Canada Research Chair, Tier 2
Assistant or Associate Professor
Visual Arts - Faculty of Fine Arts
Date posted: June 27, 2023. Posting closed Sep 1 2023.
CRC Faculty Position in Emergent Digital Art Practices
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The Department of Visual Arts at the University of Victoria invites applications from external candidates for a Canada Research Chair (CRC) Tier 2 in Emergent Digital Art Practices at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. This CRC recruitment is part of a broad strategy to expand and raise the profile of creative research in digital art, addressing how technologies are fundamentally changing our understanding of art, physical representation, and creative experience. The successful applicant will be nominated by the University for a CRC Tier 2 and upon approval by the CRC Secretariat, will be offered either a tenure-track or a tenured appointment at the appropriate rank, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2024.
Requirements
The successful candidate will be an emerging world-class scholar who has demonstrated research productivity and potential to achieve international recognition within the next 5-10 years. The appointee will be expected to establish an innovative, high-impact, and original creative research program that demonstrates initiative to seek out external funding opportunities. The proposed research program should have the potential for national and international collaborations, and should enhance and/or complement the strengths of the UVic Visual Arts and Computer Science program. It is anticipated that the appointee will develop as an outstanding teacher and mentor of diverse undergraduate and graduate students, and has the potential to manage a healthy research and creative works environment that integrates diverse employees.
We are seeking a candidate with expertise and scholarship that indicates the advancement of digital art in one or more of the following areas: creative coding, generative art, artificial intelligence, applied gaming technologies, digital sculpture including digital fabrication technologies, AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), robotics, net art, and/or blockchain technologies. The committee is open to considering emergent digital art practices which are not specifically listed. Additionally, this position will lead the “Combined Major in Visual Arts and Computer Science Program” and assist with the need for expansion of the creative expertise currently offered between visual arts and computer science. As this position is based in the Department of Visual Arts, the successful candidate will have broad-based knowledge across the fields of contemporary and digital art and the ability to mentor students enrolled in this program who employ a range of approaches to creative production which rely upon a variety of technologies and the critical reflection of their use.
Qualified candidates will hold a PhD, MFA, or equivalent experience and recognition in the field of artistic production. Candidates must have the ability to teach in Digital and Extended Media with sufficient familiarity with other areas of digital art and be able to support a diverse range of students. In addition, the ability to mentor in one or more of the areas of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Video, Art Theory, or Curatorial Studies will be considered an asset. The candidate will demonstrate the potential for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and advising. As our program upholds the values of equity, diversity and inclusion, the successful candidate must have experience in teaching, mentoring and collaborating with diverse people, particularly from systemically and historically marginalized groups including women, Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, people with disability and members from LGBTQ+ communities.
The successful candidate will be a practicing professional artist, curator, or arts professional with a nationally recognized research profile. Candidates will demonstrate the capacity to share in the full range of departmental, faculty and University activities, including general departmental administration, committee work, and related duties, while maintaining an active creative research profile.
In accordance with the University’s Equity Plan and pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preference will be given to members of the following groups: Indigenous peoples, Black persons, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, women and other diverse gender identities. Candidates from these groups who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must self-identify in their cover letter. In the event that the Committee does not find a suitable candidate in the initial pool, it will review all other applications.
Additional information
Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs are one of Canada’s premier early career recognition and recruitment programs, and are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidates must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination). However, applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. The CRC program has no restrictions with regard to nationality or country of residence of the candidates. For more information on the CRC program generally and on eligibility specifically, please consult the Canada Research Chairs website.
The Department of Visual Arts is home to approximately 250 students in a dynamic studio-based program with a strong record of success at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We believe in fostering the development of artists and researchers who understand the range of materials, methods, and discourses that are key to developing unique and innovative artistic voices and excellence in scholarship. Our faculty members are committed instructors, researchers and artists, active at the local, national and international level with an outstanding record of internal and external awards and vibrant scholarship across an array of venues, including monographs, peer-reviewed articles, chapters, exhibitions, and community-engaged scholarship. In the Department of Visual Arts, creative research is practiced in the areas of sculpture, video, digital art, photography, painting, Indigenous art practices, textiles, performance, social/political activism through the arts, community-engaged research, curation, sound art and site- specific installation.
Joining a respected faculty of artists and scholars, the successful candidate’s expertise will build on existing research and creative practice within visual arts and computer science, helping to flesh out the considerable and quickly growing field of digital arts.
This team includes the high-profile research positions of the Audain Professorship in Contemporary Art Practice of the Pacific Northwest and the President’s Impact Chair in Indigenous Art Practices. The Department of Visual Arts provides an ideal environment to support a Canada Research Chair and our faculty and staff are dedicated to supporting the candidate in their research needs related to the CRC position.
Faculty and Librarians at the University of Victoria are governed by the provisions of the Collective Agreement. Members are represented by the University of Victoria Faculty Association.
Contact information
To be considered, please send the following:
- A cover letter that addresses the full scope of the job requirements and related experience;
- A four-page (max) description of the candidate’s proposed CRC research program;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Appropriate evidence of research (twenty images/time-based media/other documentation of creative research practice and/or academic publications)
Teaching dossier (teaching statements, example syllabi, evaluation data and if applicable, alternative forms of teaching found in mentorship practices and community-based experiences) - A one-page statement outlining their experiences and contributions to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion;
- Names and contact information of three references
Please note that reference checks will be done and background checks, including credential and degree verification, may be undertaken as part of this recruitment process.
Questions about the position are welcome and can be addressed to the Appointment Committee Chair at: mdickie@uvic.ca
Application deadline
Posting closed Sep 1 2023.
Equity statement
UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity.
Read our full equity statement.
The University acknowledges the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to explain in their application the impact that career interruptions have had on their record.
Persons with disabilities, who anticipate needing accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, may contact Faculty Relations and Academic Administration in the Office of the VP Academic and Provost at FRrecruit@uvic.ca. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence.