Assistant Professor of Studio Art in 2D Practices: Painting and Drawing

Job Summary

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…