SMFA at Tufts University is seeking an artist to serve full-time as a Professor of the Practice in the Photography area beginning in the fall semester of 2023. The ideal candidate for this position will be an outstanding practicing artist with a primary focus in photography and demonstrated knowledge of expanded and wide-ranging approaches to the art form. They will have a strong portfolio, exhibition record, and a developed area of research. Candidates will be widely conversant with contemporary issues in the field and will have a global perspective on the production of artwork today. Finalists will be chosen in part based on their dynamically engaged classroom presence that demonstrates they make teaching an integral part of their professional practice. The candidate will encourage students to reach past known limitations to investigate photography as a diversified medium that intersects with and informs other fields of art making. The candidates will draw directly from their practice and research which might reach across different mediums to inform their teaching. The ideal candidate would be skilled in one or several of the following areas: black and white darkroom photography, analog photography, digital photography, large format photography, alternative process photo methods, and bookmaking.
Candidates should have the ability to teach introductory through graduate level courses in photography and to work collaboratively with faculty in the department, and other areas of the university to develop cross media studio courses and seminars; demonstrate extensive critical, theoretical and art historical knowledge in photography; engage in innovative approaches to interdepartmental collaboration that extend the multiple traditions and emerging practices in the field. The selected candidate will be integral to ongoing development of the Photography curriculum and will have the opportunity to develop their own courses as they relate to the wide and expansive field of photographic practices and discourse. Therefore, flexibility and enthusiasm for curricular development are essential.
While SMFA at Tufts has specific need in the area described above, artists whose practices may lie between categories are also enthusiastically encouraged to apply. We hire studio faculty at the rank of “Professor of the Practice” and welcome applications from artists at any stage of their careers. The position of Professor of the Practice includes teaching two courses per semester and mentorship and advising of students. Faculty members are expected to contribute to department-related activities in addition to serving on school-wide committees.
SMFA at Tufts students choose from a nearly-all elective studio curriculum, without declaring medium specific majors, and many identify as interdisciplinary artists. The school encourages students to engage with multiple disciplines within the art school, the humanities, and sciences. Research based art practice is conducted with access to a variety of resources across the university, including the Tisch College of Civic Life and the School of Engineering, that support production and advanced fabrication with a wide range of facilities and tools, research support, international travel and experimental scholarship.
SMFA at Tufts faculty members participate in a culture of excellence and achievement in research and creative activity, teaching and learning, and service to the institution and community. The faculty are a community of artists that support work with one another. The ideal candidate will appreciate working in a respectful collegial community of artists and will positively contribute to the artistic and intellectual life of the University.
In addition, SMFA at Tufts seeks colleagues who combine technical skill with a dynamic and socially responsive pedagogical approach to nurturing a diverse community; candidate should have experience facilitating challenging conversations about emergent social and political issues. As the school strives to promote an inclusive environment, it seeks candidates who can contribute to these aims and demonstrate an array of related competencies in the areas of equity and justice.
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 this position 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
Please submit the following materials via Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/118022
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 (letters will be requested for finalists)
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. 10 examples of student work
Review of applications will begin on January 1, 2023 and will continue until the positions are 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.
