The idea for Americans in Paris (AIP) is the brainchild of Vanessa Rothe. It began with a purpose to inspire contemporary American artists to travel to Paris and discover exciting ideas for their works of art in a place where historically so many important artists had found inspiration and formed connections. Following in the footsteps of 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 would attend museums, examine the masters, absorb the culture, share ideas and paint together with the goal of reaching the next level of mastery in their work.

To raise capital for the trip, Rothe curated an exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York in the spring of 2016, where twelve invited American artists sold work and were able to fund their travel. The initial visit to Paris was created as a workshop, May 2017, organized by Rothe where the artists were able to study valuable art history. In addition, Sean Forester from the Golden Gate Atelier spoke on the humanities and gave his notes on group composition.

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 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 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.  

The journey continues. Americans in Paris joins up with Workshops in France to present to you an exciting workshop opportunity and unique art experience both in the iconic city of Paris and afterwards on a traditional château estate just outside of Paris, France, April 23 – May 3, 2024. The trip includes art instruction with four of the Americans in Paris artists and re-creating for you, much of what was shared and learned that week in Paris 2017. You are now invited to be a part of an unforgettable experience that will continue to inspire the artist and art lover alike.

In the early 1990’s, Mundy  sought a different approach to painting and took on the challenge of painting in a more impressionistic style, going out of doors and painting “en plein air” and “from life”.  He studied with Dan Gerhartz and Scott Christensen in 1994, and with their encouragement and teaching, Mundy moved away from the restrictions of illustrative art to a looser brush style and freer expression in Impressionism. This painting style led Mundy to a series of European Plein Air painting trips, beginning with a trip to France in 1995 and continuing up through the present. With each trip and collection of paintings, Mundy produced a brochure and a documentary video, which was given to collectors who purchased the work.