Careers in Visual Arts and Art History

Tenure Track Position—Open Discipline (9-month, tenure earning)

The Department of Visual Arts and Art History seeks applications for a tenure-earning Assistant Professor of studio/design practice whose research touches on any of the following: Peace, Justice and Human Rights, race/gender/orientation/identity, Latino/x and African culture and diaspora, South Florida/South American studies and culture, and all aspects of community engagement. The person in this position will teach existing courses within the department and expand offerings through topics and new courses. Preference given to those working across disciplinary boundaries. There is the potential for this position to collaborate with college faculty in other disciplines working in the same research regions. The ideal candidate will be able to integrate with the mission and strategic goals of the college and university (https://www.fau.edu/provost/academic-affairs/files/approved.plan2018.pdf) while supporting the core teaching and research values of the department.

 

The successful candidate is expected to teach five courses per academic year with opportunities for summer teaching. FAU is a recognized Hispanic serving university looking to reach to top tiers of Carnegie research rankings, so high level creative research and grant writing are part of the expected faculty activities. Department service, graduate committee work and undergraduate recruitment efforts are also expected. This position requires an MFA in Studio Art or related field with preference will be given to those with 3 years of full-time teaching experience. FAU has a strong commitment to diversity will give preference to candidates who represent under-served/under-represented communities.

 

The department current has sixteen full-time faculty working in seven studio areas (ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, photography, painting and drawing, and graphic design) as well as art history. The department offers BA, BFA and MFAs in the main studio disciplines. Florida Atlantic University is a multi-campus university with a burgeoning design center in Fort Lauderdale and a vibrant residential campus in Boca Raton. FAU is part of the ethnically diverse South Florida cultural community which includes Miami and its well-known art and cultural offerings—including the renowned international art fair, Art Basel. We have two highly regarded galleries in Boca (The Schmidt Center Gallery and the Ritter) along with many nearby cultural institutions and several major airports allow easy access to the US, Europe and South America.

 

1-2-page cover letter  
Up to date CV  
Research Statement 1-page
Teaching Statement 1-page
20 images of personal work and 10-20 images of students work submitted as a single PDF. 
List of references (could be included in CV). PLEASE do not request letters up front.  

Director of University Galleries and Instructor of Museum/Gallery Studies (12-month, Staff)

The Department of Visual Arts and Art History at Florida Atlantic University is seeking applicants for our Director of University Galleries and Instructor of Museum Studies position. The position will oversee the two main university galleries: The Schmidt Center Gallery and the Ritter Art Gallery (both on the Boca Raton campus) as well as the newly opened Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum. There are other opportunities for developing new spaces and for engaging with the greater South Florida cultural community. The Director of Galleries will report to directly to the chair of Visual Arts and Art History (VAAH) and work to coordinate BFA and MFA exhibitions, along with a number of outside exhibitions each year.

This position also carries with it a Non-Tenure-Track (NTT) instructor position in gallery practices and/or museum/curatorial studies. This academic posting will allow for regular review and promotion within the university’s NTT guidelines. The instructional load is one course per semester in the candidate’s area of specialization with additional opportunities for summer teaching.

The university has received several high-profile gifts recently including the Rick Stone and Lesley Blackner Fine Arts Collection and a gift of paintings from the estate of artist Tom DiSalvo. The director will work to develop new donor opportunities and future acquisitions and will work with college development and the University Art Committee to manage the current collection and evaluate gifts to the university. 

The ideal candidate will have a terminal degree (MFA, PhD) in curatorial studies, art history, or a related field. Strong preference will be given to those with expertise in exhibition design and experience in planning and mounting exhibitions. The director will also oversee the budget for the galleries and manage staff and student employees. A fuller description can be found at https://www.fau.edu/artsandletters/vaah/jobs. 

The Department is committed to creating an accessible, supportive environment and an educational experience that recognizes diversity and cultural competence as integral components of academic excellence. Candidates who can contribute to that goal; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion activities; have experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; and who demonstrate and support a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area. 

Interested candidates should send the following:

 

• Letter of interest detailing qualifications and experience related to job description 

• Current CV

• Statement of teaching philosophy

• Sample materials from exhibitions candidate has been involved with.