Canadian Art – Research Chair and Director of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art

Concordia University

Job title: Research Chair and Director of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art
Position code: 23_C_ARTH_O
Application deadline: October 15, 2023

Position description
The Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art, founded in 1998, invites applications for the position of Research Chair and Director of the Institute to begin August 1, 2024. The Research Chair and Director will hold a full-time tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Art History; applications will be accepted from external and internal candidates alike.

The core responsibilities for the position are to develop and support research initiatives at different scales, promoting scholarship in Canadian art histories; to provide intellectual and administrative leadership for the Institute; to teach and supervise graduate and undergraduate students within the Art History department; to actively seek external funding related to the Institute and the chair; and to engage in a broad and ongoing dialogue with educational and cultural institutions dedicated to studies in the visual arts of Canada.

• The Director develops strategic directions for the Institute and facilitates its activities including programming, outreach, and student training; the director’s role involves communication within the unit and externally to partner members and institutions; alignment with collective agreements and university policies; and fiscal management, including the submission of annual and other university-mandated reporting.
• The Research Chair develops and supports research networks and partnerships related to Canadian art histories and visual culture.
• The faculty appointment contributes to the teaching of Canadian art and visual culture at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including active supervision of students in MA and PhD programs, and participates actively in the collegial governance of the Department of Art History.

The Research Chair (5-year term) and directorship (4-year term) are subject to renewal; annual reporting and mid-term reviews are required. Both positions come with annual research and salary stipends, as well as teaching remissions totalling 6 credits per annum.

Qualifications and assets
The successful candidate will have a PhD in Art History or a related field, and will provide evidence of high-quality scholarly output, an important grant-funding profile, and excellence in teaching and leadership in academic administration. They will be an outstanding researcher and/or research-creator, with a strong record (5-7 years minimum) of university teaching, research, service, and administration, and considerable expertise in one or more facets of Canadian Art as broadly conceived. This may include (but is not limited to) a further specialization in art history and visual culture, craft and design history, photo history, architectural history, etc.

Candidates are encouraged to share any career interruptions or personal circumstances that may have had an impact on their career goals in their letter of application. These will be carefully considered in the assessment process. The Department of Art History values diversity among its faculty and strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. Concordia University is an English-language institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction and research is English. Since this position supports academic functions of the university, proficiency in English is required. Working knowledge of French, including reading and grading student work in French, is an asset.

How to apply
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. While applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship, all applicants must include one of the following statements:

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
or
No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

Digital applications should be submitted to art.history.positions@concordia.ca on or before October 15, 2023, but will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Submissions should consist of a single PDF file that is identified with the candidate’s name and position code (23_C_ARTH_O), and includes the following items in the order specified below:

• A cover letter emphasizing key qualifications for the multi-faceted position
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae
• A statement of intent, with relevant research and administrative experience for the directorship (1 page)
• A program vision statement in relation to the chair, laying out a detailed research plan for the next 5 years (up to 5 pages)
• Links to any relevant research including publications, exhibitions,
• A teaching statement that includes the applicant’s teaching philosophy and approaches to mentorship (and may further include supporting materials: sample assignments, teaching evaluations and/or syllabi of courses taught)
• Names and contact information of three referees
• An Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statement (see below)

All inquiries regarding this position may be directed to Dr. John Potvin, Professor and Chair, Department of Art History at john.potvin@concordia.ca.

Concordia University is strongly committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and recognizes the importance of inclusion in achieving excellence in teaching and research. As part of this commitment to providing our students with the dynamic, innovative, and inclusive educational environment of a Next-Generation University, we require all applicants to articulate in their cover letter how their background, as well as lived and professional experiences and expertise have prepared them to teach in ways that are relevant for a diverse, multicultural contemporary Canadian society. These ongoing or anticipated examples can include but are not limited to:

• teaching about underrepresented populations
• mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds
• committee work
• offering or organizing educational programming
• participation in training and workshops

All applicants will receive an email invitation to complete a short equity survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary and no identifying information about candidates will be shared with hiring committees. Candidates who wish to self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group to the hiring committee may do so in their cover letter or by writing directly to the contact person indicated in this posting.

Adaptive measures
Applicants who anticipate requiring adaptive measures throughout any stage of the recruitment process may contact, in confidence, Anna Barrafato, Accessibility Change Lead: anna.barrafato@concordia.ca or by phone at 514.848.2424 extension 3511.

Information about the Department
The Department of Art History at Concordia University is one of the leading departments in the country. Known for its theoretical and methodological strengths, its focus involves visual and material culture, and its commitment to historic and contemporary forms of Canadian and Indigenous Art. The department currently has a Concordia University Research Chair in Critical Curatorial Studies and Decolonizing Art Institutions and an Endowed Research Chair in Studies in Canadian Art. Two scholarly journals (Journal of Canadian Art History and Journal of Asian Diasporic Visual Cultures and the Americas) are housed in the department-affiliated Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art. Three undergraduate degree programs are offered: Art History; Art History and Film Studies; and Art History and Studio Art. There is a stand-alone Master’s in Art History and an inter- university PhD program, offered collaboratively with Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Montréal.

Information about the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art
The Institute seeks to initiate national and international conversations about historical and contemporary forms of Canadian art and visual culture by forging links between established and emergent scholars working across the country and abroad. Its programs support innovative research and the mobilization of knowledge through print culture and new media networks.

Emphasizing exchange, collaboration, and trans-Canada partnerships, the Institute builds on its founders’ collective vision to advance the greater appreciation and richer understanding of Canadian art and visual culture of all eras. The Institute collaborates on research programs and vital forms of public outreach with educational and cultural institutions, as well as the private sector by:

• supporting research on Canadian art for pedagogical purposes at all levels of education, and most importantly for the general public
• producing scholarly materials in print and electronic format such as monographs, journals, bibliographies, catalogues raisonnés, films and videos
• maintaining a broad and ongoing dialogue within the academic and museum communities on the evolving nature of studies in the visual arts in Canada
• establishing links to national and international art communities through public events such as conferences and lectures

Located in the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex and closely associated with the Department of Art History in the Faculty of Fine Arts, the Institute organizes a rigorous program of public lectures, workshops, and publishing. Additionally, it houses a documentation centre that collects and makes accessible a range of research materials and electronic media relating to Canadian art. The Art History department offers innovative curricula on historical, modern, and contemporary forms and prioritizes diverse perspectives and culturally situated approaches to the study of art history, theory, criticism, and curatorship.

Information about the Faculty of Fine Arts
With over 4,000 students, faculty, and staff, the Faculty of Fine Arts is among the five largest art and design schools in North America. Nestled in the heart of a pulsing city, embraced by a dynamic research university, the Faculty of Fine Arts benefits from extraordinary access to brilliant practitioners, thriving venues, cross-cultural perspectives, and an extensive network of outstanding facilities for research and production.

Taking advantage of our place within the rich fabric of a research university and our long history as one of the premiere sites in Canada for the study and creation of the arts and arts-based scholarship, the Faculty of Fine Arts is currently engaged in a transformative moment in which pedagogical, conceptual, theoretical, and material practices find resonance with a significant diversity of approaches. In our university community we value equally those practices that embrace aesthetic activism, live performance, historical scholarship, technical experimentation, skills-based production, community fieldwork and education, and therapeutic practices, as well as traditional and digital fabrication. In addition to curricular advances, the formation of significant research centres and external partnerships in the Faculty of Fine Arts continue to enrich opportunities for faculty and students alike. The Faculty is also home to a number of research groups led by faculty members who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour and disabled, and centred on their concerns. For more information, please visit the Faculty of Fine Arts website.

Information about Concordia
Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, on the traditional lands and waters of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, is historically known as a gathering place for many First  Nations. Today it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.

Building on the skills of our faculty and the strengths of Indigenous, local, and global partnerships, we set our sights further and more broadly than others and align the quality of learning opportunities to larger trends and substantial challenges facing society.

“Concordia is a young, forward-looking university. It’s a unique place where experimentation, innovation and creativity are truly valued. Our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni all contribute to our momentum as Canada’s next-gen university.” — Concordia President Graham Carr.

Profoundly global, Concordia is North America’s top university under the age of 50 and is recognized for attracting some of the most talented faculty and students from around the world. Driven by ambition, innovation and a commitment to reconciliation, research and community engagement, Concordia is celebrated for advancing transformative learning, convergent thinking, and public impact.

Information about Montreal
Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, is exceptional; safe, vibrant, and diverse, with new things to discover around every corner. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which wegather and conduct our activities. With a population of 1.7 million, Tiohtià:ke/Montreal is home to four major universities and several clinical research centres and has been named the best student city in the world. It offers the most affordable tuition in Canada.

The city enjoys a thriving multicultural scene. Bilingualism is a part of Montreal’s tradition and adds to its inspiring atmosphere. While supporting a significant anglophone population, it is the one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world.

Montreal is famed for its innovative culinary scene and festivals. It was also the first metropolis to be designated a UNESCO City of Design by the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity.

The city is recognized globally as an important centre for commerce, aerospace, transport, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, gaming, and film.

Employment Equity
Concordia University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community, and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Indigenous persons, members of sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversification; candidates are invited to self-identify in their application.

Territorial Acknowledgement
Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present, and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.