Doug Boughton
NIU’s Doug Boughton, a world leader in the advocacy of “visual culture” curriculum for art education, has been named the 2015 Illinois Higher Education Art Educator of the Year.
The award, given by the Illinois Art Education Association, recognizes the exemplary contributions, service and achievements of one outstanding IAEA member annually.
Chosen for his outstanding commitment to visual art education at the local, regional, national level and international levels, Boughton will receive the honor Friday, Nov. 6, at the IAEA conference in Lisle.
“I am thrilled to receive this award. I feel incredibly honored to be recognized by my colleagues in the IAEA and by my wonderful students who supported my nomination so enthusiastically,” said Boughton, whose wife and fellow NIU School of Art + Design Education faculty member, Kerry Freedman, won last year.
“I moved to Illinois from Australia over 15 years ago and since then have enjoyed an incredibly rich professional experience working with students, art teachers and other art higher education colleagues in this state,” he added. “It is often difficult to begin a new professional career in another country, so I am deeply touched to have been received so warmly in Illinois.”
Boughton’s research interests include assessment of student learning in art, portfolio assessment and art curriculum policy.
He has served in significant international leadership roles as world president of InSEA (International Society for Education through Art), chief examiner-visual arts for the International Baccalaureate Organization, foundation director of the National Art Education Research Council of the Australian Institute of Art Education and consulting professor in art education to the Institute of Education in Hong Kong.
He won the 1997 Studies in Art Education Invited Lecture Award for consistent contributions through published literature to the direction and scope of the profession; in 2006, he won the USSEA Edwin Ziegfeld Award for his outstanding contribution to international art education.
Nominator and NIU colleague Judith Doebler calls Boughton “a true champion of quality art education.”
“Through his teaching, research, administration and national/international lectures, presentations and keynote addresses, he has contributed immensely to the community of art education,” Doebler wrote.
The IAEA has served the children and art educators of Illinois for more than 75 years by providing professional development for educators through workshops, conferences, grants, exhibition opportunities, facilitating communication, promoting conditions for the effective teaching of art and working to influence educational change and reform.
