RISD
The Department of Textiles in the Division of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, invites applications for a full-time faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor with a focus on weaving to begin fall 2022.
Rhode Island School of Design recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its learning community and integral to an art and design education. We welcome candidates whose experience in teaching, scholarship, professional practice, or service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence.
The Textile Department seeks candidates with an extensive understanding of woven structure and its potential for two and three-dimensional work who can teach a range of courses in the weaving area including hand and digital weaving technologies. Candidates should demonstrate expertise in their field and professional work that shows a high level of proficiency, commitment to the ongoing evolution of the textile field, and active engagement with contemporary art and culture. The ideal candidate will support students interested in pursuing weaving for fine arts work, as well as fashion and interior/architectural applications. Candidates whose creative practice and/or teaching centers on works and bodies of knowledge from historically underrepresented communities will be prioritized.
Required Qualifications
- An MFA or terminal degree in a relevant field is expected, yet candidates who hold a BFA and have a substantial record of achievement in the design and/or art fields may be considered.
- Evidence of teaching experience at the college level.
- A strong record of creative work and evidence of ongoing professional achievement.
Department /RISD DescriptionRhode Island School of Design is an undergraduate and graduate college of art and design with approximately 2,400 graduate and undergraduate students. RISD supports faculty professional practice with sabbaticals, pre-critical review leave, conference funds, and professional development grants. RISD has a critical review process, which is very similar to the tenure process. For more information about RISD, please visit www.risd.edu.
One of RISD’s founding departments, the internationally renowned Textile program instructs students in the concept, method and practice of textile art and design. The department has approximately 100 undergraduate and 12 graduate students, 4 full time and 12 -15 part-time faculty offering a two-year MFA degree and a four-year BFA degree. The curriculum hones artistic identity through visual and material research built upon a foundation of strong technical skills, and emphasizes a thorough understanding and integration of process, structure, material and technique. The faculty support the development of students as artists and designers who energize the field through personal vision and understanding of the larger artistic, cultural and social contexts of the discipline. The department is committed to anti-racist pedagogy and curriculum and is working towards realizing this with the RISD Textile Department Anti-Racist Commitment and Plan of Action.
The immersive program builds analytical and critical thinking skills in a curriculum that encompasses a variety of courses in three major areas: knit, woven and printed textiles. The integration of hand tools and advanced technologies has been a mission of the department for over a century as the relationship between human and machine deepens and evolves. The Department’s unique facilities include multi-harness handlooms, computer-interfaced dobby looms, electronic Jacquard looms, digital printers, silkscreen studios, dye labs, digital embroidery machines, hand and industrial knitting equipment and a computer-aided design lab.
As a practice, weaving is richly historical and profoundly contemporary. In the textile department, it has served as a bedrock activity around which fundamental questions of materiality, color, composition, space, application and end-use come into play. Students develop projects through hand and digital processes that address a wide range of applications and meanings and indicate the ubiquity of the medium. The department values as much the development of skill as the strength and originality of concepts. Through a carefully crafted sequence of coursework, the weaving curriculum introduces techniques and technologies to articulate student ideas and create a knowledge base that is both solid and highly adaptable.
Close connections to the professional world are maintained through internships, seminars, speakers and interactions with visiting artists and critics. Collaborative projects with artists, faculty and students from other RISD departments, the RISD museum, community, and the textile field enrich students’ educational experience.
Faculty ResponsibilitiesThe full-time faculty teaching load is six courses per year, encompassing sophomore through graduate-level instruction. Full-time faculty are expected to maintain an active professional practice, serve on college committees, advise students, and participate in curriculum development and other departmental activities and projects, while contributing to the vibrancy of the intellectual life of the college. The search committee will consider a candidate’s potential to contribute to leadership roles in the department and at the college.Union Yes Pre-employment Requirement
The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.Special Instructions to ApplicantsPlease attach the following to the appropriate links in the section labeled
“Documents Needed to Apply”:
- a teaching philosophy (in your teaching philosophy please comment on how you attend to diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to a learning community)
- letter of intent
- curriculum vitae
- images of professional work (maximum 10-20 images professional work, through slideroom, with explanatory notes or captions)
- images of student work (up to 10 images of student work, through slideroom, with explanatory notes or captions)
- evidence of teaching at the college level, including syllabi
Names and contact information for three references are requested as part of the application process. Requests for reference letters are sent directly to the reference providers at the semi-finalist stage.
Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. Candidates who submit their materials by January 7, 2022, are assured full consideration.EEO Statement
RISD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
