The Placement Exchange Job Board

Wells College seeks applicants for Director for the Book Arts Center. As Director, the successful candidate will have a clear and collaborative vision for the future of our vibrant and historic Center, which includes the undergraduate Book Arts program, the Wells College Press, the Summer Institute and additional Center programming.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with colleagues in the Visual Arts program to maintain and grow a robust Book Arts program
• Collaborate with Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, in consultation with Advancement, to guide the Center to financial sustainability through entrepreneurial leadership and fund raising
• Overseeing the Book Arts Center facilities, equipment, and inventory
• Running the annual Book Arts Summer Institute program and additional revenue enhancing programs
• Teaching a minimum of one class per semester in the Book Arts curriculum
• Managing Wells College Press, including its annual chapbook contest
• Providing professional mentorship for the Victor Hammer Fellow and other colleagues
• Contributing to the development and marketing of various programs, in collaboration with VPASA and the Colleges’ marketing and communications offices
• Collaborating with campus and local communities as well as local, regional, national and international book arts organizations
• Maintaining website and social media accounts in collaboration with VP of Marketing and Communications
• Overseeing production of the College’s diplomas (historically, fewer than 100 per year)

The position comes with a salary commensurate with experience, Wells’ suite of benefits, and office/studio space.

Applicants for the position should have a minimum of a master’s degree or equivalent experience; excellent skills in binding, letterpress printing, papermaking, and/or other kinds of printmaking; strong grant-writing skills; successful teaching experience in both workshops and semester-long courses; a record of meeting deadlines and working without direct supervision; and a commitment to mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration.  An entrepreneurial approach to program development and experience both managing a budget and financial strategic thinking a must. Strong candidates will demonstrate their engagement with book arts as contemporary art through exhibition record, curatorial or publishing experience, or scholarship.  We will prioritize candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their pedagogical, programmatic and professional work.

Applications are to be submitted electronically via the Wells College employment page, http://www.wells.edu/employment. Review of applications will begin on March 15th.  Interested candidates should submit the following:

*a C.V. with contact information for three references

*a single additional PDF containing a cover letter, diversity statement, and work samples (15 works by the applicant with artist research statement). Links are acceptable for any work that cannot be formatted effectively as PDFs.

Established in 1993, the Book Arts Center is the oldest of three Centers for Excellence at Wells College. The Center offers introductory courses in letterpress printing, hand bookbinding, and calligraphy, and various upper-level courses in binding, graphic design, photobooks, publishing, and book art scholarship. In addition to courses taught in the academic year, the Book Arts Center offers two week-long series of workshops in the Summer Institute at Wells College. Rooted in the work of internationally renowned artist Victor Hammer, who founded the Wells College Press in 1941, the Center continues his tradition of excellent craftsmanship and student engagement. His iron hand press is still in use today, complemented by nine Vandercook proofing presses and three platen presses that students and staff use to create printed materials. The Center also boasts the Robert J. Doherty Typographic Laboratory, with over 400 cases of metal type and ornaments and 70 cases of wood type; the Jane Webster Pearce Class of 1932 Bindery, with professional-grade equipment and finishing tools for the study and practice of hand bookbinding; a scriptorium for calligraphy instruction; a papermill for hand-papermaking with a Hollander beater; and various other unique resources. The Book Arts Center is also home to a special collection library and archival materials and publications related to the study of Book Arts and book history. The Book Arts major/minor at Wells is housed within the Visual Arts program. More information can be found at https://www.wells.edu/academics/book-arts-center.

Wells College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college located in the Finger Lakes region of New York on the unceded lands of the Cayuga Nation. Our mission is to educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong, and to share the privileges of education with others. We strive to embody a culture of belonging that empowers all to thrive. Our student body includes 35% of students identifying as a student of color and 32% who are first-generation college students.

In this search, Wells College wishes to reinforce its commitment to increase faculty and staff diversity to best serve our extraordinary students. We strongly encourage applicants with a record of embracing equity, accessibility, anti-racist pedagogies, and inclusion. Candidates from groups that are currently underrepresented at Wells, including those from indigenous, black, TLGBQIA+, and disabled communities, are especially encouraged to apply. Please note, however, that Morgan Hall, which houses the Book Arts Center, is not mobility accessible. Wells College cannot sponsor visas for international candidates at this time.

About Wells College

The mission of Wells College is to educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Through Wells' academic program, residential atmosphere, and community activities, students learn and practice the ideals of the liberal arts. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, and to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong. Committed to excellence in all areas of its reach, Wells College equips students for lifelong learning and for sharing the privileges of education with others.

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