Faculty in Photography and Media

The Program in Photography and Media at CalArts is seeking candidates for a full-time regular faculty position to begin in the fall of 2023. We are interested in candidates that have a proven track record both professionally and pedagogically in advancing issues and methods of Indigeneity within the field of photography and media. This appointment is for an early to mid-career applicant with promising or significant professional accomplishments and at least three to five years teaching at the college level or comparable experience in academic, artistic, and/or community-based contexts.

The ideal candidate should be an artist with a strong professional practice, a firm commitment to teaching, a dedication to working with a culturally, economically and intellectually diverse community of artists, and engagement with major contemporary questions of photographic and arts education.

CalArts sits on the unceded ancestral lands of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and we are interested in candidates that are able to demonstrate how their artistic practice and teaching connects with social justice, decolonizing methodologies and place-based understanding. We welcome submissions for applicants locally and globally and we are particularly interested  in candidates that have a lived experience within Indigenous communities in the region currently known as Southern California.

Originally founded as a program in still photography, our curriculum supports both graduate and undergraduate students in a broad range of media and approaches to cultural production. This includes still and moving images, sound, performance and installation, all grounded in a critical understanding of histories of photography and media. We are seeking candidates interested in the ongoing evaluation of how the boundaries of “Photography and Media” are continually changing.

 The Photo/Media Program seeks to employ faculty who can help build and engage our diverse communities of learners at the highest levels of artistic endeavor, critical thinking and social impact. We welcome candidates who possess a demonstrated worldview and cultural competency to support teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students of varied backgrounds, capabilities, perspectives, social identities and gender expressions. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome all qualified applicants. 

Regular faculty member work expectations within the Photo/Media program involve teaching 2 courses a semester, mentoring students and conducting independent studies, attending faculty meetings and participating in student reviews. Regular faculty members rotate Program Director duties throughout their appointment.

Please submit the following via Interfolio (http://apply.interfolio.com/116938) :

  • A cover letter that describes your interest in the position, relevant qualifications, and approach to teaching.

  • A separate statement on past and potential contributions to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice with a focus on indigenization.

  • A brief proposal for a course that reflects your interests as a practitioner and teacher (250 words)

  • A current CV

  • 8 to 10 work samples (images + description) if durational pieces please provide a link to the video.

  • Names and contact information for three references

 CalArts has a multidisciplinary approach to its studies of the arts through six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. CalArts encourages students to explore and recognize the complexity of the many aspects of the arts. It is supported by a distinguished faculty of practicing artists and provides its Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts students with the hands-on training and exposure necessary for an artist's growth. CalArts was founded in 1961 and opened in 1969 as the first institution of higher learning in the United States specifically for students interested in the pursuit of degrees in all areas of visual and performing arts. 

This is a full-time position that begins September 2023. Deadline for application is Jan 3, 2023. Application reviews will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications will be held in strictest confidence.

Salary Range:

This appointment is for an emerging to mid-career faculty member commensurate with experience. Reflecting its experimental mission and commitment to non-hierarchical pedagogy, CalArts does not have a conventional tenure-rank system but offers renewable multi-year contracts, a step-based faculty salary advancement plan (FSAP) and a merit program. Starting salary for these positions will be within a range from $64,000 to $84,000, reflecting the current salary steps for emerging and mid-career faculty. Compensation also includes full benefits and a paid creative leave semester every 7 years.