Artist-In-Residence/Research Fellow

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

About Slavery North

Founded in 2022, Slavery North is a one-of-a kind academic and cultural destination where scholars, thinkers, artists, and cultural producers build community and produce research and cultural outcomes that transform our understanding of the neglected histories of Transatlantic Slavery in Canada and the US North. Slavery North seeks to advance social justice by recuperating and interrogating the complex histories of Transatlantic Slavery and European colonization of the Americas, thereby recovering and centering the cultures, experiences, lives, and resistance of enslaved peoples in Canada and the US North. At the heart of Slavery North is a fellowship program that will welcome national and international students, artists, and scholars, providing them with the space, funding, time, and community to produce transformative research outcomes.

Job Summary

The Artist-In-Residence (Research Fellow) for Slavery North will actively participate in both the scholarly and social environment of the center. Artists-in-Residence, with support of Slavery North leadership, will conduct independent research and create original works in one or more of the five mandate areas of Slavery North which include 1) Canadian Slavery, (2) slavery in the US North, (3) the comparative study of slavery in Canada, the US North, and other northern or temperate regions, (4) the study of the inter-connectedness of slavery in Canada and the US North with Caribbean Slavery, and (5) Black-Indigenous relations in Canadian Slavery or US North Slavery. Furthermore, the research must center on the enslaved and/or adopt an anti-colonial, de-colonial, post-colonial, and/or anti-racist methodology/approach which challenges the nature of European and Euro-American imperialism and colonialism and interrogates the racist logic of the institution of Transatlantic Slavery.

Artistic Categories:

Applicants can be active in any of the following fields or areas of creative production: cinema and film making, ceramics, mixed media, painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, and fiction writing (including novels, plays, screenplays, poetry etc.).

Essential Functions

• Self-directed research and production of original works with the support of Slavery North leadership in one or more of the five core mandate areas of Slavery North as described above.
• Actively participate in the life of Slavery North including working in our shared office space, attending and contributing to Slavery North and relevant UMass Amherst and regional activities.
• Contribute to a culture of conversation, support, and the sharing of ideas, resources, and knowledge.
• Mentoring and supporting UMass Amherst students.
• Present at least one public lecture, and participate in exhibitions, workshops, and/or podcast related to your research project, where appropriate, while in residence.
• Provide suitable biographical and research information for use on Slavery North website and in promotional and outreach materials.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Applicants must demonstrate evidence of consistent creative output of a high standard, a strong record of exhibitions and/or public engagement, and participation in professional, academic, creative, or community organizations.

Additional Details

Artists-in Residence must credit Slavery North Initiative-UMass Amherst in all outcomes derived from their appointment.

Work Schedule

Flexible. Artists-In-Residence are expected to work in the shared office and actively contribute to the Slavery North community.

Salary Information

This is a maximum one-year non-benefitted appointment. Appointments will be made according to the following approximate schedule:

Fall Semester: 9/1/25-12/18/25 (Biweekly Gross Salary= $2,326.92 per 8 pay periods)

Spring Semester: 1/30/26-5/17/26 (Biweekly Gross Salary=$2,326.92 per 8 pay periods)

Full One Year Appointment: 9/1/24-8/31/25 (Biweekly Gross Salary=$2,326.92 per 26 pay periods)

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please submit the following materials for consideration. Application will not be considered complete until all materials are received.

• Current CV (maximum 3 pages) which addresses education/training, current affiliations, related work experience, grants and awards, group and solo exhibition history, curation, publications, other creative outcomes, lectures, talks, and conference papers, and relevant community contributions and engagement.
• Project Statement (Maximum 5 pages): Applicants must demonstrate that their entire research project or creative production, or a significant part thereof, focuses on at least one of the Slavery North Mandate Areas. The project statement must be written in full sentence form and include the following areas:
  
  
  
  • Page 1: Project summary (avoid jargon and write for non-specialist audience)
  • Pages 2-4: Objectives; Context; Importance and Originality; Literature Review; Theoretical and Methodological Approach; Archival or Primary Sources; Impact and Outcomes.
  • Page 5: Timeline (point form); indicate desired semester(s) for appointment or full calendar year appointment and describe intended timetable for project completion.
  • Photographs, Weblinks, or Writing sample: Five photographs of completed artworks or film stills OR link to the artist's professional website or video sample OR writing sample (maximum 20 pages).
  
  
  
  

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.