TERM POSITION: FIBRES AND MATERIAL PRACTICES: CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

Deadline March 7, 2016 12:00 am

Concordia University’s Department of Studio Arts invites applications for one limited-term appointment position in Fibres and Material Practices at the rank of Lecturer or Assistant Professor, effective August 1, 2016, to May 14, 2017.
Limited-term appointment positions are subject to budgetary approval and departmental or unit need.  Individuals holding limited-term appointments may be reappointed, given continued funding and need, as well as satisfactory job performance.  Together, initial appointments and subsequent reappointments may not exceed 36 months or a span of three consecutive years.
Studio Arts is the largest department in the Faculty of Fine Arts and enjoys a long-standing reputation as one of Canada’s foremost environments for the study and creation of visual art.  BFA programs are offered in Ceramics, Fibres and Material Practices, Intermedia (Video, Performance and Electronic Arts), Painting and Drawing, Photography, Print Media, Sculpture and Studio Art.  For more than 30 years, Studio Arts has maintained an MFA program of international stature.  The department emphasizes the importance of studio production, and has an experienced technical staff and a faculty complement of more than 100 full-time and part-time professors, including some of the most celebrated contemporary artists in the country.
The Fibres and Material Practices program is the largest program of its kind in Canada and over the years has become highly visible in North America, offering a rigorous and comprehensive study of the technical, conceptual and creative aspects of contemporary art and textile production.  Inherently interdisciplinary in nature, the Fibres and Material Practices program encourages a cross-fertilization of ideas, techniques and technologies, and balances traditional and non-traditional techniques.
During the initial appointment, the successful candidate will normally be expected to teach up to six Fibres and Material Practices courses at the undergraduate level and up to seven courses per annum if reappointed. Successful applicants should be prepared to supervise independent study students, develop course content, participate in MFA-level critiques, juries, and/or thesis committees, liaise with technicians and perform some administrative duties to assist the program.
We are seeking applicants with an established practice in contemporary art, who are engaged with fibres and material practices in which social, cultural, conceptual and material frameworks are central.  The ideal candidate will have a strong critical/theoretical background and a contemporary understanding of art practices.  Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate technical skills in one or more of the following areas: textile structures, printing and dyeing processes, papermaking, digital and electronic/interactive textiles and/or interdisciplinary or sculptural practices.
Candidates for this position should possess a completed MFA degree; a strong exhibition record; college and/or university teaching experience; demonstrated experience of teaching fibres within an art context; and demonstrated experience with administrative work.  Although classes are taught in English, fluency in French would be considered an asset.
The submission package must include:

  • a letter of application
  • curriculum vitae
  • statement of teaching philosophy
  • evidence of teaching effectiveness (including course syllabi, examples of student work, assignments and evaluations)
  • documentation of artwork (sent on DVD, CD, or USB  Stick)
  • the names and contact information of three referees.

Short-listed candidates will be required to provide an attestation of terminal degree.
Applications with a self-addressed, stamped envelope should be submitted or postmarked on or before March 7, 2016 to:
Mailing address:
Departmental Hiring Committee, Department of Studio Arts, Concordia University
Re: LTA Position in Fibres and Material Practices
1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., VA-250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada  H3G 1M8
Fax:  514-848-2281
Civic address for in-person and courier delivery:
Visual Arts Building
Sir George Williams Campus
1395 René-Lévesque Blvd. W., VA-250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada  H3G 2M5
General inquiries regarding this position may be directed, by email, to: [email protected]
To learn more about working at Concordia, applicants are encouraged to consult:

Subject to budgetary approval, we anticipate filling this position for August 1, 2016. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. Concordia University is committed to employment equity.