Full-Time Faculty Position in Illustration

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), an internationally renowned college of art and design, business and technology, of the State University of New York, invites nominations and applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position in the Illustration Department, School of Art and Design.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for nearly 70 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers more than 45 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the global marketplace.

With close ties to industry, FIT draws faculty from the city's art, business, and design elite, and from the rich academic community of the region. The College continually seeks creative faculty members who are passionate about their field and demonstrate exceptional professional capability in the core competencies of instructional design, learning enrichment, globalism, and use of technology, as well as mastery of established and emerging industry practices.

The mission of FIT's School of Art and Design is to educate the next generation of creative, socially responsible and globally relevant professionals able to succeed in the broad spectrum of art and design fields. The school challenges students to create new and valuable ideas through innovation, collaboration and experimentation.

The Illustration program at FIT emphasizes a strong foundation in conceptual thinking, drawing, painting and sculpting which equips students to embrace traditional and emerging technologies with a high level of craft and innovative thinking.

The strength of our program comes from the belief that we can embrace new creative technologies while developing a set of skills that does not change: an in depth understanding of how to develop verbal prompts into visual stories, how to observe and capture the form and movement of human and animal figures, understanding how to use color and how to follow and reimagine aesthetic rules as a means of creating illusions of proportion, form, movement and space.

 
Job Description:

The ideal candidate will be an experienced illustrator/visual artist who is actively engaged in creating imagery in a range of specialized disciplines and platforms that include editorial and commercial print and online media; sequential, key and concept art for games and animation; production art for film and television; character design; experiential exhibition design, and individual and group art exhibitions.

We seek a highly creative artist and educator whose work and teaching reflect a strong understanding of fundamentals including anatomy, composition, color theory, form and space. The faculty member will be expected to teach and lead both in their specialties and foundation courses. The faculty member will work collaboratively to contribute and maintain a high level of creativity, academic excellence, and pedagogical and technological innovation.

In the conceptual process, the candidate will teach through demonstration and by example from their professional experience, the techniques of research, exploring multiple narrative and editorial directions, developing visual solutions and determining an aesthetic approach that best communicates the ideas they choose or are commissioned to convey.

As a practicing and teaching artist, the ideal candidate understands the importance of embracing diverse cultural backgrounds, thought processes and social issues that inform their work and the work of their students.

 
Requirements:

Specific Competencies

Successful candidates will excel in the following areas:

Globalism

• Demonstrate an understanding of how illustrators, as visual communicators, can educate and influence public perception and beliefs that influence global issues with national and international impact.
• Demonstrate an understanding of world and national history, as well as current events, as a means of context and perspective for effective decision-making in the role of visual communicator and illustrator.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the benefits and opportunities of networking with the New York City Creative District and incorporate distinguished guest speakers and class field trips to local museums, galleries and other educational resources as means of enhancing class material and student learning experiences.
• Demonstrate ability to develop student awareness in the classroom environment for cultural diversity, and the need to respect all racial, ethnic, religious and social groups, in support of diversity and equity, in the classroom as well as in professional circles.

Instructional Design

• Demonstrate ability to implement the newly redesigned Illustration curriculum by teaching students to apply the creative power of new classroom technology while synchronously incorporating the integration of traditional illustration skills and techniques in conjunction with digital media in class assignments and projects.
• Demonstrate ability to design engrossing class assignments and other learning experiences to enhance information literacy and research skills, as well as challenge preconceptions, foster experimentation, cultivate critical thinking and advanced problem solving abilities and inspire students' creativity, innovation and imagination.
• Demonstrate ability to teach students how to integrate, synthesize, and utilize information and skills from various disciplines including photography, design, animation, film, writing, social sciences, world history, art history and resources such as the Web, in the process of the creation of exciting and effective visual communication images and illustrations.
• Demonstrate ability to be an effective verbal communicator and speaker who conducts enlightening and thought-provoking lectures, presentations, demonstrations and critiques, as well as applies current communication, research and promotional resources, strategies, and technologies, in particular, digitally.

Learning Enrichment

• Demonstrate and generate an excitement and passion for teaching, illustrating and learning that inspires students to experiment, innovate and create.
• Demonstrate integration of knowledge of industry and entrepreneurship in classes, as well as personal career development strategies and experiences, to support and encourage students' creative and professional interest and progress.
• Demonstrate ability to formulate and create a clear and concise class syllabus to enable and empower students to maximize their potential academically and creatively.
• Demonstrate ability to incorporate innovative technology in instructional pedagogy.
• Demonstrate incorporation of industry developments, including technology updates and other illustration applications into the curriculum.
• Demonstrate ability to serve as a mentor, tutor and/or counselor to students requiring special/focused attention, support or guidance when addressing academic and/or personal issues.

Professionalism

• Demonstrate continued involvement in professional and scholarly work and activities related to illustration in the competitive graphic arts business.
• Demonstrate an understanding and mastery of established and emerging industry practices and their relevance to the illustration markets.
• Demonstrate expertise in the application of entrepreneurial skills, a comprehensive understanding of copyright and other laws as they relate to intellectual property, as well as current knowledge of billing practices, asset management, marketing and promotional protocols.
• Demonstrate ability to apply professional expertise in the continued advancement of the program, including curriculum, and program assessment and development, as well as program expansion into other areas of illustration applications and markets.

Technology

• Demonstrate a level of digital skills related to the application of hardware and software used professionally in illustration applications in the graphic arts business.
• Demonstrate ability to inspire students' imaginations and educate them in further developing the integration of traditional with digital illustration proficiencies consistent with current industry needs and standards.
• Demonstrate the dynamic application of digital technology to serve as a research tool on the Web for Illustration assignments, in developing concepts, and conveying visual communication illustrations.
• Demonstrate the effective use of technology and electronic information systems in the Illustration hybrid classroom environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required with a minimum of six (6) years professional experience as an illustrator in one or more visual storytelling.
• Candidates must present a currently active professional record demonstrating agility in adapting to new modes of visual storytelling and an aptitude for adopting new technologies.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Terminal degree in illustration, fine arts, design or other visual art discipline preferred. College, professional certificate and/or workshop teaching preferred.

This position will be required to constantly read and comprehend, occasionally perform calculations, constantly verbally communicate, frequently analyze, and constantly write. The working conditions for this position will be any combination of the classroom, lab, and/or office space. Certain roles may be required to handle machinery and chemicals. The physical requirement for this position will require occasional sitting, constant standing, occasional bending, frequent walking, and occasionally lifting 10 lbs. or less.

Additional Information:

This faculty position will begin Fall 2022. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The salary and appointment rank will be based on education level and cumulative experience.

Application Instructions:

Please note that a background check is required for appointment to this position.

For consideration, please provide:

• Letter of interest clearly indicating your qualifications for the position;
• Professional resume/Curriculum Vitae;
• A minimum of three professional references, including names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contact information;
• Digital portfolio in PDF format (less than 2 MB) of current work or a URL to a professional portfolio website.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to contact each applicant individually. Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: www.fitnyc.edu. 

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. By providing a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability, the FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, national origin, gender, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals.

The College reserves the right to select one or more candidates after having been duly reviewed and presented to the President in conformance with the provisions of Article 15 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.