Arts Instructor (Employee)
Arbutus Folk School accepts applications for the position of Arts Instructor on a rolling basis, with review of applications at the end of every month. When hiring Arts Instructors, we prioritize programming in art forms that will employ our existing facilities & equipment and align with current programming priorities: fiber arts, ceramics, and woodworking. However, further possibilities may be opened if an artist is able to offer classes in their own facilities. These positions are intended for permanent employment, although the frequency of teaching per quarter or year is flexible according to the artist’s availability. At this time, we are especially interested in applications from the following:
- Cultural Arts Instructor: Artists whose art form reflects the place they live or the place they’re from, or whose art form is rooted in their cultural or ethnic identity.
- Multilingual Instructor: Artists with the ability to support Spanish-, Vietnamese-, or Chinese-speaking students.
- Woodworking Instructor: We are seeking to grow our woodworking team to increase course offerings in the woodshop.
- Other Media Instructor: We are seeking instructors to teach unique, high-quality craft classes in our flexible classroom space. See example course offerings for this category here.
- Youth Arts Instructor: We are seeking a youth arts instructor for multiple crafts, including ceramics; please inquire to learn more about our needs. We serve students ages 6 and older.
Most Arbutus Folk School classes are scheduled for weeknights and weekends. Painting, drawing, and other works on paper are not a programming priority at this time. We also do not offer teaching positions that duplicate existing instructors’ expertise. For this reason, we encourage you to reach out to us before submitting an application; we will be able to consult with you about your art form and the openings we have with existing staff. Other hiring considerations may include: facilities and equipment feasibility, available classroom space, materials costs, and perceived desirability of the art form for our audiences.
If you are interested in applying, please carefully review our prospective instructor packet here. Then, view and complete our online application here. For questions, email info@arbutusfolkschool.org.
We do occasionally contract with guest artists to teach a special program instead of joining as permanent staff. This can include workshops, performances, and other arts activities. Please contact us if this is of interest to you. In these cases, the above application is not required.
Access to the arts and professional opportunities for artists are often disproportionately available to privileged people groups, neglecting the full spectrum of assets and needs in our communities. In our mission to enrich, empower, and connect through the arts, we especially encourage people of color, people who live in rural areas, people with disabilities, women, immigrants, people whose first language is not English, and LGBTQ community members to consider applying to open positions at Arbutus Folk School.
Inquiries welcome at info@arbutusfolkschool.org.
