Assistant Professor of Painting + Printmaking -- Lens-based-extended media

Assistant Professor of Painting + Printmaking -- Lens-based-extended media

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar

Position: F28300

Salary: Commensurate with experience and training. Generous international benefits available

This full-time, 9-month position is at the rank of Assistant Professor, is non-tenure-eligible, and begins August 10, 2023.

Application Deadline: For best consideration, applications are due Friday, January 7, 2023.

The Opportunity

The VCUarts Qatar Department of Painting + Printmaking seeks a full-time faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor. The ideal candidate will be a lens-based-extended media practitioner, dynamic teacher, and broad thinker who is deeply connected to the practices and discourses of contemporary art and can teach in a progressive multi-disciplinary studio environment. We are seeking someone who wants to thoughtfully contribute to the dynamic spirit of an established fine arts program. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to pedagogical projects and coursework that supports an inclusive, diverse, and accessible experience for all students. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in contemporary issues in the Middle East.



​The ideal candidate will be a creative researcher whose work advances lens-based art practices and is comfortable working across disciplines and encompassing broad approaches to art practice and teaching.

VCUarts Qatar:

VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts (VCUarts). Located in Richmond, Virginia, VCUarts (www.arts.vcu.edu) is the top-ranked public art school in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar was established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation and offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking; a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUarts Qatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from 34 countries.

VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to global outreach and education and provides students with an environment for cross-cultural exchange that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation. Examples of this mission are the two significant international conferences hosted by VCUarts Qatar-the biennial design conference, Tasmeem and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. VCUarts Qatar attracts globally recognized designers, artists and scholars while fostering partnerships within the region, and beyond, that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. Having established itself as a center of excellence for education and research, VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the influential art and design world of the Middle East, and is a catalyst for the growth and development of these fields in the region. VCUarts Qatar has 120 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of 331. VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2500-acre multiversity campus. VCUarts Qatar was joined by Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, HEC Paris and University College of London.

Qatar, with English as the standard second language, is a progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city, while honoring a rich tradition that is evident in the old markets and the city's Islamic Arab architecture. Al-Wakrah Stadium, a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, designed by the defunct deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid was inaugurated in 2021. The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in March 2019 while the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) opened in 2010. The U.S. Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.

VCUarts:

Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 170 full-time teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 60 staff members that assist in daily processes. The school includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university's 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city's historic Fan District. Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business.

Major responsibilities:
  • Expected to teach a range of studio-based and theory courses across all levels and disciplines within VCUarts Qatar, demonstrating a practice and a teaching methodology that address a lens-based approach in the expanded field of art.
  • Facilitate discourse on contemporary art, emphasizing the Arab region within the global context; and balance the discipline's conceptual, aesthetic, and technical potential, including the politics of representation, gender, feminism, and social-based practice.
  • Engage in collaborations with other undergraduate majors and the MFA graduate program at VCUarts Qatar, as well as collaborate with Education City Partner Universities, reinforcing the “Multiversity” institutional initiative;
  • Demonstrate and sustain an active professional career and scholarly activities consistent with and in support of the broader mission and initiatives of the PAPR program, School, and University.
  • Engage and support departmental, school, university, professional, and community service activities, and other service duties as assigned, in line with expectations of VCUarts Qatar faculty;
  • Other responsibilities may be assigned by the Program Director or university administration.

Qualifications:
  • An MFA or equivalent professional experience and an academic career distinguished by a compelling exhibition record, research, or comparable professional accomplishments;
  • Comprehensive knowledge of lens-based practice and theory;
  • Strong understanding of the convergence of analogue imaging media with the emerging digital media workflow..
  • Knowledge of critical theory and contemporary practices is required.
  • Experience in University-level academic instruction beyond the TA level is required.
  • Experience or potential for working in a culturally diverse work environment is necessary to support the VCU's emphasis on global sensibility and a focus on teaching methods, techniques, and theories with a historical and contextual reference to the Gulf region.
  • Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU and VCUarts Qatar.
  • Strong collaboration skills and demonstrated enthusiasm toward working within in a multicultural environment as a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar;
  • Established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding, as well as a potential for a scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department/unit.
  • Excellent verbal and written English, as all courses are taught in English;

Application Instructions:

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion– an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words), providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU's mission of promoting equity and inclusion. Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that supports equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/.

In addition, the following documents should submit:
  • Cover Letter (address interest and qualifications for the position; include discussion of research agenda and service activities)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Reflective teaching statement (include approaches and philosophies; evidence of effective teaching; and potential courses in the area of specialization)
  • Teaching portfolio
  • List of three professional references, including names with titles and contact information (references will not be checked prior to candidate's approval).
  • Only electronic applications submitted via VCU eJobs will be accepted. For best consideration, completed applications are due by Friday, January 7, 2023. Questions about the application process should be directed to Ms. Kristin Brown, HR Administrator, at brownka@vcu.edu or Mr. Ryan F. Ellington, HR Director, at rfellington@vcu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability