Press Release
University of North Carolina Asheville
Virginia Derryberry, professor and chair of the Department of Art at UNC Asheville, has been recognized for Outstanding Artistic Achievement by the Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC). This award is given to encourage and reward individuals who have been particularly successful in their creative work as demonstrated through regional, national or international exhibitions or presentations.
One reviewer for the award noted that Derryberry’s painting style is “strong with a concern for the particular detail as well as the broad narrative.” SECAC cited both Derryberry’s academic career and active studio practice, which spans more than 25 years, as award-worthy, praising her as “an accomplished artist, dedicated teacher, effective administrator and generous university citizen.”
Since joining UNC Asheville’s faculty in 1996, Derryberry has received a number of awards, including the university’s highest honor for faculty, the Distinguished Teaching Award. Her drawings and paintings are in the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Morris Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, among others.
Founded in 1942 as a regional conference, SECAC is a national nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of visual art education, history, theory, design, and studio practice in higher education through facilitating cooperation among teachers and administrators in universities, colleges, professional institutions and the communities served by their institutions.
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