Public Programs at SAM

There is always something happening at SAM that you don’t want to miss. Across SAM's three sites, our programs amplify important voices in our communities and participate in critical conversations. Ask questions, get creative, and explore art across time and place the next time you take a trip to the museum.

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Get creative, play with materials, and don’t be afraid to make a mess as you get hands-on with art making and the many meanings of art in our everyday lives. You'll learn about artistic processes and develop your own creative practices during drop-in workshops, open studios, and focused sessions with contemporary artists.

The film program has been suspended since March due to COVID-19 health restrictions and limits on indoor gathering. We look forward to presenting films again once public health officials advise that it is safe to have audiences in our theater and we are able to operate at full capacity. At this time, we do not know when that will be. Sign up for SAM email to get the latest updates on SAM Films and other programs delivered to your inbox.

Pop-up performances, outdoor concerts, and partnerships with diverse performing arts organizations add movement and music to your museum experience. SAM Performs responds to art and activates the galleries.

No two Remixes are the same. Live DJs and bands fill every corner of the museum with music. Local luminaries share their favorite works of art with you. Contemporary performance and dance of all kinds respond to art from across time and place. Remix the museum, meet artists, get creative, and become part of Seattle’s creative community at SAM's unique after-hours art experience.

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Held three times a year—get out under the stars at the Olympic Sculpture Park during the summer edition. Ages 21+

SAM Remix is an inclusive program highlighting the best of our region’s creative community. SAM acknowledges and expresses gratitude to the Coast Salish peoples on whose ancestral lands the museum resides.

Join the dialogue and reflect on important topics related to art and culture. From regular series like free First Friday Lectures to special exhibition programs, compelling conversations related to SAM’s exhibitions and critical contemporary topics offer a chance to think deeply with scholars, thinkers, artists, and curators.

Conversations with Curators

Hear directly from the engaging creative forces behind SAM’s exhibitions and installations as our curators share rich stories about art, history, geography, culture and more. This popular members-only lecture series always packs the house.

Not a member? Join today to take advantage of these unique conversations.

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Tour times and topics vary throughout the year. Tours are FREE with museum admission.

A Closer Look: Highlights from SAM's Collection
View creatively installed galleries and discuss outstanding artwork from SAM’S collections.

In Focus Gallery Talks
These gallery discussions focus on a single gallery, allowing the visitor to experience works of art in-depth. Topics rotate regularly. 30 minutes.

My Favorite Things
My Favorite Things tours bring some of the most opinionated, brilliant and fascinating artists, cultural producers and community figures into the galleries to discuss their favorite works of art. 30 minutes.

Special Exhibitions
Explore the special exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum on these tours designed to illuminate exhibition themes and present diverse perspectives on the art on view. 60 minutes.

School Tours​

Are you an educator? You can find school tour information here.​​​​​​

Gardner Center events explore the vast diversity of Asia and its presence in the world. From history and culture to contemporary art and literature, we exchange ideas that include dialogue on challenging contemporary issues. We also invite you to experience a range of artistic expression—in literature, performance, film, and visual arts—related to Asia.

The Gardner Center has long-term partnerships with the Jackson School of International Studies, the Department of Art History, and the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington; the Elliott Bay Book Company; and Tasveer.

When the rain goes on hiatus and the sun comes out to glint off the Puget Sound—that’s when you know, it’s summer season at the Olympic Sculpture Park! Get outside, play, picnic, and create. SAM presents activities and experiences that combine visual art, music, and community. Summer programs feature a range of virtual and in person activities and experiences that explore place-making, cultural confluences, and learning from our local environment.

When you visit the park on the weekend, be sure to swing by the South Terrace to pick up a Park Pack, a tote bag filled with tools and activities to facilitate learning at the park and at home. Park Packs are free and yours to keep. While at the park, get inspired by Look & Make lessons and sketch what you see using the included sketching materials. At home, plant PNW wildflower seeds and create art inspired by your park visit, using supplies at home. Park Packs are set out on Saturdays and Sundays and are available on a first come, first served basis. Free and open to the public.

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The Olympic Sculpture Park is open 365 days a year, and no matter the season, Seattle loves its monumental sculptures and dramatic views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. This year, our programs connecting you to the park’s collection get you moving, making, and thinking year-round! 

Winter Residency

During the winter months, an artist residency activates the Olympic Sculpture Park and supports the artistic practice of a contemporary Indigenous artist living in the Pacific Northwest.

You are invited to become a part of the process through two participatory programs led by this year’s artist-in-residence on select Friday evenings in January and February. Get inspired by learning about meaningful artistic practices and participating in experiences that respond to the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle region.

SAM Lights

Light up your winter with SAM’s free program connecting all ages to art and the environment. Experience the wonder of the iconic sculptures lit with the glow of luminaria. Art making, live music, hot beverages, and sweet treats will offer everyone a way to enjoy the glow of the park.