job posting: Limited-Term Appointment Position in Ceramics

Concordia University’s Department of Studio Arts
invites applications for one limited-term appointment position in
Ceramics at the rank of Lecturer or Assistant Professor, effective
August 1, 2016 to May 14, 2017.

Limited-term appointment positions are subject to budgetary approval
and departmental or unit need.  Individuals holding limited-term
appointments may be reappointed, given continued funding and need, as
well as satisfactory job performance.  Together, initial appointments
and subsequent reappointments may not exceed 36 months or a span of
three consecutive years.

Studio Arts is the largest department in the Faculty of Fine Arts and
enjoys a longstanding reputation as one of Canada’s foremost
environments for the study and creation of visual art.  BFA programs are
offered in Ceramics, Fibres and Material Practices, Intermedia (Video,
Performance and Electronic Arts), Painting and Drawing, Photography,
Print Media, Sculpture and Studio Art. For more than 30 years, Studio
Arts has maintained an MFA program of international stature.  The
department emphasizes the importance of studio production, and has an
experienced technical staff and a faculty complement of more than 100
full-time and part-time professors, including some of the most
celebrated contemporary artists in the country.

During the initial appointment, the successful candidate will
normally be expected to teach up to 18 credits at the undergraduate
level and up to 21 credits per annum if reappointed. Successful
applicants should be prepared to advise and participate in reviews at
the graduate level. Responsibilities will also include active
involvement in committee and administrative work.

Candidates for this position should possess an MFA degree or
equivalent with a preference of two years university teaching
experience.  We are seeking a practicing ceramicist who is actively
engaged within the field. The ideal candidate should show an unequivocal
engagement with the materials of ceramics, demonstrate technical
expertise in handbuilding and a strong understanding of the issues
surrounding the contemporary practice of ceramics.  Although classes are
taught in English, fluency in spoken and written French would be
considered an asset.

Submissions should include:

  • a letter of application
  • curriculum vitae
  • statement of teaching philosophy
  • evidence of teaching effectiveness (including course syllabi and evaluations)
  • a list of courses taught with course descriptions
  • documentation of past and present artwork (20 images)
  •  examples of student work (20 images) sent on DVD, CD, or USB Stick
  • the names and contact information of three referees

All short-listed candidates will be required to provide an attestation of terminal degree.

Applications with a self-addressed, stamped envelope should be submitted or postmarked on or before March 7, 2016 to:

Mailing address:

Departmental Hiring Committee, Department of Studio Arts, Concordia University
Re: LTA Position in Ceramics
1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., VA-250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada  H3G 1M8
Fax:  514-848-2281

Civic address for in-person and courier delivery: 

Visual Arts Building
Sir George Williams Campus
1395 René-Lévesque Blvd. W., VA-250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada  H3G 2M5

General inquiries regarding this position may be directed, by e-mail, to [email protected]

To learn more about working at Concordia, applicants are encouraged to consult:

Subject to budgetary approval, we anticipate filling this position
for August 1, 2016.  Review of applications will begin immediately and
will continue until the position is filled.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however,
Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given
priority. Concordia University is committed to employment equity.

apprenticeship opportunity with Marcelina Salazar

 

… a bit about me: 

I
came to ceramics as a second career. Having basically just graduated
from a bachelor degree that I had no interest in pursuing any further, I
was very hesitant to enroll in an academic ceramics program. So I
looked for training in practice, and was disappointed to find so little
in this regard in Canada.

So, I did go to school. First Fleming College, and then Sheridan. But I
also had the fortune of working for other potters (Thomas Aitken,
Gleason Brook Pottery). Without dismissing my ceramic college
experience, I think I learned just as much (if not more) by working at a
real pottery studio. 

Now
that my studio has been in operation for a few years, it is time for me
to think about growing a little , but also about giving back. I am
hoping that this apprenticeship experience will offer what I was looking
for when I was first getting started: an opportunity to see the real
workings of a functioning studio, that would provide a safe and
nourishing environment in which to continue learning. 
JOB DESCRIPTION

In exchange for 32 hours a week of labour (May/August), I offer facilities, materials, room & board, and a stipend. 

The apprentice
does not do any throwing for me. The idea behind the 32 hour week, is
that there is enough time left to make their own work, and hone their
making skills (whatever they may be) while focusing on developing and
clarifying their own voice.

I work in porcelain and fire a bourry box wood kiln regularly. This
means that a large portion of the studio tasks centre around wood prep
and kiln maintenance, and of course firing. Other studio tasks would
include preparing work for glaze firing (bisque firing, glazing,
wadding), mixing glazes, clay preparation, gallery up-keep, basic book
keeping, inventory tracking, social media management, etc.

The successful
applicant will be responsible, hardworking, fired up and hungry to learn
(with me) about wood firing, and running a small studio. They should
also be able and willing to do physically demanding work, and (learn how
to) use power tools.

Hours & Ours opens on Friday

The mentorship was sponsored by the Hamilton and Region Potter’s Guild.  
It ran from September 2014 to February 2016. 
Tony Clennell was the mentor.
The mentees are Duncan Aird, Jen Drysdale, Chris de Takacsy, Teresa Dunlop, Barbara Rose, Annemarie Row and Emma Smith