SEATTLE, WA.- The Seattle Art Museum announced that staffing changes of varying levels will begin on July 5, 2020. These are the first reductions in hours for its full- and part-time staff members since the temporary closure of its three sites—the Seattle Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, and the PACCAR Pavilion at the Olympic Sculpture Park—on March 12.
"These are unprecedented and challenging times, and it’s heartbreaking to make this decision,” says Amada Cruz, SAM’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO. “Through diligent efforts, we’ve been able to hold off on these decisions until now—but now that time has come. It’s our every intention that these reductions be temporary, as we continue to secure and reimagine the long-term future of the museum.”
Since the closure, the museum has focused on funding payroll by cutting discretionary spending, adjusting the exhibition schedule, and implementing senior staff pay cuts. All full-time and part-time staff have been paid their regular wages since the closure due to support from the museum’s Board of Trustees and other generous donors as well as a $2.8M loan received in April from the Paycheck Protection Program, which enabled the museum to secure payroll through the end of June.
Effective July 5, the museum will implement furloughs and reductions in hours across the institution. Senior staff will see a further pay cut, and other compensation cuts and reductions in hours will be extended across museum staff.
SAM board and leadership felt it was crucial to maintain health insurance for its staff. For all currently enrolled staff and their covered spouses and dependents, health insurance will be maintained through the end of September. The museum will also assist staff in seeking additional benefits that may be available to them. SAM intends for these staffing actions to be temporary but cannot predict an end date at this time, given the current uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 crisis and when SAM might be able to reopen.
The museum is currently working towards a July 31 reopening to the general public, but will continue to follow the guidance from Governor Inslee and Public Health Seattle & King County. Once the museum is able to reopen—likely at a greatly reduced capacity—SAM will continuously reevaluate the staffing changes and the institution’s overall financial picture.
During the temporary closure, the museum will continue Stay Home with SAM, with online experiences connecting its visitors to art such as videos, virtual tours, interviews, art-making activities, and arts news.
