RUTH BOLDUAN
A life of global travel has provided Ruth Bolduan with an understanding of diverse visual traditions while remaining firmly entrenched in Western thought. Her current work, based on months spent wandering in Yuan Ming Yuan Park in Beijing, is centered on the idea of the ecological history of a place as a carrier of meaning. She is drawn to these powerful places found at the intersection of nature and human culture, where memory is preserved in the landscape itself. Bolduan maintains a studio in Richmond, Virginia, as a professor of painting at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts for over 30 years. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, and she has been the recipients of numerous grants, commissions, and residencies.
RUTH BOLDUAN
EDUCATION
American University, Washington DC, MFA.
American University, Washington DC, BA magna cum laude.
2018
Ruth Bolduan in China: From History to Painting, Tsinghua University Gallery, Beijing, China.
Hommage to Debussy, VCU Global Summer Music Institute, Richmond, VA.
2013
proper Form/s, Chroma Projects, Charlottesville, VA.
Ruth Bolduan & Brooke Marcy, Riverviews Artspace, Lynchburg, VA.
2012
Dharma Days, Harem Nights, Earlham College, Richmond, IN.
Costume, Landscape, and Memory, Museum of Monterey, Monterey, CA.
2010
Ruth Bolduan: 18th Century Portraiture Redefined, Mount Clare Museum, Baltimore, MD.
Dark Rococo, The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA.
Foyer: SCWInteriors, DC Design House, Washington, DC.
2009
Viva Rococo, La Cova de les Cultures, Barcelona, Spain.
2008
Drawing on History, (2 person) Dow Museum, St. Augustine, FL.
Go Go Rococo. Catholic University of America, Washington, DC.
2007
Fête Galante, Anton Gallery, Monterey, CA.
2006
Open Studio. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland.
2005
Ballard Art Walk, Forum Center. Seattle, WA.
2003
Paintings, Anton Gallery, Washington, DC (also 1998, 1997, 1994, 1991, 1989).
2002
The French Hat, Galerie Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
Figures at Passages, Salon Vaganey-Mays, Paris, France.
Pretty Girls and Odalisques, Anton Gallery, Washington, DC.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
Highest Good Like That of Water, China Oriental Foundation for Art, Tianjin, China
2020
The Garden, Piedmont Arts Museum, Martinsville, VA.
2019 Party for Democracy: Kamalla Harris, The Hawthorne Mansion, Monterey, CA.
The Art Party, The Hawthorne Mansion, Monterey, CA.
2016
Experiment and Prospect, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Tianjin, China.
2013-15
Art in Embassies, American Embassy, Vatican City, Italy.
2010
Catalyst,The American University Museum, Washington, DC.
Reflecting and Collecting, 1708 Gallery at Linden Row, Richmond, VA.2009
Art in Academia, Space 310, Mobile, AL.
The Trawick Prize, Fraser Gallery, Bethesda, MD.
Fifth Tashken Biennale, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
2008
SECAC Exhibition, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA.
All in the Family, American University Museum, Washington, DC.
50/50 =100, Cafritz Arts Center, Montgomery College, Silver Spring, MD.
2007
Double Bubble, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2006
Salon, Galerie Ponce Boscarino, Paris, France.
2005
Blaue Mauer. Anton Gallery, Monterey, CA.
2004
Girlz Club at Artomatic, Children’s Museum, Washington, DC.
Virginia Women Artists, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA.
Salon d’ete, Galerie Ponce Boscarino, Paris, France.
Holiday Exhibition, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA.
Math = Art, Roper Gallery, Frostburg State University, MD.
2002
Heads Up! Watkins Gallery, American University, Washington, DC.
Vernissage des Artistes, Galerie Cité des Arts, Paris, France.
2001
Contemporary Realism, Atheneum Art Center, Alexandria, VA.
9/11/01, Anton Gallery, Washington, DC, Springtide Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, PA.
2000
East Meets West, Flor de Luna Art Center, Los Angeles, CA.
New Neo, Christopher Newport College, Newport News, VA.
1999
figuratively speaking, The Painting Center, New York, NY.
1998
Works on Paper, Galeria ICPNA Miraflores, Lima, Peru.
Art in the Embassies. United States Embassy, Ankara, Turkey.
Crossing Borders. Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.
1996
Global Focus, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC.
1995
Global Focus, China World Trade Center, Beijing, China.
Invitational Exhibition, Institute of ContemporaryArt, San Jose, CA.
1994
Bloom: Sala Mostre, Lavori su Carta, Mezzago/Milan, Italy.
Painter’s Painters. Longwood Fine Arts Center, Farmville, VA.
Lilith. Rockville Arts Place, Rockville, MD.
Art of the South, Wall Street Gallery Walk, New York, NY.
Sources of Strength, District of Columbia Art Center, Washington, DC.
Diverse Works, Galerie Corti, Brussels, Belgium.
Invitational Exchange, MARS Artspace, Phoenix, AZ.
1993
What Heaven Looks Like, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, CA.
1992
American Prints, Cinema Center, Moscow, CIS.
1991
Washington/Moscow Art Exchange, Carnegie Library, Washington, DC.
1990
McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA.
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, USSR.
Reinvestigating Myth, Frick Gallery, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
Lyon/Washington Exchange, Domi Nostrae Gallery, Lyon, France, Buenos Aires/Lima/Washington Exchange.
Centro Cultural de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Casa de Osambela, Lima, Peru.
Approaching the Figure, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
Inherited Memories, Goucher College, Baltimore, MD.
1988
Washington/Budapest Exchange, Fine Arts Academy, Budapest.
Significant Movement: Myth, Allegory, and Romanticism, Anton Gallery, Washington, DC.
1987
Barriers, Jim Diaz Gallery, NYC, NY.
Three Washington Women, Antinor Gallery, Athens, Greece.
Garden Party II. Jim Diaz Gallery, New York, NY.
1984
8 Painters from Washington, Weekend Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
Options ’83. Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC.
PUBLICATIONS
2021
Yang, Weimin, Highest Good Like That of Water, Tianjin, China; online catalog.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/PQZRK2sflf8ji-9ac5bG6Q,2021
2020
Benitez, Jorge and Reni Gower, The Garden, Wylie Contemporary, Inc.
2018
Mu, Li, Ruth Bolduan in China: From History to Painting, Richmond, VA; Glimmer Books,
ISBN 978-0-9976928-0-8.
2010
Bilonick, Kristina and J.W. Mahoney, Catalyst: WPA 35th Anniversary Exhibition, American University Museum
at the Katzen, Washington, DC; exhibition catalog.
Mahoney, J.W., The Future Past… catalog essay, Dark Rococo, The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA.
2009
Competition Brings Artists Down to Earrth, Davidson, Maureen, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, Monterey, CA.
2006
Proctor, Roy, Hot Pink, RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, Richmond, VA.
Artomatic 2004 Oral History Project, Video interview, Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC.
2001
Colaizzi, Vittorio, Printmaking Jam, WASHINGTON REVIEW.
2000
McLeod, Deborah, Paradise Found, STYLE WEEKLY, Richmond, VA.
1998
Yaylali, Hale, Ankara Daki Abd, ART&DECOR Ankara, Turkey.
Cohen, Jean, Images of Desire, WHEE MAGAZINE, Washington, DC.
Ghersi, Ericka, Ruth Bolduan, dualidad en el arte, CAMBIO AL DIA, Lima, Peru.
The Fragmented Eroticism of US Artist Ruth Bolduan, THE LIMA HERALD, Lima, Peru.
1997
Campello, Lennox, Verticals at Anton Gallery, KOAN, Washington, DC.
Latane, Dawn. Ruth Bolduan: Paintings, WASHINGTON REVIEW.
1995
Giorno e notte: artisti Americani, Il Manifesto. Milan, Italy.
Alberto Casiraghy, and Ruth Bolduan, Frammento di Dante, Osnago/Milan:Edizioni Pulcinoelephante; artist book,
edition of 25.
Coopersmith, Georgia, Painter’s Painters, Longwood College, Farmville, VA..
Del Moro, Franco, Ellin Selae. (1000 original drawings, insert in art magazine) Milan, Italy.
1994
Bullard, Cece, Painters Explore Psychic Energy, RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH..
Burchard, Hank, Cultural Echo in Tree Art, THE WASHINGTON POST.
Gentry, Laurin. Living Through Their Art, WASHINGTON ARTISTS EQUITY NEWS.
McCoy, Mary. In the Spirit of Nature, THE WASHINGTON POST.
Figura, John, Ruth Bolduan, Washington: Anton Gallery, exhibition catalog.
Moreno, Ignacio, Ruth Bolduan: Paintings. Richmond, VA, 1708 Gallery, exhibition catalog.
1991
Pinto, Ismael, Encuentro Americano, Expreso, Lima, Peru.
Shashkina, Maria. Art Exchange: Washington-Moscow, SOVIET LIFE.
Steiker, Valerie, Ruth Bolduan, Sharon Fischel, NEW ART EXAMINER.
Gay, Ted, Art Exchange Washington-Moscow, Washington, Catalog.
1990
Chaine, Stani, De Lyon a Washington, LYON POCHE, Lyon, France.
McWilliams, Martha, Edges of Eros, the WASHINGTON REVIEW.
Dorsey, John. Contemporary Art Has Ancient Theme, THE BALTIMORE SUN.
Welzenbach, Michael, Graphics at Anton, THE WASHINGTON POST.
Finnegan, Patrick, Reinvestigating Myth, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, exhibition catalog.
Glazer, Helen, Inherited Memories: Mythological Themes in Contemporary Art,
Goucher College, Baltimore, MD; exhibition catalog.
Pagan, Mary Ann, Approaching the Figure, Washington: Georgetown University; exhibition catalog.
1989
Mahoney, J.W. East Coast Reviews: Ruth Bolduan, NEW ART EXAMINER.
Finnegan, Patrick, Washington Reviews, CONTEMPORANEA.
Kolmer, Pat, Significant Movement, WASHINGTON REVIEW.
Thorson, Alice, Ruth Bolduan: Meet a Major Player, WASHINGTON TIMES.
1988
McCoy, Mary, Soweto to Gaza, NEW ART EXAMINER.
Gilbard, Florence, Washington Ways, MUSEUM AND ARTS WASHINGTON.
Miller, E. Ethelbert, From Suweto to Gaza to Washington, Howard University; exhibition catalog.
1987
Thorson, Alice, Ruth Bolduan Shines in Every Genre, WASHINGTON TIMES.
1985
Mahoney, J.W., Washington/Berlin Exchange, NEW ART EXAMINER.
Coleman, Nichols Fox, Optimism to Germany, Angst to America, WASHINGTON THEATER GUIDE.
Denny, Alice and Anthoney Harvey, After Berlin, WASHINGTON REVIEW.
1983
Allen, Jane Addams, New Art from the Lively Fringes, WASHINGTON TIMES.
Lewis, Jo Ann, A Range of Landscapes, WASHINGTON POST.
Fleming, Lee, Options ’83, WASHINGTON REVIEW.
Lewis, Jo Ann, Darker Options, WASHINGTON POST.
Shannon, Joe and Jim Love, Option ’83, Washington Project for the Arts; exhibition catalog,
1981
Alexis, Karin. East Coast Reviews: Washington, NEW ART EXAMINER.
1980
Fleming, Lee, Ruth Bolduan, NEW ART EXAMINER.
GRANTS, AWARDS, HONORS
2018
Visiting Artist Residency, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Research Reassignment Leave, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2011
Award for Excellence in Teaching, Southeastern Colleges of Art Conference.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Tsinghua University Academy of And Design, Beijing, China.
