The SMFA at Tufts University is seeking an artist to serve full-time as a Professor of the Practice in Sculpture beginning the Fall of 2023. This is a Fibers-based position associated with the Sculpture Area of the SMFA. We also welcome applicants who work in the field of Paper and Paper Making as a branch in Fibers Art. The curriculum of the SMFA Sculpture Area offers a balance of traditional, contemporary, and innovative creative practices to support and encourage student’s exploration of materials, form, and technology. The SMFA’s pedagogy nurtures students’ experimentation across disciplines while they develop a sensitivity and awareness of their engagement in artistic and cultural production. We are looking for a colleague whose Fibers-based practice and pedagogy will not only embrace this philosophy but will also expand our dynamic and inclusive curriculum while being supported within an R1 institution that promotes the value of research in a studio practice.
We invite applications from artists who work in Fibers disciplines within Sculpture and 3D production with a keen interest in fostering interdisciplinary discourse that works at the intersection of traditional craft, contemporary, developing technologies, and social/relational spaces. The candidate hired for this new position will design courses that utilize various materials and methodologies in innovative ways while acknowledging the rich histories behind their many practices. In their application, candidates should define how their curricula will integrate digital technologies and unconventional materials to encourage the development of a student’s fibers practice. We are interested in how a candidate expands the Sculpture Area’s mission to elevate the execution of craft as well as understand the nuance of context. Importantly, this Fibers position is a first step in growing the concentration at SMFA. With this in mind, we are seeking a candidate that communicates a vision for future expansion that is wholistically aligned with the pedagogical spirit of the SMFA curriculum.
The ideal candidate for this position will be an artist with a significant exhibition record in any area of spatial- and material-based practices who has a strong grounding in theoretical, historical, and practical aspects of art making.
SMFA at Tufts is committed to building a culturally diverse educational environment. We strongly encourage applications from those belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, ethnic minorities, differently-abled, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender; and artwork, curriculum and research about underrepresented groups.
Qualifications
Candidates for these positions should:
- have an MFA and/or equivalent, with a minimum of 3 years of experience teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level;
- have the ability to teach introductory through graduate level courses and to work collaboratively with faculty in the department, and other areas of the school to develop cross-media studio courses and seminars;
- demonstrate extensive critical, theoretical and art historical knowledge in areas of contemporary art practices;
- engage in interdisciplinary practices that may employ new and evolving technologies along with traditional approaches and who is actively engaged in extending multiple traditions and emerging practices in the field
Application Instructions
For this position, please submit the following materials via Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/119527
1. Letter of application, including information about how you will contribute to building a culturally diverse educational environment at SMFA
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Contact information for three references, may be submitted as a single list
4. Teaching philosophy, including how a commitment to diversity and inclusion informs your teaching
5. Examples of work with links to time-based work, if applicable
6. Two Sample Syllabi
7. Portfolio containing 10 examples of student work, submitted as a single PDF
Review of applications will begin on February 1st, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. For any questions, please contact Janet Sartor, Administrative Assistant, at janet.sartor@tufts.edu.
All offers of employment are contingent upon the completion of a background check and meeting the University’s current COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
