from e-flux
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
Seeking Chair of Department of Painting + Printmaking
Application deadline: January 6, 2017
Expected start date: July 1
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
Department of Painting and Printmaking
Fine Arts Building
1000 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23284
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) is seeking a dynamic chairperson to lead the Department of Painting + Printmaking. This program is a recognized leader in visual arts education and ranked #7 in the country, according to the 2016 U.S. News & World Report's graduate ranking. Artists working in painting, printmaking, or related critical/theoretical disciplines are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have proven administrative skills and be conversant with contemporary art issues, critical theory, and contemporary studio practice. The Chair must have a well-developed scholarly, creative or professional portfolio with the potential for multi-disciplinary applications and interest in developing external funding appropriate to complement and expand existing expertise in the department. The Chair will have demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU. In addition to articulating a vision for the department, the Chair will be an equitable administrator and an enthusiastic advocate for the department, and must possess the interpersonal skills to work with a large and diverse faculty, staff, and student body. The Chair will broaden participation among members of underrepresented groups, and will encourage research, teaching, and / or public engagement that demonstrates the richness of diversity in the learning experience and will integrate multicultural approaches and perspectives into instructional methods and research tools. Good humor, flexibility, and passion for developing a dynamic, forward-thinking program are a must.
In addition to daily administrative decisions, the Chair will maintain, in concert with the faculty, an environment conducive to open discourse and the advancement of the discipline. The department offers BFA and MFA degrees; there are over 130 undergraduate students and 15 graduate students in the department. The program is staffed with nine full time artist faculty members and numerous adjuncts who teach courses in their area of specialization.
To read the full position description and application instructions visit vcujobs.com
The VCU School of the Arts is comprised of over 3,000 students and 16 nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts. US News & World Report ranks VCUarts as the top public university art and design school in the nation. Located in Richmond, Virginia, VCU is an ethnically and culturally diverse urban institution composed of three campuses that serve more than 30,000 students each year. The 75-acre Monroe Park Campus is situated in Richmond's historic Fan District. The new VCU Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), designed by award-winning architect Steven Holl, is poised to open in 2017, and will be dedicated to flexible and responsive exhibitions and performances that examine art, design, and performance from multiple interdisciplinary perspectives (ica.vcu.edu). VCUarts is within walking distance to the Richmond Arts District and the nationally-recognized Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is one mile from campus. VCUQatar, the university's first international branch campus, is located in Doha, Qatar and serves students from more than 25 nationalities in design, visual arts, and art history. The 51-acre Medical College of Virginia Campus is located two miles east in the financial, commercial and governmental district of downtown Richmond.
Virginia Commonwealth University receives more than 250 million USD in annual research funding and is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive institution. It is one of the nation's top research universities, and is one of only three such universities in Virginia. VCU's teaching, research, public service and patient care mission supports full-time and part-time students and faculty of diverse backgrounds.
Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran's status, political affiliation or disability.