About SAM. The leading visual arts institution in the Pacific Northwest, SAM shares its 25,000+ object collection, from more than 140 cultures, through exhibitions, installations, and educational programs across its 3 locations—the Seattle Art Museum in downtown Seattle, the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the Seattle waterfront. Our dynamic institution couldn’t do what it does without our talented community: 365 employees, 10 executive leaders, and over 200 volunteers.
Do What You Love. Career opportunities at SAM are a chance to enrich and develop your love of the arts, while contributing your unique skills and talents towards our mission. SAM offers employment across a variety of different professional fields: Art Handling, Conservation & Collections Care, Coordination & Administration, Curatorial, Educational Programming & Public Education, Event Planning, Exhibition Planning, Exhibition Design, Development & Fundraising, Facilities, Finance & Accounting, Legal Affairs, Marketing & Communications, Operations, People & Culture, Registrarial, Retail, Security, Technology, Visitor Experience.
Want To Learn More? If you haven’t already, check out our Careers page for more on working at SAM.
On-Call Teaching Artist
Seattle, WA
Part Time
Mid Level

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Responsible for delivering engaging, inclusive, and curriculum-connected art instruction for K–12 audiences. Teaching Artists facilitate hands-on studio workshops that complement docent-led gallery tours and align with museum collections and exhibitions.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Instruction & Curriculum –
Facilitate interactive, thematic art workshops for K–12 students that complement docent-led gallery tours.
Collaborate with School & Educator Program staff to develop and deliver arts-integrated lessons inspired by SAM’s collections and exhibitions.
Align instruction with 21st Century Skills (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking), Common Core, Washington State learning standards, and SAM’s equity and inclusion goals.
Provide instruction, encouragement, and culturally responsive teaching to students of all backgrounds.
Studio Oversight & Volunteer Coordination –
Oversee Art Studio Volunteers during workshop preparation, facilitation, and cleanup.
Create and maintain a welcoming, inclusive, and safe creative environment for students, teachers, and chaperones.
Ensure cleanliness, organization, and readiness of all studio spaces and materials.
Program Communication & Development –
Participate in training sessions, professional development, and departmental meetings.
audience feedback and observations with School & Educator Program staff to support program improvement.
Provide support with student wayfinding and general navigation during school visits.
Deliver additional instruction within SAM’s school partnerships and educator programs as needed, based on availability.
Other Duties –
Contribute to an institutional focus on exceptional, welcoming, and inclusive customer service—creating positive, meaningful experiences for all visitors, every time.
Perform other related duties as assigned to support SAM’s mission and educational goals.