Job Title: Assistant Professor - Global Indigenous Arts

Department: Arts and Sciences | History of Art

Application link

Position Overview

The Department of History of Art at The Ohio State University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Global Indigenous Arts with a start date of August 15, 2025. Following the lead of Indigenous scholars who insist that the category of “art” itself is often attributed to a Eurocentric worldview and therefore deeply contested by Indigenous artists and communities, we welcome applications that offer expansive approaches to the history of Indigenous visual and expressive arts. The temporal and geographic range of the position is open. We welcome applications from scholars whose research engages in emerging approaches to methodological inquiry, investigations of place and migration, racialized discourses, and/or systems of power. Potential areas of research include:

• Indigenous epistemologies and visual sovereignty
• Decolonization, decolonial, or anticolonial frameworks, histories, and practices
• Indigenous feminisms
• Queer and two-spirit art histories
• Nationalisms, transnational and international solidarities
• Sovereignty, freedoms, social movements and visual culture
• Transterritorialisms, deterritorialisms
• Critical futurities, reparations
• Museum and exhibition studies
• Land/ place-based art
• Indigenous ecology
• Indigenous media practices
• Critical craft studies, material practices
• Other related critical approaches

Performance Objectives

• Demonstrate excellence in research, teaching, and service, including teaching and advising at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Maintain an active and impactful scholarship agenda
• Teach and advise undergraduate and graduate students
• Collaborate with scholars across departments and engage diverse communities inside and outside of the university

Education and Experience Requirements

Required: Applicants must hold a PhD in Art History, Indigenous Studies, or from a wide range of emerging and related fields by August 15, 2025. ABDs welcome to apply.

Desired: Preference for applicants with active research agendas and those with experience engaging collaboratively with students and scholars of diverse backgrounds. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to building a diverse intellectual community, in line with OSU’s Shared Values (see below).

How to Apply

A complete application consists of the following required elements: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a writing sample, and names and contact information for three letters of reference. Review of applications will begin on November 15, 2024. Inquiries may be directed to the search committee chair, Sampada Aranke, at [email protected]

You will be presented with the opportunity to attach 3 documents in the Application Documents section. A complete application will include:

• Attachment 1: Cover Letter: a 2 page letter that includes research, teaching, and service experience and why you are interested in this position.
• Attachment 2: CV (Curriculum Vitae): Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, funding, and publications.
• Attachment 3: A 20-40 page writing sample.

Please be aware, you will not be able to edit your application or attachments after you apply. You will need to fill out the application in its entirety and upload all required documents before clicking Submit.

Applicants may be asked for names and contact information for three reference letters at a later date.

The College

With more than 80 majors and 100 minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The Arts and Sciences provides extraordinary opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, blending creativity and analysis to truly be at the forefront of thought. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the college gives students and researchers the critical thinking and adaptability essential for a lifetime of success.

Department Information

The Department of History of Art is a community of scholars, teachers, writers, and students; together, we aim to create a future for art history that is expansive and intersectional, that pushes the boundaries of our field, that is accessible to all, and that poses urgent questions about art’s intervention in the critical issues of our world, past and present. We bring art history to our students through real experiences, engaging directly with objects and artists, broadening our horizons through exploring cultures across the globe, and encouraging rich discussion and debate both in and out of the classroom.

The Department of History of Art offers B.A., M.A., and PhD degrees. We have collaborated with museums, galleries, and institutions in and around the OSU campus including The Wexner Center for the Arts, The Columbus Museum of Art, The Columbus Museum of Art at the Pizzuti, Urban Arts Space, and ROYGBIV Gallery. In an effort to showcase this area of faculty expertise and student interest, we are proud to launch a Certificate in Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practice which gives our students a professionalizing emphasis in curatorial practice.

As faculty, staff and students at a land-grant institution, we join our colleagues in naming our shared responsibility to recognize the ways in which we benefit from colonization, both historical and ongoing. The land on which our campuses sit was ceded to the United States in the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville, signed by leaders of  the the Wyandotte, Delaware, Shawnee, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Miami, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo, Piankashaw and Kaskaskia tribes peoples. Federal Government then forcibly removed the tribes whose ancestral territory this land was through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Today, individuals from a broad range of Indigenous backgrounds call Columbus and Central Ohio home. The region continues to serve as a site of Indigenous cultural and artistic exchange, innovation, and production.

Ohio State offers a number of programs designed to support Native American / Indigenous students, and to promote understanding of the diversity and complexity of Indigenous histories, cultures, experiences and scientific achievements. These include American Indian Studies interdisciplinary minor program, the Center for Ethnic Studies, and the Newark Earthworks Center. Our new colleague will join a rapidly growing cohort of faculty in Indigenous studies at Ohio State.

The University

Ohio State is a top-20 public university, and its Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of America’s leading academic health centers and recently ranked No. 4 on Forbes’ list of best U.S. employers for diversity. Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

The Ohio State University’s Shared Values include Excellence and Impact, Diversity and Innovation, Inclusion and Equity, Care and Compassion, and Integrity and Respect. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression.

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties.

The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established Dual Careers and Faculty Relocation (DCFR) to focus on supporting new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual careers partner consultations, identifying potential employers and/or employment opportunities, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are provided to support the partners of new and prospective faculty as they are considering or transitioning to The Ohio State University.

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies.  Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).

Located in Ohio’s capital city, Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the center of a rapidly growing and diverse metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The area offers a wide range of affordable housing, many cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a strong economy based on government as well as service, transportation, and technology industries. Additional information about the Columbus area is available here. Beyond its Columbus campus, Ohio State has four regional campuses including Ohio State Lima, Ohio State Mansfield, Ohio State Marion, and Ohio State Newark, in addition to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability

The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.

Location: Pomerene Hall (0067)

Position Type: Regular

Scheduled Hours: 40

Shift: First Shift

The Ohio State University believes in diversity in people and ideas. What Ohio State does matters. And how we do it matters. When we are at our best, we make a real difference to people. Our size, breadth, geography, history and standard of excellence position us to drive the future of higher education. We believe that the university should be a place where people can work and learn together in a safe environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. As such, finalists for any faculty position that carries tenure must sign an authorization and disclosure form, which will allow current or prior employer(s) to share information to the University regarding any findings of employment-related misconduct or disciplinary proceedings against a candidate and/or any pending investigations related to alleged misconduct. Such information shall include findings and pending investigations with respect to sexual harassment, violence, or harassment; research misconduct; financial fraud or misconduct; foreign influence violations, grant misuse or misconduct; and/or any other type of finding or pending investigation relating to a candidate’s employer’s policies and rules governing faculty conduct that may reasonably be expected to affect a candidate’s appointment. If the University becomes aware of any past finding of misconduct or pending investigations that were not disclosed, Ohio State will treat that as a serious omission and reserves the right to rescind an offer or terminate employment.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.  A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

Thank you for your interest in positions at The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. Once you have applied, the most updated information on the status of your application can be found by visiting the Candidate Home section of this site. Please view your submitted applications by logging in and reviewing your status. For answers to additional questions please review the frequently asked questions.