Associate or Full Professor of Art, Future Department Chair

About the Role

The Department of Art at Rice University is seeking to hire a full-time senior level artist, filmmaker, or critical practitioner conversant in the many intersecting fields of contemporary art practice who will also serve as the next department chair for a term (renewable) of 3-5 years. The department has recently occupied our new state of the art, DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO building, Sarofim Hall.

Responsibilities

• Bring organizational and strategic thought leadership as future Departmental Chair
• Engage in and maintain an active and ambitious program of research and creative scholarship
• Participate in student mentoring and advising
• Serve on department and university committees

Qualifications

For Visual Artists and Filmmakers: Candidates must hold an MFA in Studio Art, Film, Media Arts, or a related field. Required qualifications include a substantial record of national and international exhibitions or screenings, a deep grounding in the history, theory, practice, and criticism of contemporary art, exceptional organizational and collaborative skills, and a minimum of five years of undergraduate- or graduate-level teaching experience.

For Critical Practitioners: Candidates must hold a PhD in Art History, Visual Studies, Film and Media Studies, Curatorial Studies, or a related field. Required qualifications include a proven record of scholarly publication and service commensurate with career stage, along with at least five years of undergraduate- or graduate-level teaching experience.

About the Department & University

Rice University is a liberal arts research university offering a visual arts curriculum in film and video production and studio arts (printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, and digital as well as traditional photography). Rice has approximately 4,800 graduate, undergraduate, and professional students with approximately 650 full- and part-time faculty. The department enjoys a talented and intellectually curious group of student majors on three academic concentrations, along with progressive academic offerings and collaborations with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Menil Collection, Project Row Houses, the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Glassell School of Art Core Fellow Program, and many alternative art spaces and galleries. Rice students are predominantly double-majors, and our program's curriculum is in dialogue with other disciplines (such as engineering, creative writing, architecture, and biology). The Department consistently ranks in the top 5 in Niche due to the high quality of art instruction and of mentoring.

Application Materials

Review of applications will begin immediately, continuing until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, application materials should be submitted by December 15, 2026. Appointment begins July 1, 2027.

Applicants should upload:

• A cover letter summarizing your interest and qualifications
• A current curriculum vitae, including a one-page summary of your administrative experience
• A statement of research/creative practice outlining your ongoing work and future projects
• A statement of teaching philosophy, including courses you could teach at the undergraduate levels
• A digital portfolio or representative publications appropriate to your discipline (creative work samples or scholarly reprints). Please upload a single PDF showcasing 3-5 projects that best represent your practice. You may provide a combination of the following work samples:
  • Time-based work: no more than 15 minutes in length provided through a URL
  • Images: up to 20 digital images
  • Web-based work: provide a URL
  • Written work: no more than ten single-spaced pages of text
• Contact information for 3-5 references

Candidates are also encouraged to address how their teaching, research, and service contribute to building an engaged, collaborative, and inclusive learning community.