Employment at Arbutus Folk School
See below for
Summer 2026: Now Seeking Woodworking Instructors
Arbutus Folk School Woodworking Instructor: To apply, please email a cover letter and C.V. to Ken Nance at shop@arbutusfolkschool.org. Review of applications begins on July 18th, 2026.
The mission of Arbutus Folk School is to enrich lives and build community through experiential learning in arts, craft, and culture. Woodshop Instructors further this mission by offering high-quality skill-building or project-oriented craft classes accessible for all members of our community.
Job Title: Woodshop Instructor
Start Date: October 2026
Department: Woodworking
Hourly Rate: $28-32/hr
Typical Class Schedule: Flexible
Typical Class Frequency: Flexible
Benefits: Employees of Arbutus Folk School receive discounts on classes and 24/7 access to our facilities to work on personal projects when classes are not in session. Arts Instructors accrue paid time off at a rate of .025 hours per hour worked, with a maximum accrual of 52 hours.
Hours: Weekly hours vary based on quarterly class schedules and meeting minimum enrollment. There is no set minimum or maximum for weekly hours, but please notify us of any extended planned absences. Classes may vary in length and duration, depending on time needed for the class objective. Instructors typically limit sessions to 3-4 hours for optimal student focus.
Workplace: Arbutus Folk School, 705 4th Ave E with free parking on east side of building. Please be aware that our break-room is located on a second story not serviced by an elevator.
Reports to: Woodshop Programs Manager
Core Competencies:
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong instructional skills
- Proficiency in use of computers, digital communication, and computer software
- Proficiency in a broad range of woodworking tools, from hand tools to power tools
- Excellent time management in the classroom setting
- Knowledge of and interest in the Arbutus Folk School mission
- Personal commitment to creativity and community-building
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Offer high-quality specialty craft classes
- Maintain timely and clear communication with office staff
- Provide content for class catalog listings
- Bring a positive, collaborative attitude to your interactions with students, staff, and volunteers
- Set up and clean up for each class session
- Ensure security of the building and equipment while on shift
- Uphold a high standard of safety for yourself and students, and follow incident reporting procedures
- Solicit and review feedback after classes
- Prepare for class sessions by:
- Contacting students before the class starts
- Ensuring all materials, supplies, and consumables are ready (either by purchasing yourself or working with Arbutus staff to purchase ahead of time)
- Track and record hours in Quickbooks
- Communicate with Arbutus staff, instructors, and enrolled students if a class needs to be cancelled
Woodshop Program Information:
- Current Offerings:
- Woodcarving
- Getting Started in Woodworking
- Woodworking Joinery I
- Complete Power Tools for Woodworking
- Curvy Cutting Board
- Tackling your Project: Intro to Woodworking Machines
- Arts & Crafts Picture Frame
- Taming the Hand Plane
- We’re looking for instructors with new class ideas. For example:
- Design a class and beginner-level project that uses and therefore teaches foundational woodworking skills, such as
- Measuring and marking
- Basic woodworking materials
- Hand saw usage
- Chisel usage
- Gluing and clamping
- Sanding and scraping
- Drills and drill bits
- Drill press usage
- Pocket screws
- Screws and their uses
- Hinges and latches
- Biscuits, splines, dowels, floating tenons, etc
- Miter joints (table saw and miter saw)
- Bandsaw basics
- Using the jointer
- Handheld routers and bits
- Router table basics
- Router table dadoes and rabbets
- Mortise and tenon joints
- Dovetails
- Project planning
- Wood characteristics and selection
- Planning your project details
- Hand sketching for woodworking
- DIY and around the house
- Baseboards and trim
- Board and batten, wainscoting, crown molding
- Floating shelves
- Raised garden beds
- Pet accessories
- Furniture repair
- Built-ins, bookcases
- And more ideas you may have!
- Design a class and beginner-level project that uses and therefore teaches foundational woodworking skills, such as
To apply, please email a cover letter and C.V. to Ken Nance at shop@arbutusfolkschool.org. Review of applications begins on July 18th, 2026.
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-speaking students, Vietnamese-speaking students, or other languages spoken in the South Sound region.
- Woodworking Instructor: We are seeking to grow our woodworking team to increase course offerings in the woodshop.
- Misc. Craft Instructor: We are seeking instructors to teach unique, high-quality craft classes in our flexible front classroom space, typically “table and chair crafts” but not typically works on paper. Current examples in this category include bookbinding, flintknapping, scrimshaw, and a wide variety of fiber arts.
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. See below for more information about guest artists.
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.
Arbutus Folk School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual preference, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification by law.
