Plein-Air Painters of America
Frank LaLumia, President
Frank LaLumia
Distinction: Plein-Air Painters of America was at the vanguard of the enduring plein-air trend that has swept the country.
What are you proudest of about the PAPA organization? I am proud that we as members were out there painting on location before plein-air painting became a movement. We were just going outdoors, facing the difficulties head-on, trying to find our own voice and learn something about art and life. It was a way of life.
How do you think PAPA members want the organization to be remembered? I think they would like the organization to be remembered for the way things were and for the way things are now. We hope that Denise Burns is remembered; Denise started the group out of her love of plein-air painting. We hope that Kevin Macpherson is remembered; he focused the group and put it on its current path. And we hope that our extraordinary artists are remembered.
Describe the organization in one word. Erudite.
How do you think PAPA has contributed to appreciation for traditional art in the West over the years? Imitation is the highest form of flattery. As the original plein-air group, we can’t claim all the credit of greater appreciation for traditional art, but we’re doing our part.
Featured in “40 Prominent People” in May 2011.