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- Departures and discrepancies
Good Morning:
Yesterday seemed like a day when the institutional accounting catches up with everyone. The Buffalo AKG’s Janne Sirén is stepping down, three months after the museum’s six-figure home loan to him became public (ARTnews). A Palm Springs Art Museum whistleblower alleges shuffled funds and a forced-out director (ARTnews). Louisville Ballet’s Leslie Smart departs on better terms, having pulled the company back from post-COVID extinction with $18.5 million in fundraising (Louisville Courier Journal).
The numbers behind the people don’t help. Boston’s mayor wants to cut the city arts budget by 27 percent (Boston Art Review). Hampshire College, closing its doors, is selling off its campus to pay down $25 million in debt (MassLive). Chicago’s biggest arts presenters are pleading with Illinois lawmakers to outlaw “ghost tickets” — speculative listings sold for seats that may never materialize (WBEZ).
On the building-rather-than-shrinking side: Oxford’s new Schwarzman Centre stitches seven humanities faculties together with a 500-seat hall, a black-box theater, and a museum of historic instruments (The Guardian). Someone, somewhere, is still pouring foundations.
Lastly – don’t miss my attempt to measure the size of the non-profit arts world next to commercial culture. The numbers are revealing. (Diacritical)
All of our stories below.
- Department Chair – Art & Music (Open Rank)
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s College of Arts and Humanities welcomes applications for the position of Professor or Associate Professor and Department Chair of Visual and Performing Art
Salary Range
Associate Professor
$75,000.00 depending on qualifications
Professor
$80,000.00 depending on qualifications
Essential Functions
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s College of Arts and Humanities welcomes applications for an Associate Professor/Professor and Department Chair of Visual and Performing Arts on a 9-month contract with summer stipend for June, July, and August with a negotiated start date. We seek individuals with a passion for the visual and performing arts, experience leading art or music programs, and experience teaching and maintaining a scholarly/creative agenda in Art or Music appropriate for an associate professor or professor. The chair supports the students, faculty, and staff by providing academic and administrative leadership in the areas of strategic planning; resource management; faculty recruitment, evaluation, and retention; programmatic growth; curricular development; and student progress and completion. As part of the College of Arts and Humanities leadership team, the director will work with the dean and other directors and College administrators to ensure effective, efficient, and productive college operations. This position will report to the Dean of the newly-formed, Arts and Humanities College, and will be responsible for providing administrative leadership over the arts and music programs. In addition, the University sponsors a range of developmental activities for faculty, supported by the Heimmermann Center for Engaged Teaching.
Chair Duties
1. Support excellence in teaching, research, and service in the department;
2. Provide leadership for the department’s academic programs in developing curriculum to keep program’s current and relevant, conduct departmental and program assessments and reviews;
3. Manage department resources prudently and fairly and work collaboratively with the dean about emergent school needs and opportunities;
4. Coordinate and support work of program coordinators;
5. Conduct regular faculty meetings to encourage shared governance;
6. Foster open, consistent, and clear communication between the department and college leadership;
7. With approval of the dean, appoint program coordinators for academic programs within the department. Unless otherwise arranged with the dean, the chair will coordinate at least one program;
8. Lead efforts to recruit and retain faculty and make hiring recommendations to the dean;
9. Conduct annual evaluations of all faculty;
10. Evaluate faculty for retention, tenure and promotions and make recommendations to the dean;
11. Provide leadership for faculty mentorship and guidance, particularly for early career faculty and those faculty on the tenure track;
12. Foster ongoing professional development of all faculty, specifically supporting effective teaching and quality scholarship and creative activities;
13. Address questions, complaints, grievances, and suggestions from faculty, staff, and students in a timely and fair manner and in according with University, system, and state policies;
14. Prepare course schedules for each semester that ensures timely completion opportunities for students, adequately fulfills faculty workload, and meets program needs;
15. Collaborate with the faculty to develop a forward-looking strategic plan, consisting on a series of short and long-term goals which are aligned with the University’s strategic plan and designed to promote programmatic growth;
16. Develop and maintain a student recruiting plan, consisting of measurable and achievable goals and benchmarks;
17. Work with faculty, the dean’s office and university staff to recruit students to the university and your programs;
18. Provide leadership and decision making for the department which is informed by relevant student success data at the program level;
19. Cultivate and maintain a positive, collegial, success-oriented and compassionate academic atmosphere;
20. Maintain and monitor compliance with applicable regulatory policies;
21. Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.Faculty Duties
1. Teach up to 12 credit hours per contract year;
2. Maintain a scholarly/creative agenda appropriate for an associate professor or professor respectively.
3. Face-to-face, online, and/or hybrid teaching interactions through a regular schedule of attendance on campus for a minimum of four days a week.
4. Achieve appropriate student-learning outcomes in all courses taught;
5. Faculty are expected to employ sound pedagogical practices and use appropriate technology;
6. Mentor students to prepare them for professional practice, graduate studies, and research;
7. Provide support to students in need of academic improvement;
8. Student course evaluations are to be completed in each course;
9. Abide by deadlines and processes for submitting grades;
10. Advise students and provide individual help to students during weekly office hours;
11. Attending department, college, and university faculty meetings; and
12. Attend convocations, commencement exercises, recruitment activities, and community meetings.Required Qualifications
1. Doctoral Degree in Art, Music, or MFA in Studio Art.
2. Evidence of experience and success in program administration, leadership, and faculty evaluation in Art or Music
3. Scholarly and/or Creative record and agenda appropriate for associate professor or professor
4. Evidence of teaching excellence
5. Experience with NASM or NASAD accreditation
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills.Preferred Qualifications
1. Expertise or Experience in one of the following areas: Art Education, Music Education, Musical Theater
2. Experience with enrollment growth and program developmentAdditional Information
Required Application Materials
1. Cover Letter
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. List of References
4. Teaching Philosophy Statement
5. Transcripts (Preferred)
6. Letters of Recommendation (Preferred)Conditions of Employment
1. The job description is not a complete list of all responsibilities and duties performed by employees. Employees may perform other related duties as assigned by their immediate supervisor.
2. Employment is subject to an introductory period to monitor employee performance.
3. Once hired, the prospective employee must present documentation within three (3) days of the hire date to establish their identity and employment eligibility as required by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Applicants must be able to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States by time of hire. UTPB participates in e-Verify.
4. Employees must be able and willing to travel and perform duties away from campus as necessary and must be able to operate a licensed motor vehicle, have access to a dependable motor vehicle, and possess a valid state driver’s license. Must have and maintain a satisfactory driver’s record.
5. Employment is contingent upon a successful background check.
6. UT Permian Basin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.Schedule
Generally, the normal work hours for the university are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 – 5:30 pm; Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm with a one-hour lunch. The individual holding this position may need to be available early morning, evening, and on weekends to meet the needs of the department. Faculty hours may differ based on class schedule and department need.
Standard Working Conditions
1. Able to lift various materials up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis.
2. Able to bend, crouch, and reach continuously.
3. Physically able remain seated, frequently to continuously.
4. Able to remain standing up to 15% of the time.
5. Possesses dexterity abilities required to perform job duties including extensive keyboard work, operating office equipment, performing filing, and other job-related responsibilities that include extensive wrist and hand movement.
6. Standard working conditions may differ depending on department and occupation.University Benefits
1. UT Permian Basin offers an excellent compensation package including heath, retirement, & fringe benefits for eligible employees.
2. Coverage includes medical, prescriptions, life insurance, AD&D, and matching retirement provided by UTPB.
3. You may also be eligible to add dental, vision, family coverage, & flex-spending accounts, additional retirement, and a few other coverages as options too.
4. Fringe benefits include tuition reimbursement (after one year of service), wellness breaks, employee assistant program (EAP), and meal deals, among other perks and discounts!
5. Our benefits package, along with an ample leave policy, make for a great total compensation package.About the University
The University of Texas Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas. It was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. The Permian Basin is one of the fastest-growing, culturally vibrant, economically invigorated regions of the country – full of industry, culture, and wide-open spaces. At the academic heart of this area sits The University of Texas Permian Basin – which every year, delivers smart, savvy leaders across the U.S.
As a regional, comprehensive institution, The University of Texas Permian Basin serves a diverse community of students from the region, the state, and beyond. Through excellence in student-centered teaching, learning, research, and public service, the University cultivates engaged citizens and impacts lives while advancing the technology and public interests of West Texas.
Our vision is that the University of Texas Permian Basin will be an innovative, responsive university that thinks large and lives local. We will lead in advancing education, research, economic competitiveness, and cultural enrichment.
Visit our social media sites below for more information.Thank you for your consideration in today’s job market. We look forward to connecting with you more in the future.
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/7120354
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- The State Museum of Pennsylvania – Director
The State Museum of Pennsylvania (SMOP) seeks a strategic, collaborative leader to serve as its Director.
As a bureau of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the Museum brings Pennsylvania’s natural and cultural history to life through collections of more than 12 million artifacts spanning cultural history, art, archaeology, geology, paleontology, and natural history.
Over the next several years, the Museum will undergo a $58 million transformation — the largest investment in the complex since 1964. This is a rare opportunity for a mission-driven museum leader to guide a statewide institution through a once-in-a-generation renewal. The Director will shape a reimagined visitor experience, deepen community engagement, collaborate with staff and steward collections through the transition, championing the importance of Pennsylvania’s history now and for the future. PHMC seeks a collaborative, experienced museum leader with a passion for public history who will serve as a visible, compelling spokesperson, sustain engagement during closure, build momentum for reopening, and thrive in the Museum’s public-sector environment.
The Museum has an annual operating budget of approximately $4 million, as well as a planned capital budget of approximately $80 million over 10 years to support continued exhibition development. Salary begins at $115,000 and includes a competitive Commonwealth benefits package. The start date is projected for late summer 2026. The search is being led by Syrah Gunning of the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management. Learn more and apply at: https://tinyurl.com/SMOPaj
- The English Heiress Who Masterminded The IRA’s Biggest Art Heist
“By her mid-30s, Rose Dugdale had burned every bridge to the world that made her. She gave away her inheritance, stole money from her own family, hijacked a helicopter to attack a police station, develop bombs for the IRA, and played a central role in one of the largest art heists in history.” – BBC
- Idaho Legislature Changes Book Ban As Court Challenges Continue
The three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit wrote that HB 710 enables a “system of informal censorship” and potentially “encourages formal censorship through the legal process. The First Amendment does not tolerate either outcome.” – Publishers Weekly
- How San Antonio’s Public Art Program Has Changed The City
It launched in 1996 via a city ordinance that originally earmarked 1 percent of the budget for capital improvement projects for public art. That amount was raised to 1.5 percent for the 2022-2027 bond program. – San Antonio Express (MSN)
- Louisville Ballet CEO Steps Down After 3½ Years Of Turning The Company Around
When Leslie Smart took the helm in early 2023, the company’s existence post-COVID was in doubt. She undertook both cost-cutting and fundraising campaigns, and she ultimately raised over $18.5 million and oversaw record-breaking ticket sales; just last week she announced a $9 million investment in the company’s expansion. – Louisville Courier Journal (AOL)
- A Major New Humanities Center At Oxford
Billed as Oxford’s largest and most programmatically ambitious academic project, the Schwarzman Centre yokes together seven humanities faculties, along with a 500-seat concert hall, a 250-seat theatre, a black-box immersive performance space, a white-box exhibition gallery, a dance studio, a cinema and a museum to house the Bate Collection of historic musical instruments. – The Guardian
- EU Sanctions Director Of The Hermitage
The Council of the European Union announced on April 23 that it is formally sanctioning Mikhail Piotrovsky, the long-time director of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The reasons given are that Piotrovsky is “a close associate of Vladimir Putin.” – ARTnews
- Well, At Least The Australian Ballet Lost Fewer Millions Than It Did The Year Before
The company’s operating loss for 2025 was AU$4.7 million, down from AU$6 million in 2024. Losses are due to the costs of a temporary venue change; the company’s usual home, the Ian Potter State Theatre in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, closed for renovations in March of 2024 and will reopen this October. – AAP
- The Re-Relevance Of Yoko Ono
In the past decade, the defining trend among curators has been to shine a light on artists who were previously “overlooked.” Various groups who were once misunderstood, neglected or ignored have been excavated and exhibited — artists of color, older women artists, women of Abstract Expressionism and so on (though “overlooked” is a deprecating term). – The New York Times
- Differences Between Being An Arts Lover In The UK And In Australia
The experience of attending, supporting and living among the arts differs in ways that are practical, financial and social. – ArtsHub
- Strategies For Fighting Misinformation
What of misinformation that has taken hold, and how can it be debunked? If the misinformation is not going to be widely shared, the best thing to do can simply be to ignore it. Otherwise, however, it is best to get in first, provided our own presentation is clear and sticky. – 3 Quarks Daily
- Belarus Free Theatre Begins Residency At Venice Biennale
“(Their) show, titled ‘Official. Unofficial. Belarus.,’ (explores) how art is ‘made, censored, and experienced under authoritarian power and constant surveillance.’ … It’s a provocative and timely subject, made more so by the fact that the Belarus Free Theatre has been in exile since 2020, following widespread protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.” – ARTnews
- Chicago Arts Leaders Demand Action On “Ghost” Tickets
“Every day, patrons are being sold what they believe are valid tickets, when, in reality, they are only paying for a chance that someone may be able to secure a seat,” said John Mangum, Lyric’s general director, who was also joined by leaders of The Auditorium and Harris Theater. – WBEZ
- Why We Need More Arts
Organizations that design their entire experience for reflection, response, and real conversation are doing something quietly radical. Not just presenting art, but shaping the conditions that allow it to actually change us. – Seattle Times
- The Guardian Now Has More American Readers Than The Washington Post Has
“(The Guardian) has found a lane in the U.S. news market as a progressive alternative to institutional American media, … backed by a voluntary contribution model that has attracted 700,000 supporters, 500,000 of them recurring. Reader revenue has grown 35% a year for the past two years, with a still-growing 150-person newsroom.” – The Rebooting
- The Trump FCC’s Threats To Disney/ABC’s Broadcast Licenses Are Legally Doomed
“That is the technical legal term for this: batshit crazy. … Legally there is no basis for removing a broadcast license because you don’t like the program. And if there is some kind of DEI claim here, I really don’t know what that would be.” – Vulture (MSN)
- “Shattered Moral Compass”: Whistleblower Alleges Malfeasance At Palm Springs Museum Of Art
“The whistleblower claims that the museum improperly moved funds between various accounts in order to meet severe cash crunches. The whistleblower alleged that a former director was forced out based on trumped-up staff complaints, and that the museum failed to even interview two qualified candidates to replace him before promoting an internal candidate.” – ARTnews
- Has A Valuable Stradivarius Looted By The Nazis Been Hiding In Plain Sight?
“In 1944 during the German army’s retreat, the 1719 ‘Lauterbach’ Stradivari violin was looted from the Warsaw Museum in Poland. … The violin’s value is estimated at €10 million. … Now, more than 80 years later, notice has been taken of an instrument which may be the looted violin.” – The Strad
- Boston’s Mayor Wants To Cut City’s Arts Budget By More Than One-Fourth
“(Mayor Michelle Wu’s) approximately 27% cut leaves the city’s budget for arts and culture with a total of $3,365,057 for fiscal year 2027. While still above pre-pandemic levels, even when adjusted for inflation, this is one of the largest cuts to any city department’s budget.” – Boston Art Review
- Buffalo AKG Art Museum Director Janne Sirén To Step Down
The move comes almost three months after news broke of a six-figure loan the museum made to Sirén for buying a house; the loan reportedly was never repaid. Under Sirén’s leadership, AKG greatly increased its collection, underwent a $230 million renovation and expansion, and achieved record attendance numbers. – ARTnews
- Hampshire College, Soon To Close, Will Sell Off Campus Of Pay Off Debt
“The college has around $25 million in debt, between loans and a private partner. It was primarily taken in 2010 and 2016.” – MassLive
- Stop Asking the Wrong Questions: How is the Advisory Board for the Arts Killing the Industry?The survey they just asked nonprofit arts leaders to complete proves that they really, really, really don’t get it.
- Local earmarked taxes for arts funding: a checklist
I read a story yesterday about the attempts to make a local arts tax in Portland, Oregon slightly less bad, and since I used to teach about this sort of thing I thought it might be worth giving my personal quick-and-dirty checklist on local earmarked taxes for the arts.
Here are
- Just How Big is the Culture Economy?
Most arts policy debates happen at one scale. Most cultural activity happens at another. It turns out the gap between those two scales — between the world that the arts, funding fights, and nonprofit board meetings live in, and the world where most people actually encounter culture — is so large that it’s worth pausing to measure.
The post Just How Big is the Culture Economy? appeared first on diacritical.
- VP of Human Resources, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
This is a pivotal moment to join TPAC as Vice President of Human Resources. As the organization prepares for transformational growth with the development of a new East Bank campus, the VP of Human Resources is being reimagined from a traditional administrative function into a strategic architect of organizational design. This leader will serve as the organization’s most important champion of culture, talent, and human capital by guiding TPAC’s staff through this period of exciting and complex evolution.
The VP of Human Resources reports to the Managing Director and works in close partnership with the President & CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team. This is a full-time, exempt position requiring three days per week in the downtown Nashville office with up to two days of remote work.
- In Defense Of Liam Scarlett, Five Years After His Suicide
Clarissa Hard argues that, with no hard evidence of serious sexual misconduct ever revealed, the gifted young choreographer should not have been made a total pariah and driven to take his own life. – The Critic (UK)
- FCC Starts Investigation Of Disney Broadcast License
As expected, Brendan Carr and the FCC on Tuesday unleashed license-renewal hell on The Walt Disney Co. However, with another Jimmy Kimmel brouhaha erupting with Donald Trump and MAGAland, the Josh D’Amaro-led Disney is playing it cool and playing along, at least for now. – Deadline
- A Change To Portland’s Widely-Disliked Arts Tax
“’We’ve not identified a way to make (the tax) not annoying,’ said Council President Jamie Dunphy, the architect of the new policy. ‘But we’ve found ways to make it less annoying.’” The proposed change: fewer people paying more money. – Oregon Public Broadcasting
- A Shift: Reviews Are More Important Than Ratings In Streaming
Reviews are now even more crucial than they used to be while ratings have dipped in importance in a world of cannibalized viewing, Jeff Pope told a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch this afternoon in London. – Deadline
- A Conversation With Víkingur Ólafsson
“So you could also call me a soft Viking. I tend to stay away from crime, but I do like parallel fifths and parallel octaves, so maybe I’m not as innocent as I’d like to pretend to be.” – San Francisco Classical Voice
- Cory Doctorow: Why The World Is Suddenly Becoming Enshittified
“The internet is getting worse, fast. The services we rely on, they’re all turning into piles of shit. Worse, the digital is merging with the physical, which means that the same forces that are wrecking our platforms are also wrecking our homes and our cars, the places where we work and shop. – Literary Review of Canada
- Lost Copy Of Oldest Surviving English Poem Turns Up In Rome
“Scholars from Trinity College Dublin uncovered the manuscript that contains Caedmon’s Hymn at the National Central Library of Rome. Bede, the medieval theologian revered as the father of English history, recorded the nine-line poem in the eighth century.” – The Guardian
- State Legislatures Tweak Library And School Laws Concerning Books (To Protect Them)
“We’ve had success in blue states that want to protect from book banning at the local level, but these efforts have moved to purple or even red states, to the point of Alaska now moving this forward.” – Publishers Weekly
