Position Title

Stuart and Barbara Padnos Distinguished Artist-In-Residence. One-year term beginning August 2024.

Padnos Distinguished Artist-in-Residence

The Stuart B. and Barbara Padnos Distinguished Artist-In-Residence Chair position is designed to enhance the experiences of students in the Department of Visual and Media Arts, both majors and non-majors, at Grand Valley State University. The Department is honored to have been the first unit on the GVSU campus to have an Endowed position. https://www.gvsu.edu/vma/padnos-distinguished-artist-in-residence-125.htm

Responsibilities – Essential Functions:

Position is expected to maintain a high level of creative/scholarly activity and professional visibility. Projects that involve the local community as well as the student population are encouraged. Position will include a teaching assignment equivalent to one course in the fall semester, participation in group and individual critiques, and mentoring for a broad range of students.

​​​​​​​Salary

Compensation per semester in residence

• Fall Semester – $25,000 in residence and teaching one class
• Winter Semester – $20,000 in residence only with no teaching

Project budget $20,000

• Project to be completed by August 1^st, 2025, and presented in September, 2025.

Housing on campus provided.

​​​​​​​Department/College

Department of Visual and Media Arts/College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Department of Visual and Media Arts seeks to uphold the values of a liberal education while providing intensive engagement in the production and examination of the visual and media arts. The department is located on the Allendale campus and has 38 full-time faculty and 627 majors. 20% of students report being from an underrepresented minority group (African American or Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latinx, Two or more races, International, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander). 33% of department majors report being a first-generation college student.

The department offers NASAD-accredited undergraduate degrees in Art History (BA), Art Education (BA/BS), Film and Video Production (BA/BS), Photography (BA/BS), and Studio Art (BA/BS/BFA). The BFA in Studio Art degree has emphases in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Visual Studies. The VMA also offers minors in Art History, Photography, and Studio Art. Numerous VMA courses also serve non-majors and Grand Valley’s General Education program.

The department is well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for digital and physical media, including computer labs, digital fabrication labs, digital printing labs, animation labs, a film studio, a woodshop, a metal shop, a print shop, studios for painting and ceramics, and a darkroom. Further information about the department is available at www.gvsu.edu/vma.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the largest college at Grand Valley, offering over 50 bachelor’s degrees and a growing number of advanced degrees in the natural and mathematical sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and the social sciences. CLAS is a student-centered and diverse learning community that engages in critical inquiry, extending knowledge to enrich and enliven individual and public life. Our faculty are active teacher-scholars committed to equitable, inclusive, career-connected, and community-engaged liberal arts and sciences education. There are many opportunities for collaboration within CLAS and across a broad group of partners on and off campus. We are interested in attracting a cohort of new faculty committed to these core values as we seek to foster a community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive together.

VMA Inclusion Statement

Multicultural competency is core to the work we do each day. We strive to provide safe and affirming spaces for students to discuss concerns they face through the lens of their identities. We acknowledge the impact of power, privilege, oppression, stereotypes, and discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex/gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, veteran or active-duty military status, weight, and other identities. We work to create spaces for students to feel heard, accepted, and affirmed. We recognize that being culturally humble is a lifelong journey. We are committed to this journey and continue with ongoing professional and personal development in this area.

Grand Valley University (GVSU) is a public comprehensive institution located in West Michigan with campuses in Allendale, downtown Grand Rapids, and Holland, plus centers in Detroit, Muskegon and Traverse City. The University attracts more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students with high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities, and has been nationally recognized for innovativeness and its contribution to students’ social mobility. The greater Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a population of around one million people, is affordable, and offers rich cultural amenities. Grand Valley is located within easy driving distance of Chicago, Detroit, Lake Michigan beaches, and many other superb summer and winter recreational venues. Information can be found at Community Resources - Human Resources - Grand Valley State University (gvsu.edu). Grand Valley is highly rated for safety, sustainability, and veteran and LGBTQ friendliness, and is committed to supporting employees and their families in work-life balance. Culturally, the Grand Rapids area is an active hub for art and design, housing the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, the South Division Street Corridor known as Avenue for the Arts, and the international art competition ArtPrize every two years. The university seeks to create an inclusive and diverse environment for faculty and students while promoting enrichment of society through excellent teaching, active scholarship, and service. More information can be found at Grand Valley State University (gvsu.edu).