaging audiences as a teacher, docent, or guide is preferred, but not required.
4. Strong writing and communication skills, and ability to clearly articulate goals, progress, and outcomes to a professional audience.
5. Clear understanding of and ability to discuss concepts related to racial equity, intersectionality, and social justice.
6. Demonstrated proficiency in general computer use, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and the internet.
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.

EDUCATION & REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Applicants 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.

Emerging Arts Leader internships are open to applicants at any stage of their career journey, including graduate and post-graduate students. 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 of no more than 700 words detailing:
  • How your personal background or academic/professional experiences inform your perspective on education and learning 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 experiences you believe are 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.

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!