CONTRACT TERMS: Nine-month Term Lecturer
PRIMARY DUTY: The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to teach all levels of painting and drawing from introductory to advanced courses. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to teach a wide range of traditional materials and techniques as well as contemporary methodology. They will display evidence of professional and creative activity with a developing or established exhibition record. The candidate should have a broad understanding of art history and contemporary practice within painting and drawing as well as the practical and theoretical implications of digital technologies in these media.
The Art Program at Northwest provides a rigorous, student-centered education that encourages risk-taking, exploration, and collaboration. We are a vibrant faculty with a vision for revitalizing our program to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We seek a dynamic colleague in drawing/painting to help shape the curriculum and grow the program over the next several years. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching drawing and painting within a robust and collaborative art program at a comprehensive state university. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the ability to work with diverse populations, work collegially, and develop and maintain effective professional relationships within a multi-disciplinary department.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The appointee will teach in the Painting/Drawing area. Teach courses (4 undergraduate level courses per semester- drawing, advanced drawing, painting, advanced painting, upper-level studio exploration in drawing/painting, senior exhibition). Engage in creative professional activity and in service activities that support the success of the program and department.
1. Teach all levels- drawing and painting courses, including: observational drawing (still life, figure), demonstration of traditional materials, mixed media/experimental processes), conceptual development.
2. Maintain, develop, and foster strong relationships with professional agencies, galleries, the arts community, and university alumni.
3. Teach other courses in art (when so qualified) and perform other program-related duties as assigned by the chair.
4. Demonstrate creative and/or scholarly achievement in the field.
5. Engage in student support by mentoring students and modeling professional practices.
REQUIREMENTS:
MFA or equivalent terminal degree.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Highly collaborative academic environment in a Fine and Performing Arts Department at a regional, comprehensive university. Faculty use Canvas, an online learning management system, and are provided with a laptop computer.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Management of drawing and painting studio classrooms, tools and still life props. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the potential to supervise student employees.
EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS USED: Laptop computer, PC-based hardware and software, projectors and online course and information management systems as needed, university instruments.
TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds.
COMMUNITY: Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri, a community of 12,000 with a diverse economy and a strong industrial base. Maryville is located 45 miles north of St. Joseph, Missouri, 90 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, and 110 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska. For more information visit the city’s website at www.maryville.org.
UNIVERSITY: With an enrollment of about 9,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus and through Northwest Online.
Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.
Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data.
Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitive tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.
Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area, a partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.
The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,900 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.
For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Consideration of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
DATE AVAILABLE: August 2026
TO APPLY:
1. Please complete a Northwest application online form by clicking: https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/nwmissouri .
2. In addition, on your online application you will also need to submit the application materials listed below for your application to be considered complete. Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 660-562-1121 or email ewilmes@nwmissouri.edu for more information.
APPLICATION MATERIALS: A letter of application, statement of teaching philosophy, artist statement, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcript(s) (official transcripts are needed prior to offer of contract), a pdf of examples of student work from a range of courses (10-15), a pdf of examples of your own work (15-20), a web link to your website/professional portfolio, and at least three professional references with current email addresses.
INQUIRIES FOR THE POSITION CAN BE MADE TO:
Veronica Watkins, Search Committee Chair
