Assistant Professor of Craft History

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Closing Date:

Type of Position:

Faculty - Tenure/Tenure TrackNo

Job Type:

RegularDay Shift (United States of America)Yes

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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Department:

School of Art Art History

Summary of Job Duties:

The Art History Program in the School of Art, in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Art History of Craft and Design. Applicants may specialize in any aspect of craft history and its intersecting fields, including the study of design history, decorative arts, material culture, handicraft, craft production and fabrication, or ephemeral cultural production. The position is open in terms of chronological and geographical specialization, but we are especially interested in scholars whose research connects with the arts and craft traditions of the Americas broadly. Interdisciplinary, intersectional, and transregional approaches centering overlooked or marginalized histories are particularly welcome, as is scholarship that critically engages the migration of peoples, objects, and practices through time and space.

We seek creative thinkers who will contribute to the excellence of the intellectual community in the School of Art and participate in the growing arts ecosystem of Northwest Arkansas. The Art History Program is actively committed to expanding art historical knowledge and approaches, embracing new methodologies, and educating students in a multivocal art history. Applications are encouraged from those invested in public education that aims to make art history accessible and compelling to first-generation students. Scholars with a passion for collaboration, program-building, and partnership-development are also encouraged to apply.

This tenure-track position comes with an annual research budget of up to $10,000 to support scholarship. This is a nine-month faculty appointment, with a standard workload of 40% research, 40% teaching (2 courses per semester, 4 courses total per year), and 20% service. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others. Expected start date is August 2026.

We are a vibrant and growing program. In Fall 2023, we launched a new MA program in the arts of the Americas, developed in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its contemporary arts satellite, the Momentary. We have cross-institutional strengths in craft and design. The School of Art’s Studio Program has world-class ceramics facilities, and its Design Program recently launched a new MDES degree. Crystal Bridges has recently foregrounded craft in its curatorial initiatives.

The successful candidate will teach courses at the MA and BA level and participate in student recruitment. Candidates may teach in the Honors College and at the university’s Rome Center, and co-design courses with colleagues in Studio, Design, and other units. Art history faculty have ties to African and African American Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, the Indigenous Studies Program, and Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, among other departments. There are also opportunities to lead travel courses both domestically and abroad. Additional resources include the Arkansas Archaeological Survey, the Fine Arts Center Gallery, the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, and the many museums in the region, including the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, OK, the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, OK, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Art History or an allied discipline from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment

• An established record of innovative scholarship that complements or expands existing faculty strengths

• An established record of, or potential for, exceptional teaching that complements or expands existing faculty strengths

• An established record of, or potential for, mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-campus collaborations

• Demonstrated record of program-building and partnership development

• Demonstrated record of community outreach

Additional Information:

About the School of Art
The School of Art has a rich history beginning in 1874 when instruction in drawing and painting was first offered at the University of Arkansas for non-degree credit. The first art major program leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree was introduced in 1929. A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree was instituted in 1982 and the Master of Fine Arts graduate degree, one of the first such programs in the country, was initiated in 1952.

In recent years, the School of Art has experienced substantial growth and transformation. The most significant change occurred in 2017 when the Department of Art became the School of Art, made possible through a landmark $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. This historic gift created the first and only school of art in the state of Arkansas, propelling art education, design, research, and creative activity forward while providing unparalleled access and opportunity for students.

The gift was allocated with three primary goals: providing unprecedented levels of financial support for students through scholarships, travel grants, and internships; engaging the region through outreach and public service in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and a wide range of community arts organizations; and expanding programs and degree offerings within the School. These commitments continue to drive the School of Art’s mission today, ensuring access, excellence, and national leadership in art and design education.

Duties will include:
• 40% Teaching
• 40% Research
• 20% Service

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Statement of Research Philosophy, Statement of Teaching Philosophy, Writing SampleProof of Veteran StatusJohn R. Blakinger, search committee chair, johnrb@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Completed applications received by December 1, 2025, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.

For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, John R. Blakinger, at johnrb@uark.edu.

Applicants must submit:
• a curriculum vitae,
• a cover letter/letter of application,
• One scholarly writing sample (preferably published or forthcoming research, submitted in a single PDF)
• a teaching statement,
• a research statement, and
• a list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process. Letters of recommendation will be requested only for candidates selected for interviews.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes