Posted: 30-Apr-23
Location: Aurora, New York
Type: Full-time
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The Wells Book Arts Center is pleased to accept applications for the twelfth Victor Hammer Fellowship in the Book Arts. Applicants must have extensive experience in binding and letterpress printing; experience in teaching; and a MFA in Book Arts or a certificate in a related field.
The fellowship is named for Victor Hammer, an Austrian printer, book designer, typographer and portrait artist, who fled Nazi Europe to come to Wells College in 1939. The Hammer Fellowship is a two-year book artist-in-residence program that was founded in 1998 and designed to help emerging book artists establish their name in the field. The Hammer Fellow’s expertise and activities enhance the educational mission of the Book Arts Center and Wells College and increase awareness of the book arts as a field of study and practice both at Wells and in the community at large.
The successful candidate for the Victor Hammer Fellowship in the Book Arts will hold the position for two years, fall 2023 through summer 2025. Responsibilities include:
*Teaching two courses each semester, one of which will be Intro to Letterpress or Intro to Bookbinding
*Production of work for Wells College Press
*Contributing to the maintenance of printing, bindery and papermaking studios
*Assisting the Director during the academic year and the Summer Institute
Opportunities include:
*Development of advanced courses relating to the Fellow's interests and specific skills
*Producing an independent body of work to be exhibited on campus in the String Room Gallery
*Professional mentorship from the Director of the Book Arts Center and faculty from the Visual Arts and English departments
*The potential for an apprenticeship at the Press and Letterfoundry of Michael and Winifred Bixler, in nearby Skaneateles
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 commensurate experience; excellent skills in binding, letterpress printing, papermaking, and/or other kinds of printmaking; good interpersonal skills; teaching experience in semester-long courses; and a commitment to mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration. 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 1, 2023. Interested candidates should submit the following:
*a C.V. with contact information for three references
*a single additional PDF containing a cover letter, statement of teaching philosophy, diversity statement, and work samples (15 works by the applicant, 5-7 images of student work if applicable)
Since the Fellow will assist in the design and production of poetry broadsides for the Wells College Visiting Writers Series, as well as announcement posters for book arts events, images of any such work would be helpful to the search committee. 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.
