Chair, MFA Illustration PracticeInsideHigherEd • Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Chair, MFA Illustration Practice

InsideHigherEd • Baltimore, Maryland, United States

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Job Title : Program Director (Graduate Faculty)

Department : Illustration Practice, MFA

Division : Academic Affairs

FLSA Status : Exempt Full-time faculty position with a multi-year renewable contract in a non-tenure institution

Reports to : Vice Provost for Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) invites applications for a full-time faculty position to lead the Illustration Practice MFA program as Program Director, with a multi-year renewable contract in this non-tenure institution. A private non-profit college, MICA is recognized for the quality of its fine art and design programs at national and international levels, its dedication to student learning and teaching excellence, a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, and for preparing students for successful creative careers. We invite applications from working illustrators who have a demonstrated commitment to education to join our faculty with a preferred start date of August 1, 2026.

Job Description :

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and dedicated artist-educator with significant professional experience, who is prepared to nurture emerging illustrators, innovate curricula, and sustain and develop projects that engage graduate students with the current practice and theory of illustration and entrepreneurship. The candidate will have an established practice that demonstrates a critical engagement with one or more of : illustration, art, design, storytelling, culture, and commentary. In addition, the next Program Director will demonstrate interest in a range of materials,

collaborations, written and illustrated works, self-directed projects, and works with a personal, social or editorial perspective. They will have experience in student-centered pedagogical approaches, and demonstrated success in working with diverse communities, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, culture, ability and class. The candidate will have a solid grounding in the history of illustration, a deep understanding of its contemporary theory and practice, and an innovative vision for its future. They will recognize the structural and systemic issues that impact the field, and

be able to articulate how graduate study prepares students to address those issues. In so doing, the next Program Director will advance the position of MICA and the Illustration Practice MFA program as leaders in the evolution of illustration practice.

The next Program Director provides the academic and administrative leadership for this immersive residential program, necessitating in-person and on-site teaching and management across the calendar year. As a faculty member in the program, the director works with students, advances engagement in entrepreneurial practice, guides faculty, and mentors the students. As the program administrative leader, the director assumes responsibility for curriculum and facilities, academic programming and budgets, assessment and accreditation, application reviews and cohort selection,

faculty hiring, partnerships, and cultivating awareness of the program. As well, the program director is expected to contribute to the life of Graduate Studies and the College through cross-departmental collaborations, committee work, leadership meetings, student recruitment events, community partnerships, and other institution-related duties. Like all full-time faculty at MICA, the program director is expected to pursue research and / or professional engagements that contribute to the educational mission of the College.

Required qualifications :

MFA degree or equivalent professional experience
Distinguished professional career in illustration or related field
Experience teaching studio and entrepreneurial skills, professional ethics, and graduate and / or undergraduate courses
Demonstrated experience in managerial tasks such as : project management, budgeting, hiring and evaluating
Demonstrated commitment to mentoring students from diverse cultural, social, and artistic backgrounds

Preferred qualifications :

Track record of professional aptitude in networking, writing, and presenting

Productive professional relationships in contemporary illustration and design communities

Ability to appreciate, encourage, and mentor students whose work may transcend traditional boundaries of illustration practice

Expertise in creating programming that supports emerging illustrators as aspiring critical, committed, and engaged professionals

Experience supporting experimentation as a pathway to the development of personal vision

Ability to navigate academic hierarchies, disciplinary boundaries, professional spaces, and relational dynamics especially within art & design contexts

Excellent communication skills

Conditions :

Satisfactory Background Check

Additional Information :

Program directors are considered management, and are therefore not part of the SEIU Local 500 Collective Bargaining Unit.

Salary : Base salary is commensurate with experience and college policy ranging from $80500 to $146,325. In addition, this academic management position includes director stipend. Excellent benefits package.

Apply : Applications will be reviewed as they are received. To ensure fullest consideration, submit application materials before November 17, 2025. The position will remain open until filled. All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be held in the strictest confidence.

Application Instructions :

Applications MUST be initiated via the MICA website. During your application on MICA’s website, you will be redirected to Slideroom to upload supporting materials as directed below. After you have uploaded your materials on Slideroom, please complete your application on MICA’s website. Both the Slideroom upload and MICA application must be completed.

Submit online : Please provide one multi-page PDF document that includes :

a cover letter to the application

comprehensive CV

up to 20 images of professional work

two or three sample action / lesson plans supported by 5 to 10 images of student work

a statement describing your philosophy of teaching, highlighting the students’ experiences in the learning environment you foster

a statement describing your management philosophy, highlighting the environment or dynamic your direct reports experience

names and contact information for 3 references that speak to your academic and professional abilities

Links to live URLs may be submitted as well, but will be considered as a secondary source. Any additional media (MOV, MP3, etc.) should be formatted for Apple computers and have representative still image and description information in your PDF portfolio document.

Please format PDF documents for screen resolution and viewing. No physical media are requested nor will be returned.

About the Illustration Practice MFA

The MFA in Illustration Practice was founded in 2010 as an environment for students to examine their relationship to their work, to intelligently break existing perceptions and rules, to take advantage of technologies, to consider social needs and artistic perspectives, and to be a pioneer in the future of illustration. Students gain the courage needed to follow ideals true to their native creativity, and to develop an awareness of culture while not becoming overly influenced by it. Currently, the first year of the program focuses on experimentation through material workshops, entrepreneurial

skills, a community-based project, a capstone project, and research and writing on historic and contemporary illustration. The second year is devoted to a thesis project and professional development, supported by faculty mentorship as well as feedback from noted visiting illustrators and critics. This work takes place within the context of state of the art facilities, including individual student workspaces, group meeting & making spaces, specialized equipment, and faculty offices. The Illustration Practice MFA, recognized internationally for its distinctive focus on experimentation and innovation, will continue to, under the guidance of the next graduate director, cultivate independent thinking, hybrid skills and shared learning; foster practitioners, educators and scholars empowered to promote innovative pedagogy and research in art and design; advance MICA’s long commitment to art and design education and to illustration practice; and support collaborative partnerships and projects that engage Baltimore, the State of Maryland, the nation, and beyond.

About Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at MICA brings together a vibrant community of more than two-hundred graduate students pursuing degrees across more than a dozen graduate programs – encompassing art, design, education, community and research. Part of a dynamic network of specialized programs, each of these graduate programs creates a distinct learning environment for students in order to advance their practices and contribute to the discourse of their respective fields. At the same time, Graduate Studies provides opportunities for graduate students to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue through shared coursework, exhibitions, workshops, lectures, events, and activities.

About MICA

Located in Baltimore and celebrating its bicentennial in 2026, MICA is the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation, and is deeply connected to the community. MICA is redefining the role of the artists and designers as creative, solutions-oriented makers and thinkers who will drive social, cultural, and economic advancement for our future. MICA is a leading contributor to the creative economy regionally and a top producer of nationally and internationally recognized professional artists and designers.

Physical demands and work environment : The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands : While performing the duties of a job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. (may be adjusted depending on position)

Work environment : While performing the duties of the job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually (minimal, moderate, or high).

Required training : Handbook orientation, Anti-Harassment, Hazard Communication, Emergency Plans & Fire Prevention, Personal Protection Equipment. (additional training may be added, SEE : EHS Manager training schedule)

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Chair • Baltimore, Maryland, United States