The CAA which holds it’s yearly conference in Chicago is this weekend and to give a face to the economic downturn (and nightmares to every newly minted MFA looking for a teaching position) they realesed a report detailing the decline in positions from FY2008 to FY2009. In short we are talking almost a 38% decline across the board.

Ceramics & Fiber continue the steepest decline posting around 40% and Sculpture/Installation/Environmental Art posts a surprising growth of 125%. Art History continues to be the most resistant to overall change but still shows growth in Asian studies at the limited expense of Modernism/20th Century American Art.

More detailed data (including state by state breakdowns) and the entire report can be seen here

Studio Art FY09 FY08
Any 629 1,005
Graphic/Industrial/Object 185 246
Digital/Media/Animation 150 220
Drawing/Printmaking/Paper 96 130
Sculpture/Installation/Environmental Art 92 99
Ceramics/Metals/Fiber 89 92
Photography 85 143
Art Education 73 90
Film/Video 70 89
Foundations 59 90
Christopher Hudgens