Americans in Paris

Making Art History
This exciting VRFA fine art project Americans in Paris (AIP) aims to follow in the footsteps of many historical
masters who had traveled to Paris to be inspired and to introduce today’s leading fine artists in Realism and Impressionism to new alluring foreign subjects and themes. It began with a purpose to inspire contemporary American artists to travel to Paris and discover exciting new ideas for their works, and to study advanced group composition in the museums of fine art in a place where historically so many important artists had found inspiration and formed connections before. Inspired by the great American painters before them, such as Sargent, Whistler and Cassatt to name a few, a group of American realist and impressionist artists would travel to Paris to draw inspiration from the city of light, architecture and fine art. There they attended fine museums, examined the masters, absorbed the culture, shared ideas and painted together with the goal of reaching the next level of mastery in their work.
To raise capital for the first trip, Rothe curated an exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York in the spring of 2016, where twenty invited American artists sold work and were able to fund their travel. The AIP group also presented their ideas and did live demonstartions at Rothe’s fine art school, Laguna College of Art and Design.
The initial visit to Paris May 2017, was created to be a workshop as well as a journey. The artists were not only able to study valuable art history, and paint en plein air around Paris, but engaged in fine art discussions each evening to discuss and debate art history, current artist trends, topics and to make plans for upcoming group exhibitions.The twelve AIP artists painted in Paris together and at the Grande Chaumière Atelier for a week as they filled their sketchbooks and minds with ideas, some new and some inspired by the past. Echoing the ‘salons’ of the past, the AIP artists engaged each day in lively evening discussions based on specific topics, like earlier creative groups had done, such as the Impressionists or Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s writing gatherings held in Paris bistros and bars years before. In addition to Rothes lectures on the relationship of literature to fine art and how they inspire one another, Sean Forester from the Golden Gate Atelier spoke on art and humanities and gave his notes on composition. Rothe also presented a slide show lecture on Atmostpheric Perspective and how it was used by the masters and artists of today.
In spring 2018 it was time to show the result of their experiences with some new and exciting paintings. Rothe curated and organized two bi-continental exhibitions at the foremost galleries for Realism in America and France. These showcased the AIP artists’ original works by inspired by their stay in France, from Paris nocturnes to Louis XIV interiors, from winged figures and florals by the masters to figures in the landscape and from the literature and group discussions held in Paris. The first of these exhibitions was held at Arcadia Contemporary in Los Angeles, CA, April 2018 and the second at Galerie Prince de L’Oeil in Paris, France, May 2018. Both were met with great success.
In 2019 The artists traveled again to Paris, some in small groups, some on their own and began to created new works inspried by what they have learned for their next show and AIP workshops. COVID hit and things were postponed 2 years.
In the Fall of 2021, Rothe proppsed the theme of Art Nouveau to the aritsts to paint and draw inspiration from one of the most beautiful genres of art to hit Paris and Europe in the 1880-1920’s. ART NOUVEAU. Inspired by Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, and Louis C Tiffany works are filled with Gold, petina green, flowers and more. They welcomed collectors to Laguna Beach and online to enjoy the spendors of this belle period in art history.
This year in 2022 Rothe formed a collaboration with Workhops in France travel company and created an American in Paris paint provence workshop that was open to the public, both to art students and patrons alike. Finally the teachings and solutions from the professional painters would be made public with demos, lecture and paint outs for the public. The workshop sold out. April 26th thru May 5th 2022 featured 5 of the AIP artists including Casey Childs, Michelle Dunaway and others who taught figure in the landscape, portrait, group composition and atmospheric perspective to 24 students. Rothe also lectured on French Impressionism and art history in the evenings and group discussions and paint outs took place.

In 2023 Americans in Paris will hold an exhibition at the Salmagundi Club Parlor with FASHION as its theme. Featuring works by 30 artists and presentations Michelle Dunaway, Aaron Westerberg, Rothe and other NYC artists as well as the core AIP group. Stay tuned for more!

History of the Americans in Paris Exhibitions and Events from 2015 to present:

2023 UPCOMING EXHIBITION

April 2023 in NEW YORK
Americans in Paris, Fashion NYC

APRIL 16th - 23rd, 2023 Plan your trip to the big apple to join us!
VRFA Gallery's Americans in Paris fine art project and painters group adopts one of the gallery's annual themes of FINE ART and FASHION as the AIP artists create works inspired by historical fashion icons, and contemporary fashion and design for SPRING of 2023.
30 top artists, 75 new works on 5th avenue in Manhattan, New York City.
From fur coats, to the iconic Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, the show opens in SPRING 2023 at the Salmagundi club NYC on 5th avenue and online from anywhere in the world. Cityscapes of New York and Paris will also be available in large scale and mini study versions.

Special lectures and demos
Thurday April 20th from 3-6pm Live demonstrations by award winning artist Michelle Dunaway (with possible second painter TBA)
Friday April 21st, 2023 Slideshow lecture on history of Fashion and Fine Art thru the ages 1900-2023 by curator, artist Vanessa Rothe, fol

Americans in Paris is Sponsored by American Art Collector Magazine, Rembrant Royal Talens, Raymar Panels, Workshops in France, Steven Stern Fine Art and more...

Americans in Paris workshop with
Workshops in France, 2022
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
APRIL 26th to May 5th, 2022
Open to the Public

VRFA's "AMERICANS IN PARIS" workshop and retreat in France, hosted by Workshops in France.
Watch the NEW PROMO VIDEO on the EVENTS page

2022-Spring April 26th to May 5th, 2021. VRFA Gallery's Americans in Paris teams up with Workshops in France for a Retreat in Provence at a Castle! Artists: Casey Childs, Michelle Dunaway, Aldo Balding, Olga Krimon, and Founder Vanessa Rothe teaching figure, portrait and landscape sessions with evening salons discussing art history and literature. AIP workshops are open to collectors and artists alike, a few spaces available. April 26th to May 5th 2022 www.workshopsinfrance.com

EXHIBITION 2021

2021 November
"AMERICANS IN PARIS" ART NOUVEAU
Fine Art Exhibition

November 12th, 2021 - January 12th 2022 at VRFA gallery
AMERICANS IN PARIS Upcoming Exhibition with new THEME of " ART NOUVEAU"
40 Artists 85 new works of art reviving the stunning genre of Art Nouveau

Please see our EVENTS page for more information on this great theme and 30 invited artists, lectures and MORE INFO on art nouveau and its celebration of nature and the arts.

ARTISTS N THEIR STUDIOS 2019-2020

2020 artists working in studio during covid

2019 Artists working on new paintings using what they learned in Paris, about group figure composition, new subjects inspired by the city of Paris, European travel, architecture and fashion.

EXHIBITION 2018

2018 MAY VRFA gallery's AIP Exhibition at ARCADIA CONTEMPORARY
1st of 2 Bi-Continental Exhibitions
Hosted by Arcadia Contemporary. Catalog Below.

americans-in-paris-2018-catalog-email.pdf
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EXHIBITION 2018

2018 VRFA gallery's AIP Exhibition 2 of 2 Bi-Continental Exhibitions.
Paris France Hosted by Galerie Prince de L'Oeil, May
+ Trip with collectors and artists painting live in Paris.

ARTICLE FINE ART CONNOISSEUR 2018
https://fineartconnoisseur.com

THE VOYAGE 2017

2017 VRFA gallery's AIP #1 Trip to Paris with 12 top American Fine Artists from America. Travel, painting and discussions all done together in France.

EXHIBITION and DEMOS 2016

2016 VRFA Gallery curated Exhibition, Lectures and Art Demonstrations by Americans in Paris group artists to raise funds at Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach. Gottlieb, Lipking, Sammons, Rothe, and Forester. More Press Articles below.

EXHIBITION 2015-2016
2015-2016 VRFA Gallery's Americans in Paris First Exhibition in NYC to raise funds, held at the Salmagundi Club Library. AKA. The Paris Seminar Lectures and Exhibition in New York curated by Rothe.

pariscollection2015.p3.pdf
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A Sampling of Press + Catalogs:

Write up on the Americans in Paris fine art project

As seen in MODERN LUXURY MAGAZINE
April 2016

Read article here to the right...

inside_track_patronage_finished_12-8-14.pdf
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3 page Article on American in Paris in
FINE ART CONNOISSEUR MAGAZINE April 2016

As seen in AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR MAGAZINE
Write up on the Paris Seminar for Americans in Paris
presented at LCAD- Laguna College of Art and Design, 2016

10 page article in ARTISTS ON ART online Magazine
by Rothe about the Americans in Paris

March 2017

To read article click on file included below

rothe_aoa_2017.pdf
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Southwest Art Magazine
write up about Ryan Brown and the Americans in Paris

Article in MODERN LUXURY MAGAZINE
About VRFA Gallery and the Americans in Paris project
Dec 2018

Sample works sold from our AIP Exhibitions-

Americans in Paris Art Project is proudly sponsored by Sennelier/Savoir Faire Art Supplies and RAYMAR fine art Panels
Cerno Revelite, and Workshops in France retreats and instructed workshops.

An important Thank you to our sponsors and supporters, we could not have done this without you all.

AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR and INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PUBLISHING

REMBRANDT
ROYAL TALENS

RAYMAR fine art PANELS

WORKSHOPS
in FRANCE