Special Gifts

When you make a special gift of $2,500 or more, you play a vital role in sustaining SAM and its collections. You may designate a gift to one or more of the following suggested areas.

To ensure the best possible giving experience, we ask that you contact us first to discuss your gift. You can reach SAM's Major Gifts Officer, George Nunes, at GeorgeN@seattleartmuseum.org or 206.654.3102. We are grateful for your support.

Permanent Collection

SAM periodically changes the displays of work from its permanent collection of 23,000 objects. You can support the entire collection, or choose a particular area, such as American art, African art, decorative arts, contemporary art or one of the many other areas represented in the permanent collection. Explore SAM's collections.

Special Exhibitions

Special exhibitions bring a unique and often timely perspective on a particular subject to SAM. Your contribution provides much-needed funds for these ambitious and innovative undertakings, including research, gallery design, installation and educational materials.

Seattle Asian Art Museum

The original Seattle Art Museum, this historic art deco building in Volunteer Park now houses one of the nation’s premier collections of Japanese, Chinese and Korean art; as well as important examples of Central and South Asian art. Your gift to the Seattle Asian Art Museum helps enrich the community through exhibitions and programs about classic and contemporary art from across Asia. Learn more about the history of the Seattle Art Museum.

Olympic Sculpture Park

SAM’s 9-acre art park along the Puget Sound offers the community year-round free access to a natural space in which to explore, relax and enjoy family-oriented programs and more. Help us care for the art, sculptures and natural landscape with a special gift.

Education and Public Programs

SAM connects art to life at all three locations and provides a welcoming place for people to connect with art and to consider its relationship to their lives. School and Educator Programs bring art to students in the museum or in the classroom.  Family Programs inspire all ages to explore and create art. Adult Public Programs connect adults with lectures, music, films and more; while Teen Programs invite youth to boldly express their creativity.

Conservation

A museum does more than just display art. SAM is committed to preserving our valuable collections for generations to come. Each year, SAM’s expert conservation team provides necessary care and maintenance to numerous works of art on display at SAM Downtown, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park and to many others not currently on view.  Learn more about art conservation…

Curators

SAM’s special exhibitions can take years of planning. Your gift can provide much-needed funds for such expenses as research, travel and publications. To discuss a gift to the Curatorial Department, please contact SAM's Major Gifts Officer, George Nunes, at GeorgeN@seattleartmuseum.org or 206.654.3102.

SAM Libraries

Help us maintain our two research libraries—which are open to the public—and our lending library for educators. SAM also needs funds to support purchases of both new and older materials that are relevant to the collections and exhibitions.