Assistant Professor of Art History

Assistant Professor of Art History (Art of Africa or the African Diaspora) - Tenure Track, Full Time
Proposed Start Date:    08/01/2023

Description Summary: 

The George Washington University’s Art History Program invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Art History, specializing in the art and/or visual culture of Africa and/or the African diaspora, to begin in Fall 2023. The research focus and period of specialization are open. Candidates whose range of interests and teaching extend across historical periods and address transcontinental exchanges are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will build on the art history program’s expanding of its geographical and conceptual scope by developing new directions in course offerings at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the wider context of GWU, candidates may engage through teaching or scholarship with a number of resources, including the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, the Africana Studies Program, the Institute for African Studies, and other programs at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design. In the larger community of Washington, DC, the candidate may draw upon the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, OAS Museum of the Americas, Library of Congress, and the National Gallery of Art.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

The teaching load for this position is 2/2. Additional duties include advising and mentoring students, carrying out a program of research, and participating in faculty governance at the school and university level. Three-year renewal of contract is based on scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals and reasonable progress towards a book-length publication. Tenure and promotion will be evaluated in the sixth year, considering the candidate’s record of teaching, service and scholarship.

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree in Art History or a related field of study (e.g. Anthropology, History, Africana Studies) at the time of appointment.

The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at the George Washington University prepares its graduates to be the next generation of global creative leaders with more than 20 degree programs in the fields of Art History, Studio Arts, Design, Theatre and Dance, Music, Museum Studies, and Interior Architecture. Part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the school functions as an incubator for artists, designers, and scholars, who learn from internationally renowned faculty at the intersection of creativity and social innovation. We are a community of civically engaged artists and practitioners, aiming to impact the world through creative change. Our students are poised to not just join the field of their choice, but to define it for themselves as they become well versed in both practice and research. As part of the George Washington University’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, we embody and exemplify the College’s Engaged Liberal Arts credo, which strives to link disparate fields and better prepare our graduates for rich, multidimensional careers in the evolving world we live in. The challenges society faces are diverse, requiring different modes of thought, and we prepare our students by encouraging inquiry and collaboration.

The Corcoran School’s home in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. means that our students tap into both a vibrant, historied local city and a nerve center of international culture and government. We have a strong track record of students initiating new creative ventures and placing with top-ranked employers after graduation, with students working and studying at some of D.C.’s most prestigious companies, galleries, museums and design firms.

To be considered, please complete the online faculty application at and upload:
1.) A cover letter
2.) Curriculum Vitae
3.) Statement of Teaching Interest
4.) Sample of scholarship (approx. 30 pages, published or unpublished)
5.) 3 Letters of Recommendation (please have recommenders send letters directly to cahist@gwu.edu)

Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. Only complete applications will be considered.

The university and school have a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from members of underrepresented groups and strongly encourage women and persons of color to apply. The program is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia.

Contact Information:

Corcoran Art History Program
801 22nd Street, NW, Smith Hall of Art, Washington, DC 20052
cahist@gwu.edu

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.