Assistant Professor of Fibers

Colorado State University’s Department of Art and Art History seeks a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in Fiber Arts beginning August 16, 2023. We seek a dynamic faculty member who is well-versed in the historical traditions and processes of fiber arts, while demonstrating an active awareness of contemporary issues and concerns that characterize Fibers within the expanded fields of art, craft, and design. The committee welcomes candidates with research interests ranging from traditional and contemporary craft applications to expansive technological and material-specific processes. The successful candidate will contribute to the departmentʼs ongoing efforts to diversify our curriculum and pedagogy through their research, service, and teaching, which includes an emphasis on marginalized histories and global approaches to materials and practices from diverse cultures and societies.
Colorado State University has a long history of vibrant craft disciplines, including fibers, metals, and pottery. The department is in the beginning stages of developing a Center for Contemporary Craft, which the successful candidate would be invited to help shape. In addition to studio classes in fibers, the ideal faculty member will have the ability and readiness to teach in our four-part Foundations program (120: Time & Structure; 135: Form & Observation; 160: Color & Composition; 170: Materials & Space). Candidates should be committed to the Land Grant mission of the university by engaging audiences beyond academia, and to disseminating fiber arts to national and international audiences.

Colorado State University’s Department of Art and Art History offers majors in Studio Art (BFA and MFA), Integrated Visual Studies (BA), Art History (BA), and Art Education (BFA). Fibers is one of the Department’s ten studio areas, which include Drawing, Electronic Art, Fibers, Graphic Design, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photo Image Making, Pottery, Printmaking, and Sculpture. A diverse range of courses in art history and art education provide students with contextual understanding and prepare educators in the field. The Department supports a range of international study opportunities in Italy, Japan, and Semester at Sea. Colorado State University has a strong and ongoing commitment to equity and increasing diversity among students, faculty, and staff.

The Fibers program features undergraduate and graduate coursework that spans a wide range of practices related to the expanded field. The fibers studio supports material explorations ranging from weaving, sewing, dyeing, printing and other aspects of surface design, as well as mixed media and expanded experimental and technological processes. An outdoor courtyard offers space for wet processes and a small dye garden. Adjacent to the Department of Art & Art History is the Nancy Richardson Design Center, which features a wide range of technologies such as dye sublimation printing, UV printing, digital embroidery, digital quilting, and seam welding; the Department of Design & Merchandising that oversees the Richardson Design Center also offers relevant coursework in Historic Textiles and History of Fashion. Other resources on the CSU campus for fibers artists include the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art and the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising, which house important fiber arts for student study. In Denver, one hour south, the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art all have important collections of textiles and other fiber arts. A large network of alumni and guilds in Colorado and the surrounding region provide mentorship and networking opportunities for fiber students at CSU.

Required Job Qualifications
Terminal degree (MFA, PhD or equivalent international degree) in studio art or related field at the time of appointment. Commitment to and aptitude for promoting the programmatic goals and values of diversity and inclusivity within the Department of Art and Art History

Preferred Job Qualifications
Extensive knowledge of fibers and fiber practices, including the historical traditions and processes of fiber arts from diverse cultures, and an active awareness of contemporary issues and concerns that characterize Fibers within the expanded field of artistic practice.Teaching experience or equitable mentorship to non-traditional or underrepresented communities. Active record of creative arts exhibitions and/or a history of professional accomplishment and recognition

Special Instructions to Applicants
Candidates should upload a cover letter which addresses the minimum and preferred qualifications; a Curriculum Vitae; 15-20 images of artwork, which may include video up to 5 minutes in length; a statement on the candidateʼs commitment to diversity and inclusion; and the contact information for three references.

Please apply by December 16, 2022 for full consideration.

References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.