Director, School of Art

Position Highlights

NOTE:

The "Review of applications" date has been extended. This information can be found in the Special Instructions to Applicant section.

This is a moment to lead from strength. The School of Art stands on a foundation of excellence, both academically and operationally. We are looking for a director who can celebrate its achievements, deepen its connections, and propel it confidently into the future. If you are ready to bring energy, curiosity, and vision to a thriving community of artists, scholars, and students, we invite you to learn more and apply.

If you’re a leader who sees art not just as a discipline but as a way to engage the world, this is your chance to lead one of the nation’s most distinctive and dynamic art schools.

At the University of Arizona, the School of Art is thriving. Our programs rank among the best nationally. Our faculty are acclaimed artists, educators, and scholars shaping the future of creative practice. With renewed facilities, strong finances, and bold, diverse students, we seek a director to champion our excellence, build on our strengths, and lead us forward.

This rare opportunity is for a leader who values creative inquiry, fosters collaboration, and cultivates an environment where faculty, staff, and students thrive.

In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, light, land, and community shape creativity in extraordinary ways. Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a crossroads of cultures, and a place that embraces expression, experimentation, and authenticity. It is the ideal setting for artists and thinkers who want to explore how place shapes practice.

The School of Art is part of the College of Fine Arts and Arizona Arts, a nationally recognized model for how a public research university elevates the arts. Together with the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona Museum of Art, and Arizona Arts Live, we have built a collaborative ecosystem linking teaching, research, and community engagement. As the university enters a new era of growth, the next director will help affirm the arts’ central role and define the next era of arts education and research in the Southwest.

As Director, you will guide an extraordinary faculty, nurture creative students, and champion work that transforms: research that expands understanding, art that sparks dialogue, and education that shapes future leaders. You will have the support of a financially sound, forward‑looking university that values the arts as central to its mission and the partnership of Arizona Arts, where collaboration drives innovation and public impact.

Founded in 1927, the School of Art offers nationally ranked programs with degrees in Art History, Art and Visual Culture Education, Studio Art, Illustration, Design and Animation, Photography, Video and Imaging, and Design Arts and Practices. Our Photography program is ranked No. 3 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

With renovated facilities, the School provides an inspiring environment for creative work and learning. Visiting artists bring global perspectives, faculty and alumni earn major fellowships, and graduates shape creative industries worldwide. The University of Arizona, a top‑tier AAU/R1, land‑grant institution with more than $1 billion in research expenditures, is deeply committed to keeping the arts central to the university experience and to the creative life of Tucson.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more! The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work‑life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please .

• Lead faculty in sustaining and evolving a forward‑looking curriculum that merges…