Ruth Bolduan: “I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award from Secac in recognition of my teaching”.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar  (VCUQ) assistant professor of painting and printmaking, Ruth Bolduan, has been awarded the Secac Award for Excellence in Teaching at the recent Southeastern College Art Conference (Secac) 2011 in Savannah, Georgia, US.
The recognition is for outstanding teaching in visual arts higher education by a Secac member who demonstrates an exceptional command of his or her discipline through the ability to teach effectively, impart knowledge, and inspire students.
Bolduan was one of the two winners this year. Jurors noted that the evidence in Bolduan’s nomination packet showed her to be an excellent and inventive teacher, with impressive commitment to the fundamentals of painting and extensive departmental service.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award from Secac in recognition of my teaching and deeply indebted to my excellent students for making it possible,” said Bolduan.
“I believe that my students and I work together for the love of making paintings, and I am particularly happy to be here in Doha this year, sharing ideas, images, and experiences with the dedicated and creative students in our Painting and Printmaking Department.”
Bolduan grew up in Germany and the Washington, DC area and has travelled throughout Europe, South America, and China. In 1980, she earned an MFA in Painting from The American University in Washington, DC and was awarded the Kreeger Purchase Prize. Since then, her work has been exhibited throughout the country and internationally, and she has been the recipient of many grants, awards, and residencies. Last year she received a prestigious painting commission from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Bolduan is a professor of painting and drawing at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia, where she lives and maintains a studio. Currently, she is teaching at VCUQatar for the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
Founded in 1942 as a regional conference, today Secac is a non-profit organisation that promotes the study and practice of the visual arts in higher education on a national basis.