A native of the Black Hills of South Dakota, Richard DuBois (1941-2014) preferred traditional watercolor as his medium throughout his art career. He attended the University of Wyoming, earning a Master of Arts Degree in Art, and continued post-graduate study in New England at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. DuBois began teaching studio art at Black Hills State University in 1969 and although he officially retired in 2004, he kept teaching on an informal basis.
DuBois was the co-founder of the Northern Plains Watercolor Society and began serving on its board of directors in 1993. In addition to his studio work, DuBois participated in and conducted professional workshops in watercolor. His work was featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions as well as juried competitions and invitational shows and is in permanent collections throughout the United States.
DuBois received numerous awards throughout the years for his work, including the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce Award for Liberal Arts Professional, Black Hills State University’s Alumni Association’s Excellence in Education Award, the Spearfish High School Fine Arts Outstanding Alumni Award, the Black Hills State University Outstanding Alumni Award, Allied Arts Fund’s “Heart for the Arts Award,” and numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in the Northern Plains Watercolor Society’s Annual Competition.
A talented and prolific artist, DuBois was a major contributor to the professional arts community of Rapid City and the Black Hills as well as a strong influence to his students, teaching nearly every art class ever offered at Black Hills State University.
