The School of Art in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Art, Drawing to start in August 2025. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment, a 2/2 course load, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and a private research studio.
The chosen candidate will be an important part of the Drawing area dedicated to equipping students with competency in core discipline-specific skills while creatively expanding their potential.
We are seeking an energetic, collaborative, and curious studio artist and educator who is actively engaged in their field. The successful candidate will be expected to merge rigorous pedagogy with innovative teaching methodologies that stimulate critical thinking and creative exploration. Teaching assignments will be based on the individual’s areas of expertise, with opportunities to engage with allied fields and interdisciplinary practices across the School of Art and may include occasional sections in our Foundations program. We seek candidates with a strong foundation in drawing along with a dedication to expanding the technical and conceptual direction of the discipline. We encourage applicants who can address both historical and contemporary art practices while fostering interdisciplinary cross-campus relationships and engaging with the vibrant local and regional art communities.
In addition to teaching, the candidate will be involved in conducting research, engaging in creative and scholarly activities, mentoring students, and contributing to departmental service. The role includes designing graduate and undergraduate courses, developing new curriculum materials, and staying current with shifts in the field. We value candidates who demonstrate a commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment and who can contribute to the positive studio culture both in and outside the classroom. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to participate in professional organizations and support the broader mission of the department and university.
Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.
About the Drawing and Painting Areas:
While this position is specifically rooted in the Drawing area, opportunities exist to engage with other allied fields within and beyond the School of Art. Specifically, the newly completed Windgate Studio + Design Center allows for new opportunities and greater synthesis between the Drawing and Painting areas now occupying the entirety of the top floor. The Drawing and Painting areas at the University of Arkansas School of Art are centered on rigorous investigation that deploys complex skill sets in innovative and challenging directions. The curriculum develops technical proficiency as well as familiarity with historical and contemporary approaches. Course offerings range from those which explore perceptual skills to those that creatively expand what drawing and painting can be. Students develop a rich sensibility through an individualized artistic practice and exposure to a robust visiting artist program. The Drawing and Painting areas offer an energetic artistic community committed to equipping students to become active shapers of the future of the field.
About the School of Art:
In 2017, the University of Arkansas was awarded a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish a School of Art in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The gift created the first and only school of art in the state of Arkansas, and is helping to advance art education, design, art history and studio art in the state while providing unparalleled access and opportunity to students. In addition, in 2017, the School of Art also received a $40 million gift from the Windgate Foundation to develop and build a new Studio Art and Graphic Design facility. Most recently, in 2021, the Windgate Foundation gave a $30 million partial challenge grant to develop and build a facility to house a professional gallery, auditorium, the foundations program, as well as idea fabrication and arts entrepreneurship labs. The mission of the School of Art is to develop one of the highest quality educational, research and service programs in the visual arts available nationally. The School of Art is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and includes 54 faculty, 8 staff members, and more than 500 students. There are currently 8 degree options: BFA in Art Education, BFA in Graphic Design, BFA in Studio Art, BA in Art History, BA in Studio Art, MA in Art Education, MFA in Studio Art, and MDES in Communication Design. The MA degree in Art History of the Americas launched this Fall 2023.
For more information, visit:
uarkdrawing.com
uarkpainting.com
Duties will include:
• 40% Teaching
• 40% Research
• 20% Service
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
With submitted materials, the candidate must demonstrate
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Master of Fine Arts degree, or related terminal degree, with an emphasis in Drawing or an allied field (i.e. Painting) from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the start of appointment.
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Active and significant exhibition record with an artistic practice incorporating drawing
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Demonstrated competency in employing and/or teaching drawing techniques
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Evidence of excellence in inclusive teaching at the college level
Preferred Qualifications:
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Two-years teaching experience beyond graduate school
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Demonstrated commitment to teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate honors and/or graduate students including serving on or directing thesis committees
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Demonstrated ability to develop effective undergraduate and graduate classes that complement the current course catalog
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Evidence of capacity for university/professional service and/or commitment to broad community outreach
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Demonstrated ability to work effectively in team settings, with measurable contributions to collaborative projects, such collaborative art projects, joint research initiatives, or successful team-based problem-solving efforts
Additional Information:
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Required Documents to Apply:
Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Other (see special instructions for details), Statement of Research Philosophy, Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Proof of Veteran Status
Recruitment Contact Information:
David Andree, search committee chair, andree@uark.edu
All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS
Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Completed applications received by December 2, 2024, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.
For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, David Andree, at andree@uark.edu.
Applicants must submit
• Cover letter/letter of application
• Curriculum vitae with professional website URL(s)
• Research/Creative Work Statement
• Teaching Philosophy addressing pedagogy, approach to inclusive excellence and contributing to classroom belonging
• Syllabi/course outlines of up to three relevant courses taught or proposed, including a description of at least one class project (please submit as a single PDF)
• 20 images of professional research/creative work, identified with title, date, medium, and dimensions (please submit as a single PDF)
• 20 images of student work, identified with course title, date, student level, and project description (please submit as a single PDF)
• List of three professional references (name, title, email address, phone number, and their relationship to the applicant) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process.
Please use the following naming convention for each file:
• lastname_firstname_coverletter.pdf
• lastname_firstname_cv.pdf
• lastname_firstname_researchstatement.pdf
• lastname_firstname_teachingphilosophy.pdf
• lastname_firstname_syllabi.pdf
• lastname_firstname_professionalwork.pdf
• lastname_firstname_studentwork.pdf
• lastname_firstname_references.pdf
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Pre-employment Screening Requirements:
Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry
The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.
The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds inclusion, opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.
The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity). Federal law prohibits the University from discriminating on these bases. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University's Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.
All application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
