Assistant professor of art painting and drawing

The Studio Art Department at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time tenure track faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2D Practices of Painting and Drawing beginning in Fall 2026. The incumbent will teach in person the standard teaching load (4.5 courses per year) in the general areas of painting, drawing, and color theory (with an emphasis on painting). They will also contribute to shared upper-level interdisciplinary offerings, including the department’s team-taught capstone sequence.

About

Founded in 1833, Oberlin is a private four-year, highly selective national liberal arts college that is also home to an outstanding Conservatory of Music. Together, the two divisions enroll approximately 2900 students. The College views a diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational environment as contributing to the excellence of its academic program and was the first college in the US to admit Black Students and women. Among liberal arts colleges, Oberlin is a national leader in successfully placing graduates into advanced study programs.

Oberlin is situated on the outskirts of Cleveland, combining a cozy small-town atmosphere with the cultural amenities of a major city. The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cinematheque, Karamu House, several educational institutions, and scores of restaurants, bars, music venues, and theaters add to the cultural and educational opportunities of the region.

The Oberlin Studio Art department offers a dynamic platform for students seeking intensive studio training combined with the intellectual rigor of a liberal arts curriculum. Oberlin artists are thinking artists, deeply engaged in both academic and creative pursuits. Recently Oberlin College launched a new five year dual-degree BA/BFA in Integrated Arts.

The department offers courses in:

• Painting, drawing, and color theory

• Design and photography (analog and digital)

• Reproducible media (screen print, lithography, intaglio, relief, monotype, Riso, digital)

• Sculpture (woodworking, fiber, mold-making and casting, 3D modeling and digital fabrication)

• Installation and performance

• Media arts (sound, video, interactive/networked art)

Our conceptually driven curriculum is structured around physical dimensions of artistic practice:

• 2D courses focus on color, composition, design, and flat media

• 3D courses emphasize spatial transformation and object-making

• 4D courses address time-based media, digital tools, and technology-driven practice

Even in skills-based courses, ideas are foregrounded—from interrogating the political histories of color to deconstructing the notion of “nature” in landscape painting. Students graduate with fluency across dimensions and media, ready to engage critically and creatively in a rapidly evolving world.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will also be expected to engage in sustained scholarly research and/or other creative work appropriate to the position and participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including academic advising, mentoring undergraduate research, and service on committees. The Department and the College actively support new faculty with mentoring and professional development opportunities, including a paid pre-tenure leave for those on the standard six-year tenure track, startup support, and internal grants for conference travel and research.


The ideal candidate:

• Envisions the future of image-making and is prepared to lead the painting, drawing, and color theory curriculum. This candidate will lead the department’s curriculum in the field of painting, so it is important that this person has a deep understanding of painting’s long traditions, while also understanding how the field is expanding in relation to, and reaction to, digital tools and technologies.

• Demonstrates a broad and experimental approach to materials and methodologies, especially when working on a 2D plane, including oil and water-based media, a range of drawing techniques, digital imaging, and mixed-media practices.

• Can develop and teach a range of courses across representational, perceptual, and abstract painting languages and approaches.

• Can participate in the co-taught capstone sequence courses, which are interdisciplinary in scope. Professors co-teach and rotate interdisciplinary courses that guide advanced majors across disciplines, so this candidate must be able to talk about art and ideas beyond their specific field.

• Brings enthusiasm and skill in collaborative administration.

• Shows evidence and/or promise of a significant professional studio art practice and exhibition record.

• Has experience managing a studio classroom and budget.

• Thinks across dimensions and contributes to the intellectual life of the department and the broader college community.

Additional expectations include ongoing creative/scholarly activity appropriate to the position, as they participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities that include academic advising, institutional service, and a high-level of departmental engagement. The department values conceptual rigor and intellectual breadth, and thus seeks candidates who will foster connections across the arts and liberal arts disciplines.

Qualifications

Among the qualifications required for appointment is the MFA degree (in hand). Candidates must demonstrate commitment to and potential excellence in undergraduate teaching. Successful college teaching experience of at least three years beyond graduate assistantships is desirable. Oberlin is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the distinctiveness and excellence of our academic community through their research, teaching, and service. The incumbent will bring understanding of or experience working with underrepresented and diverse academic populations. Oberlin recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran’s status, and/or other protected status as required by law.

Compensation

Within the range established for this position, salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes a competitive benefits package.

Special Instructions to Applicants

All application materials must be submitted electronically through Oberlin College and Conservatory’s online application process at:


1) A cover letter describing your teaching, scholarship, mentorship, and service, detailing how you contribute to an inclusive learning environment;
2) A Curriculum Vitae;
3) An unofficial graduate transcript;
4) Statement(s) on your teaching philosophy and experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion;
5) A research statement about your artistic scholarship, that includes how you will support undergraduate research;
6) a PDF portfolio (or link to online portfolio that meets the specific requirements) with no more than 20 examples of personal work and 20 examples of student work, including descriptions; and 7) Letters of Reference from three recommenders.*

• 
  By providing three letters of reference, you agree that we may contact your letter writers.

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Completed applications received by the December 1, 2025, deadline will be guaranteed full consideration.

Questions about the position can be addressed to: Studio Arts Program Coordinator, Jamie

Jacobs Overstreet, [email protected], 440-775-8181, or Chair of Studio Art, Kristina Paabus, [email protected], 440-775-5176.

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Cover Letter

• Curriculum Vitae

• Unofficial Transcripts

• Portfolio/Other Media

• Research Statement

• Teaching Philosophy

Optional Documents