About PAPA

Est. 1986 ~ The Original Society of Outdoor Painters

MISSION STATEMENT

To promote the tradition of painting the landscape directly from life, while providing members and others the opportunities to expand their knowledge through shared experience, extraordinary workshops and public exhibitions.

 

A BRIEF HISTORY

Members of PAPA believe that ‘plein air’ is nothing more than painting from life, utilizing direct observation to gather information, along with responding visually and emotionally to the subject at hand. For us, the final measure of a good painting is not whether it was executed entirely outdoors but whether it reflects the artist and withstands the test of time. –John Budicin, PAPA president, 2005-07

 

Founded in 1986 by artist Denise Burns, on Catalina Island, California, the Plein Air Painters of America began as a small group of artists dedicated to painting from life. For the first two decades, PAPA held annual paint-outs followed by an exhibition in Avalon on Catalina. This format, unique at the time, has given birth to countless similar groups and events across the country.

 

In 2007, PAPA expanded its format to include exhibitions in museums and art centers to emphasize the importance of field studies in the process of making studio paintings. Most PAPA exhibitions are documented in catalogs.

 

PAPA members are seasoned outdoor painters and are considered some of the best teachers of the genre today, conducting workshops throughout the country and internationally. PAPA also collaborates with Streamline Premium Art Videos to produce instructional videos that are indispensable learning tools.

 

2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John Lintott - President

Mark Rittorno - Executive Director

Kathleen Hudson - Vice President 

Cindy Baron - Treasurer

Chris Morel - Secretary

Mike Hernandez - Director

 

MEMBERSHIP POLICY

Signature Membership in the Plein-Air Painters of America recognizes superiority in the technique of painting on location, and honors the individual artist's professional standing in the art community. There is no application process for joining PAPA. Membership is limited. The path to membership starts by being invited to join PAPA members. Potential members are nominated by the members of PAPA, then a member vote determines which nominees are invited to join.

Unsolicited submissions for Signature Membership or Guest Artist status are not being considered at this time. Please contact one of our Signature Members if you are interested in being considered for membership.

 

EXHIBITION RECORD

  • 2026 Plein Air Painters of America: "Heart of America" (May 15 - July 6, 2026)
  • 2025 Plein Air Painters of America: "Colorado Grandeur" (Aug.1 - Aug.31 2025) - Crested Butte Center for the Arts, CO
  • 2023 Plein Air Painters of America: "Out West" (Sep.29 - Jan.20 2024) - Couse / Sharp Historic Site, Taos, NM
  • 2022 Plein Air Painters of America: 35 Years Outdoors - Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
  • 2020 Online Show/Exhibition - "On the Loose" by the Plein Air Painters of America, Taos Art Museum at Fechin House
  • 2019 PAPA Paints Glacier National Park Show - Hockaday Museum of Art, Kalispell, MT 
  • Milestones: Celebrating PAPA's 30th Anniversary & 100 Years of the National Parks Service, Steamboat Art Museum, Colorado 
  • 2015 Legacy of the Land, Art in Nature Alliance, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, benefiting the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy
  • 2015 Looking East, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA 2014 The Color of Light, Helena Fox Fine Art, Charleston, SC
  • 2014 Why Outdoors?, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
  • 2014 Second Spring: Conserving Nature in Life & Art, Art in Nature Alliance, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, benefiting the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy
  • 2013 The Color of Light, A Plein Air Experience, Helena Fox Fine Art, Charleston, SC
  • 2013 Celebrating Summer, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI (catalogue)
  • 2013-2009 American Legacy: Our National Parks, The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA (catalogue). Traveling to: City of Lake Charles, LA. Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX. Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA. R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA. Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA. Washakie Museum & Cultural Center, Worland, WY. Dane Hansen Memorial Museum, Logan, KS. Michelson Museum of Art, Marshall, TX.
  • 2012-2011 The Allure of Water, The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA (catalogue)
  • 2008 European Tradition, American Vision, Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD Allure of Water
  • 2007 From The Heart, The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA (catalogue)
  • 2005-2004 Annual Show & Sale, Caesars, Lake Tahoe, NV
  • 2004 Plein Air Color & Light, Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT
  • 2003 Plein Air from Coast to Coast, Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT
  • 2003 Glories of the Sonoran Desert, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
  • 2003 The Allure of Light, Steamboat Springs Arts Council, CO
  • 2003-1986 Annual Show and Sale, Society for Advancement of Plein Air Painting, Avalon, CA

 

SPONSORS