On-Call Teaching Artist

Position: On Call
Teaching Artist

Reports to: Inclusive Learning Manager

Direct Reports: 0

Division: Learning & Engagement

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, Part-Time, On Call

Compensation: $39.14 per hour

Work Hours: Up to 12 hours per week

About Frye Art Museum

Founded in 1952, the Frye is Seattle’s only free art museum, bringing together art and new ideas within a stunning Olson Sundberg Kundig-designed building in historic First Hill. A foundation collection of turn-of-the-century oil paintings is bolstered by a wide range of holdings in modern and contemporary art, reflecting our region’s evolving identity and a commitment to exploring the art of our time. Learn more at fryemuseum.org.

About Learning & Engagement at the Frye

The Learning & Engagement division creates dynamic, reciprocal programs that connect artists, students, educators, and community members. Our work centers on learning, inquiry, and well-being across all ages and backgrounds.

The division includes Creative Aging, Inclusive Learning, Public Programs, and Visitor Services. Together, we collaborate across exhibitions and departments to ensure every visitor feels welcome, supported, and invited to engage meaningfully with art.

Learning programs at the Frye emphasize close looking, guided inquiry, and multimodal engagement. These programs are primarily offered Wednesday through Friday. Additional Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon sessions occur about once per month each. On-call Teaching Artists are scheduled based on program demand and individual availability.

Inclusive Learning Team

The Inclusive Learning team—housed within the Learning & Engagement division—is a collaborative group comprising one Inclusive Learning Manager, one Teaching Artist Lead, and five on-call Teaching Artists. Together, the team designs and facilitates exhibition- and collection-inspired learning experiences across multiple program areas and audiences—from K-12 school groups to families, adults, and intergenerational community groups—contributing to an environment that fosters inclusive (designed for a variety of levels of experience with art and art making), culturally-responsive (reflective of and relevant to diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives), and impactful (creating meaningful and lasting engagement) learning experiences. On-call Teaching Artists typically support lesson planning and facilitation for scheduled programs (for example, leading an inquiry-based gallery discussion followed by a hands-on studio activity). In addition to lesson planning and facilitation, the TA Lead provides program continuity, year-long curriculum mapping, and day-to-day coordination. The Manager provides strategic leadership, sets departmental priorities, oversees program design and evaluation, and leads big picture administrative functions.

Legacy programs include Small Frye, a preschool program that pairs storytelling with art making; Field Trips to the Frye, designed for K-12 school groups and featuring gallery discussion plus art making; and Family Field Trip to the Frye, which supports intergenerational learning between children and caregivers through interactive activities and art making. In addition, the team regularly pilots new initiatives such as a recently implemented Drop-In Art making program, which supports public drop-in engagement through in-gallery drawing or studio art making; and Sensory Station Pop-Ups, which enhance the traditional gallery experience through interactive samples that explore sight, sound, scent, and touch.

Position Summary

The Frye Art Museum is seeking up to 3 creative, engaging, and responsive teaching artists to join our Learning & Engagement: Inclusive Learning team as on-call Teaching Artists.

In this role, you will assist in developing and implementing diverse learning programs at the Frye Art Museum. These programs engage K-12 students, families, adults, intergenerational community groups, and educators through inquiry- and object-based teaching methodologies. The Teaching Artist collaborates with the Teaching Artist Lead (“Lead”) and the Inclusive Learning Manager (“Manager”) to explore the museum’s collection and exhibitions and to facilitate dynamic, exhibition-inspired learning experiences that bring the museum’s galleries and art studio to life.

The Teaching Artist builds personal knowledge of the museum’s exhibitions, artists, and artworks to support effective teaching, and develops lesson plans, facilitates in-gallery discussions and studio instruction, and participates in museum outreach activities. You will support learning activities that surprise and delight a wide range of audiences using high-quality and unconventional materials, sensory-based experiences, and other inventive approaches that help define what makes Frye programs unique. Lesson planning and curriculum development will emphasize building strong connections to exhibitions while elucidating the history, technique, and artistic trajectories that inform the work on view.

This position actively advances Frye’s commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, and belonging by collaborating with a broad spectrum of students, teachers, and community members to deliver arts-based learning and engagement programs.

Key Responsibilities

As an on-call Teaching Artist, you will:

Program Strategy (10%)

• Assist in planning inclusive and cross-disciplinary learning programs for K-12 students, families, adults, intergenerational community groups, and/or educators, in collaboration with the Teaching Artist Lead (“Lead”) and Inclusive Learning Manager (“Manager”).
• 
  Participate in weekly planning meetings with the manager, lead, and other teaching artists to discuss goals, methodologies, and review outcomes.
• 
  Attend and/or review recordings of exhibition overviews and walkthroughs with artists and curators, and complete assigned readings related to the Frye collection and exhibitions to contribute to lesson plan development, in coordination with the Lead.
• Conduct outreach to new and underserved communities to build awareness of the museum’s learning programs and invite input to inform future programming possibilities.
• Stay informed about and share best practices in museum learning and engagement.
• Support other Learning & Engagement programs and initiatives as needed.

Program Facilitation (80%)

• Prepare for and facilitate inclusive learning programs that engage diverse audiences, including school groups, families, adults, and/or community organizations, as assigned by the Manager.
• Lead culturally responsive learning programs, including artwork discussions, project-based art-making classes, professional development workshops, and community events that connect participants to Frye programs and exhibitions in ways that reflect their identities, experiences, and communities.
• Set up and clean up the art studio.
• Document programs via photos and other media to capture and share the learning experience.
• Coordinate and track program attendance, conduct surveys, and collect feedback for program evaluations, in coordination with the Lead.
• Adhere to Museum protocols, including exhibition logistics and restrictions, interactions with school groups, administrative deadlines, and review and feedback processes.

Program Administration (10%)

• Deliver clear and professionally written documentation of learning programs, including lesson plans, talking points, class objectives, program evaluations, and reflection on outcomes.
• Maintain art studio materials and equipment, including preparation, clean-up, and inventory, in coordination with Lead and Manager.
• Support other Learning & Engagement administration as needed.
• Assist with proposal design and grant writing as needed.

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Commitment to supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging, with a demonstrated motivation to develop accessible programs and work with diverse audiences.
• 2 years of related work experience in museums, schools, arts and cultural organizations with a focus on art-making activities and inquiry- and object-based learning.
• Ability to interpret art collections and contemporary exhibitions for in-gallery discussions and in-studio art-making activities, effectively conveying their significance to diverse audiences to generate excitement and achieve learning goals.
• Personal visual arts practice, with demonstrated expertise in at least one medium, and the ability to instruct and model art techniques across a broad range of art materials and practices.
• Outstanding public presentation skills, with a strong ability to engage audiences through both verbal communication and interactive, hands-on instruction.
• Experience developing and facilitating hands-on lessons for diverse abilities, including working with children.
• Knowledge and willingness to learn about the museum’s collection and exhibitions.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to represent the museum with professionalism and enthusiasm.

• Reliability and responsiveness in all email, phone, and in-person communications.
• Ability to meet deadlines related to lesson planning, feedback, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated creativity, collaboration, flexibility, and ability to manage stress with humor, focus, and friendliness.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Professional fluency in English
• Availability to work a flexible schedule to support select programs on an on-call basis, including but not limited to:
  • 1st Wednesday morning of the month
  • Thursday and Friday mornings
  • Select Thursday evenings
  • Select Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons

Helpful/Nice to Have

• Bachelor’s degree in art, art education, art therapy, museum education, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with Visual Thinking Strategies.
• Proficiency in additional languages.
• Experience working with older adults and continued interest in working with this audience.

Benefits

• Sick time accrual after 90 days of employment
• 20% Museum store discount
• 15% Cafe discount
• Reciprocal museum membership

Work Environment & Physical Conditions

• Indoor, climate-controlled environment with light background noise
• Occasional work at indoor or outdoor event sites
• Ability to stand or sit for extended periods and move throughout the museum (wheelchair accessible)
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing
• Occasional lifting or moving of materials, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Regular operation of computer systems and other office equipment, such as phones and printers.

The Frye Art Museum is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees. For assistance, please contact jobs@fryemuseum.org.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, we invite you to address:

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by March 23, 2026.
This position will remain open until it is filled. Due to application volume, we are only able to contact candidates selected to proceed to the next steps.

EEOC Statement

The Frye Art Museum is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a workplace that reflects a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.