Tag: architectural history

Lecture: “Black Capitalism and the City: African American Insurance Companies and the Actuarial Imagination” (Fri., Oct. 20, 2023—5:30 PM CDT)

Join the Graham Foundation, Places Journal, and the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) for the inaugural SAH | Places Prize Lecture by architectural historian Ginger Nolan. Nolan is the inaugural recipient of the SAH | Places Prize on Race and the Built Environment, a unique collaboration between SAH and Places that supports the production of a major work of public scholarship that considers the history of race and the built environment through a contemporary lens.

Nolan’s talk explores how African American-owned insurance companies negotiated the (often vexed) aims of pursuing financial gain while also trying to create more equitable cities. For most of the twentieth century, these insurance companies controlled more wealth than any other African American enterprise and played an outsize role in shaping cities and suburbs. In efforts to reverse the effects of redlining, disinvestment, and segregation, these companies used housing developments and corporate architecture—including the first and only African American skyscraper—to redress discriminatory forms of urbanism and racial stereotypes. The talk will evaluate the urban and architectural interventions of African American insurance companies, using the companies’ office buildings, housing developments, and mortgage-lending practices to engage debates around Black capitalism and Black Marxism. While recent scholarship has focused on the biopolitical tendencies of the white-owned insurance industry, the history of African American insurance demands a more subtle analytical framework, as these companies’ efforts vacillated between the biofinancial logics of actuarial techniques and, on the other hand, strategies of care and contestation.

Following the talk, architectural historian Charles L. Davis II will moderate a discussion with Nolan. Davis is an associate professor of architectural history and criticism at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the SAH Race + Architectural History Affiliate Group.

Free registration here. The talk will be held at the Graham Foundation for Advanced Study in the Fine Arts; it will be live-streamed via YouTube and registrants will receive the link in advance.

SAH will host a reception at the Charnley-Persky House, located at 1365 N Astor St, immediately following the event.

This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Biennial: CAB 5: This is a Rehearsal.

Ginger Nolan is an assistant professor of architectural history and theory at the University of Southern California. Her research explores relationships between architecture, media technologies, race, and governmentality. She is the author of Savage Mind to Savage Machine: Racial Science and Twentieth-Century Design (2021) and The Neocolonialism of the Global Village (2018), both published by the University of Minnesota Press. She is currently researching race, actuarial thought, and urbanism, focusing on the role of twentieth-century African American insurance companies in shaping cities and suburbs in the United States.

Founded in 1940, the Society of Architectural Historians is an international nonprofit membership organization that promotes the study, interpretation and conservation of architecture, design, landscapes and urbanism worldwide. SAH serves a network of local, national and international institutions and individuals who, by profession or interest, focus on the built environment and its role in shaping contemporary life. SAH promotes meaningful public engagement with the history of the built environment through advocacy efforts, print and online publications, and local, national and international programs.

Founded at MIT and Berkeley in 1983, Places Journal is an independent, nonprofit journal of public scholarship on architecture, landscape, and urbanism. Bridging from the university to the profession to the public, Places features scholars, journalists, designers, and artists who are responding to the profound challenges of our time: environmental health and structural inequity, climate crisis, resource scarcity, human migration, rapid technological innovation, and the erosion of the public sphere.

Founded in 1956, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts fosters the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. The Graham realizes this vision through making project-based grants to individuals and organizations and producing exhibitions, events, and publications.

JOB: Asst Prof, Modern and Contemporary Architectural History at UPenn

The History of Art Department at the University of Pennsylvania invites applications for a tenure-track position in Modern and Contemporary Architecture.  We seek an innovative scholar-teacher engaged in high-impact research and having wide-ranging interests in the histories of architecture 1800 to the present with a geographic specialization that complements both the expertise of our faculty and Penn’s offerings in architectural history and theory more broadly.  Penn’s Weitzman School of Design hosts strong graduate and undergraduate programs in architecture and related fields, and the successful candidate will work to deepen and extend the History of Art Department’s active collaboration with those programs.  Candidates with expertise that enhances the diversity of the field are especially encouraged to apply.

The History of Art Department is housed within Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, which comprises 28 academic departments, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Division, and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies.  Interdisciplinary research and collaboration are supported by the breadth and depth of academic pursuits at Penn as well as the proximity of resources on our contiguous green urban campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  We promote and encourage curiosity, intellectual engagement, and discovery among all our students and faculty.  University, School, and departmental resources that support our efforts include but are not limited to: the Offices of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Vice Provost for Research, PennGlobal, Wellness at Penn, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Penn Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, and Penn Human Resources.

We seek candidates who share our strong commitment to research, teaching and mentoring, and to a scholarly community shaped by values of inclusive excellence.  The School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania is committed to cultivating and sustaining a community of students, scholars, researchers, and staff that reflects the diversity of the world.  We nurture working and learning environments that are affirming, equitable, and inclusive. As a community, we are committed to thoughtful discussions and dynamic interactions as we strive for an environment where everyone is supported and valued.  Please see our School’s Inclusion and Antiracism Initiatives to learn more about our active priorities: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/2020-inclusion-and-anti-racism-initiatives.

Qualifications:

●      Strong evidence of significant scholarship

●      Capacity for effective teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and mentoring and supporting a diverse student body

●      The ability to direct graduate and undergraduate research

●      Candidates are expected to have a PhD degree by the time of appointment, which is July 1, 2024.

●      The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the undergraduate architecture major in the College of Arts and Sciences and to collaborate with the graduate and undergraduate programs in architecture in Penn’s Weitzman School of Design.

Application instructions/Required Documents:

●      Please provide the following application materials:

o   Cover letter

o   CV

o   Writing sample of 25 to 35 double-spaced pages

o   Two sample syllabi: one undergraduate course and one graduate course

o   Contact information for three recommenders willing to write on your behalf; for short-listed candidates, recommenders will be contacted by the University with instructions on how to submit a letter to the website

●      Review of applications will begin on Nov. 13, 2023 and continue until the position is filled.

●      Please contact Libby Saylor [esaylor@sas.upenn.edu] with questions regarding the application process

Committee chair/members:

            Michael Leja, Search Committee Chair, mleja@upenn.edu

            Huey Copeland

            Annette Fierro

            Shannon Mattern

Please apply for this position via the following link: https://apply.interfolio.com/132355

JOB: Visiting Lecturer, Architectural Studies @ Univ of Pittsburgh

The Department of History of Art and Architecture (HAA) at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for a full-time Visiting Lecturer in Architectural Studies for the academic year 2023-24 (September 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024). This position, which is outside the tenure stream, may be renewable based on need, funding, and performance.  Salary and benefits are competitive.  Candidates must be at least ABD; PhD preferred.  They must also be able to demonstrate university-level teaching experience in architectural history.  We seek a colleague whose teaching, mentorship, and service will contribute diverse perspectives and experiences to program and university initiatives. 

The Visiting Lecturer (VL) will teach three courses per semester at the undergraduate level at our Pittsburgh campus.  In the fall semester this includes one section of Approaches to the Built Environment, the gateway seminar for the Architectural Studies Program; and two sections of Architecture: Image, Text, Theory, a writing intensive course required for the BA in Architectural Studies.  In the spring term 2024, they will teach (1) a section of Approaches to the Built Environment; (2) a section of the survey Global Architecture 2: Modern; and (3) one other course related to their expertise in architectural history and theory.

This position is open to scholars with expertise in all subfields of and methodological approaches to the history of architecture and the built environment.  Preference will be given to candidates with university-level teaching experience, and whose teaching and research would enhance and extend our curricular offerings in architectural history.

Applications should include:

  1. Cover letter of 1-2 pages, addressed to Drew Armstrong, director of the Architectural Studies Program. Please include a description of your teaching experience.
  2. Current CV, including a list of courses taught.
  3. Teaching Portfolio (15 pages maximum).  Include a sample syllabus for a course and a sample assignment.  Also include evidence of teaching effectiveness, such as student evaluations.
  4. Diversity Statement of 1-2 pages, in which you share how your past, planned, or potential contributions or experiences relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion will advance the University of Pittsburgh’s commitment to inclusive excellence.
  5. Two confidential professional letters of recommendation addressed and sent to Karoline Swiontek, Administrative Officer (karoline@pitt.edu)

To apply, visit join.pitt.edu. The requisition number for this position is 23002881. 

Review of applications will begin on May 18, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to Karoline Swiontek, Administrative Officer, HAA Department (karoline@pitt.edu).

Duties:

  • Teach 3 (3-credit) courses for the Architectural Studies Program in the History of Art and Architecture Department per semester.
  • Meet with undergraduate students beyond the classroom as may be appropriate to their educational needs.
  • Provide mentoring and recommendations for undergraduate students applying to graduate programs and internships.

Minimum Requirements:

  • ABD in architectural history or a closely related field.
  • Some university-level teaching experience in architectural history or a closely related field.
  • Commitment to the values of equity, inclusion, accessibility and diversity.

Preferred Requirements:

  • PhD in architectural history or a closely related field.
  • Experience as the instructor of record for a university-level course in architectural history.

The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is committed to building and fostering a culturally diverse environment. Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in support of a diverse community are required.

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.

The University of Pittsburgh requires all Pitt constituents (employees and students) on all campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. Visit coronavirus.pitt.edu to learn more about this requirement.

JOB: Assistant Professor – Modern and Contemporary Architectural Historian @ UChicago

Position Description
The Department of Art History at the University of Chicago invites applications for an appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure track) with an expected start date of July 1, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Department seeks applicants with innovative approaches to scholarship in the modern and contemporary history of architecture, urbanism, and/or the built environment, who also exhibit an ambitious research agenda and a commitment to developing pedagogical techniques for teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Scholars working in any geographic area, with any theoretical or methodological focus, are invited to apply. The position includes a normal teaching load of four courses per year, as well as commensurate advising and service responsibilities.

This search for an Assistant Professor is connected to a concurrent search for a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow (PPF): apply.interfolio.com/115309. We encourage all interested applicants to submit an application for the PPF position as well, so that all available options will be open to the selected candidate.

Qualifications
All requirements for the PhD in Art or Architectural History or a related field must be completed by the start of the appointment.

Application Instructions
Required Application Documents
• Cover letter introducing research, teaching interests and pedagogical methods, long-term career goals, and detailing progress toward completion of PhD if not in hand
• Dissertation abstract (2-page maximum)
• Current CV
• One article-length text or dissertation chapter
All items must be submitted by 11:59pm Eastern Time on November 7, 2022 via the University’s Academic Recruitment site (Interfolio) at: apply.interfolio.com/115305.

Additional materials and reference letters may be requested following initial review of applications.

For more information about the Department of Art History, please visit arthistory.uchicago.edu. Please contact arthistory@uchicago.edu with any questions about the position.

Position contingent on final budgetary approval.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.