Human Resources

The Art and Art History Department at Lake Forest College invites applications for a TENURE TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR of STUDIO ART whose areas of specialization include Drawing, Painting and Design. Our curriculum is a combined Art and Art History program, with majors in both Studio Art and Art History. Beyond our introductory courses in Drawing, Painting and Elements of Design, our new colleague will have the opportunity to teach a range of upper-level courses of their own design. Faculty at Lake Forest College are encouraged to create interdisciplinary and collaborative opportunities for students across departments and majors. The preferred candidate will be able to explore ways to enhance our curriculum and complement existing efforts towards excellence within the Department and the College as a whole. The new hire will be able to help students discover the exciting potential of drawing and painting as a fundamental practice in the arts. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have skills associated with digital design software and be willing to teach graphic design courses that lead students through ideation, software training, and publishing in digital and print forms. As part of a small art department within a liberal arts college, this new hire will have the opportunity to help shape the future and move us in new and inspiring directions.

Lake Forest College offers several benefits to tenure-track studio art faculty. One such benefit is the Hotchkiss Leave, a one-semester sabbatical offered upon successful completion of a third-year review. Also, studios are made available to full-time studio art faculty, and the Center for Chicago Programs, in combination with our proximity to Chicago, allows faculty to engage in the city’s vibrant art scene.

The Art and Art History Department believes that diversity, equity and inclusion are key to academic excellence. We are actively seeking candidates whose professional and lived experiences strengthen their ability to teach and mentor students across various spectrums of diversity. Candidates that take a comprehensive approach to ensuring diversity in art and design education, discourse and practice are highly encouraged to apply. As an increasingly diverse campus that is highly invested in equity and inclusion, candidates must demonstrate a teaching philosophy that shares this commitment to cultural and social awareness through the arts.

Successful applicants will hold an M.F.A. by start date in Drawing, Painting, and/or Design, with a minimum of three years demonstrated teaching experience. Applicants should expect to teach three undergraduate courses per semester. Classes are small (typically 15-30 students). Candidates should highlight their background in fostering an inclusive campus culture and supporting the success of students who are historically underrepresented in higher education.

All documents should be sent electronically to Professor Tracy Taylor, studioartsearch2021@mx.lakeforest.edu. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2021. Applications must include:

• Cover Letter
• CV
• 20 images of their own studio practice including examples that demonstrate current practices in design fields (within the past 10 years)
• 15 images of student work
• Teaching Philosophy and/or Diversity Statement
• Names of three references (Recommendation letters will be requested for finalists).

A highly selective liberal arts college located on Chicago’s North Shore, Lake Forest College enrolls approximately 1,600 students from more than 40 states and from more than 70 countries. Lake Forest is one of the most diverse small colleges in the Midwest with nearly 40% of our student body comprised of domestic minority and international students. At Lake Forest College, the quality of a faculty member’s teaching is the most important criterion for evaluation. Lake Forest College embraces diversity and encourages applications from women, members of historically underrepresented groups, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.