Phipps Visiting Professor / Artist in Residence in Ceramics at the University of Denver, Denver, CO
Posted on May 19, 2025
Applications are due June 4, 2025
The School of Art and Art History at the University of Denver invites applications for a six-month Visiting Professor/Artist in Residence in Ceramics, beginning January through June 2026. We are seeking a dynamic exhibiting artist with an understanding of technical and conceptual issues, with knowledge of historical and contemporary practices, and a commitment to artistic imagination and education, to serve as visiting professor / artist in residence in ceramics for the 2025-2026 academic year. The ideal candidate demonstrates experience and versatility in inclusive pedagogy. We are especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion through their teaching and research.
The Ceramics studio is a spacious, state-of-the-art facility and includes a full complement of ceramics tools and equipment. The ceramics studio has 3 electric kilns and 2 test kilns, a 24-cu ft gas Blaauw kiln, a soda and a raku kiln. In the ceramics area, there are glaze making facilities, wheels, slab roller, 2 pug mills, a CNC machine, and a Potterbot ceramic printer. Additionally, there is access to digital fabrication equipment and wood shop at DU’s Innovation Floor in the School of Engineering.
As the University’s largest and most varied academic unit, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is comprised of artists, learners, performers, scholars, scientists, and teachers across 21+ departments, programs, schools, and centers and acts as a central hub where many of the University’s disciplines intersect. Nearly all 6,000 undergraduates at the University take liberal arts courses with us, and about one-third of these students declare a first major in a CAHSS program. Most of our departments, programs and schools offer masters or doctoral programs. CAHSS scholars, artists, instructors, staff, and students collaborate in a shared quest for knowledge about the human condition and the development of skills to improve our local and global communities. The diverse scope of CAHSS allows our students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed at nearly any career in today’s global society.
The University of Denver is a mid-sized University of about 12,000 graduates and undergraduates with average class sizes under 21 students and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. As the cultural center of the Rocky Mountain region, Denver has a wealth of institutional resources including the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art – Denver, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, and the Museo de las Americas. The School of Art has its own exhibition spaces including the Vicki Myhren Gallery, and the Davis Gallery. The University Art Collections seeks to build its holdings of work by artists who are historically underrepresented in institutional collections. Our current emphasis includes acquisitions of artwork by contemporary BIPOC artists with input from representative students, staff, and faculty.
The School of Art and Art History (SAAH) offers a BA and BFA in Studio Art, a BA in Art History, MA in Art History with a Museum Studies concentration option, and a BA, BFA in Emergent Digital Practices. The Studio Program has 60 majors. The Art History program has about 20 art history majors and 30 MA degree students in art history, most with an added concentration in Museum Studies. SAAH also serves undergraduate students across campus in the common curriculum.
We are strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive educational environment, which is in full accord with the value that DU places on its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to integrate content and issues relating to, and to work effectively with, ethnically/racially diverse populations.
Essential Functions
• Teach one in-person Intro to Ceramics course and one in-person Advanced • Ceramics course across two academic quarters (winter/spring)
• Interact with SAAH students in the form of critiques and guest visits
• Spend remainder of time working in the studio as a resident artist, producing a defined creative project that the successful candidate will have articulated in their application materials
• Present work in one public lecture and donate one work from the creative project to the University Art Collections
Expenses such as art materials and supplies as well as housing in Denver are the Visiting Professor/Artist in Residence’s responsibility. During the timeframe of the residency, the expectation is that travel be kept to a minimum, so that the bulk of the time is spent in residence at DU working and being a creative and accessible presence in the SAAH.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Scholarly expertise in Ceramics.
• Demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching skills with the ability to teach advanced undergraduate courses in Ceramics.
• Ability to interact constructively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, and students.
• Excellent skills in oral and written communication.
Required Qualifications
• MFA in Ceramics or related field by the time of appointment.
• Demonstrated potential for teaching excellence in Ceramics.
• Demonstrated potential as a dynamic exhibiting artist.
Preferred Qualifications
• Undergraduate teaching experience as the sole instructor for the course.
• Ability to work independently and fulfill teaching duties without assistance.
• Evidence of commitment to, and experience in, promoting DEI and in using inclusive pedagogies.
• Evidence of an active exhibition record.
Working Environment
• Standard office environment.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.
Physical Activities
• Ability to work in front of a computer for an extended period.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to 25 lbs. without assistance.
Work Schedule
This position is for two academic quarters, Winter and Spring, running approximately January 5 – June 12.
Application Deadline
For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) June 4, 2025.
Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is UC.
Salary Rate:
The salary rate for this position is $50,000.
The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.
Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.
Please include the following documents with your application:
• A letter of application including your interest in and qualifications for this position and a proposal for the creative project that will be created and potentially exhibited during the residency.
• Curriculum Vitae that indicates exhibition history and teaching experience.
• A one-page statement of how the applicant can contribute to DU’s values, practices, and actions regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Two brief course descriptions for the Advanced Ceramics Course.
• Portfolio of artwork: A single PDF including 20 images, may include up to 3 video links (max length of 2 mins for each video.)
• Contact information for three professional/academic references who will be emailed to upload letters of recommendation if required.
Please consolidate all additional materials (including your portfolio) into one PDF document.
