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.

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

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.

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 johnrbuark.edu.

For a complete position announcement and information regarding how to apply, visit https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UASYS/job/Assistant-Professor-of-Craft-History_R0078454-1?locations=17a66cdad98201f7890cfb48ca00e249.

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.