ABOUT THE AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY

Four Florida artists founded the American Impressionist Society (AIS) in February 1998, in honor of their mentor, William J. (Bill) Schultz. The founders wanted to exhibit their artwork as an organized group and connect with other artists working in the style of Impressionism.

Thanks to the vision of Charlotte M. Dickinson of Vero Beach, Florida, along with Marjorie I. Bradley of Vero Beach, Florida, Pauline S. Ney of Long Boat Key, Florida, and William Schultz, AIS has grown to be one of the most respected national art organizations in the country, with over 2,000 members nationwide.

Membership is open to artists who are legal US residents and anyone who wishes to support American Impressionism and our mission. Our annual National Juried Exhibition, annual "Impressions Small Works Showcase", and our two Online Exhibitions are open to our current members. 

Our exhibitions are coordinated by our Executive Director, board members and volunteers.  We encourage our members to become involved and volunteer.  AIS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. We offer both artist memberships and supporting memberships. Contributions are welcome and are tax deductible.


Our Mission Statement

“To promote the appreciation of Impressionism through
exhibitions, workshops and other media.”


Video The History of AIS 
by foun
der Charlotte M. Dickinson


AIS is proud of its accomplishments from inception to the present day which include:

  • First group exhibition of works by seven AIS artists at the historic Lake Wales Arts Center, Florida, Jan. 7 - Feb. 15, 1999. (At an opening reception, Bill Schultz captivated the audience by demonstrating a pastel head study.)
  • First Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Holiday Inn Oceanside, Vero Beach Florida. Nov. 27 & 28, 1999.
  • 2nd Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Cincinnati Art Club, Cincinnati, Ohio. Aug. 25 - Sept. 3, 2000.
  • 3rd Annual Juried Members Exhibition - William Lester Gallery, Port Reyes Station, California. October 2001.
  • 4th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Morro Bay Art Association, San Luis Obispo, CA. October 2002.
  • 5th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Charlotte Flinn Gallery, Vero Beach Florida.  November 2003.
  • 6th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Nichols Taos Fine Art Gallery, Taos, New Mexico.  June 2005.
  • 7th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Rockport Center For the Arts, Rockport, TX. April 5th - May 6th, 2006.
  • 8th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Hilligoss Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. May 2007.
  • 9th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - The Coda Gallery, Palm Desert, CA. Nov. 22 - Dec. 21, 2008.
  • 10th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Saks Gallery, Denver, CO. Oct. 23 - Dec. 2, 2009.
  • 11th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Richland Fine Art, Nashville, TN. Oct. 7 to Nov. 3, 2010.
  • 12th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Mountainsong Galleries, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA. Oct. 15 to Nov. 15, 2011.
  • 13th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Eckert & Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, IN. Nov. 2012. (Included a Master Symposium at the Herron School of Art & Design, Indianapolis/Purdue University, Nov 9-11, 2012, with eight AIS Master Artists instructing.)
    • 14th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - M Gallery, Charleston, SC. Oct. 2013. 
    • 15th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. Oct. 2 - Nov. 1, 2014 
    • 16th Annual Juried Members Exhibition - Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ. Oct 1 - 29, 2015. 
    • 17th Annual National Juried Exhibition - Howard Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA. Sept. 29 - October 30, 2016.
    • Inaugural Small Works Juried Exhibition - Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa CA. March 11-25, 2017.
    • 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition - Montgomery Lee Fine Art, Park City UT, Sept. 28 - Oct. 29, 2017.
    • 2nd Annual AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase - Greenhouse Gallery, Cincinnati OH. March 2018
    • 19th Annual National Juried Exhibition - Guenzel Gallery, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek WI. Sept 27 - Oct. 28, 2018
    • 3rd Annual AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase - Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey MI, June 1 - Aug. 31, 2019
    • 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition - Salmagundi Club, NYC. Sept. 19 - Oct. 2, 2019
    • 4th Annual AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase - RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg TX, March 6 - April 4, 2020
    • AIS Online Exhibition September-November 2020
    • 21st Annual National Juried Exhibition - Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St George UT, October 22 - November 21, 2020
    • 5th Annual AIS Small Works Impressions Showcase-Reinert Fine Art, Charleston, SC April 1-April 30, 2021
    • AIS Associate Member Online Exhibition  April 30-June 30-, 2021
    • 22nd Annual National Juried Exhibition-Gallery 1516, Omaha, NE September 9-December 12, 2021

    The American Impressionist Society

    -Rooted in French Impressionism and Carrying on the Tradition Today

    In Paris, France, around the mid 1800’s, there had existed for many years a famous annual fine art exhibition originally held in the upper rooms of the Louvre Palace, entitled “The Salon des Beaux Arts” (Beaux Arts meaning Fine Art). The Salon was explicitly curated and was an arduously juried exhibition of works meeting the highest standards of realist academic quality. They were indeed hostile toward any bold new art and stood by their rigorous approval methods. Often as many as 3,000 works were denied entrance. In 1863, there were a great many works refused to the Salon and Napoleon, not wanting to upset the artists and voters as it was an election year, hence created the Salon de Refusés, for the refused works that did not meet the rigorous realist criteria to be shown together.

    It was here that the new works by artist Edouard Manet were shown depicting everyday scenes with the use of more lively visual brushwork. Instead of the usual iconic heroic, historical or mythical based themes, Manet’s works allowed the viewer into the scene themselves, paintings from daily life with characters that one could actually recognize.

    His bold work influenced many artists, in particular, Claude Monet who had begun painting landscapes. Following his friend Eugène Boudin painting live on the shores of the Normandy coast and later influenced by the Barbizon School’s landscapes in the country, Monet became one of the first Impressionist painters. Before this time, every day scenes and simple landscapes were not considered final works of art, suitable to exhibit or sell. “Impressionism” as it later became known was a brand new form of art. Born from this new subject matter and the use of more color, bold visible brushwork, and especially portraying the effects of light and atmosphere, Impressionism, at first looked down upon as unfinished works, became one of the most well known art genres of the art world.

    French Impressionism spread not only to other areas of the world such as Russia, but had a profound impact on some important Americans studying abroad in France. Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, James McNeil Whistler, Guy Rose and many more, all picked up influences from this new style of painting and began to incorporate its colors and effects into their works.

    Unlike the newspapers and buyers in Paris, American collectors seemed to be more open and accepting of this new style of work. One very important art dealer from the time, Mr. Durand Ruel, took this influence one step further by bringing over 300 Impressionist works by Eduard Monet, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Gustave Caillebotte, and more to New York in 1886 in an important exhibition that would reach and directly influence more American painters such as Childe Hassam and William Merit Chase.

    These early American Impressionists later formed groups such as The Ten, including Robert Reid, John H. Twachtman, Edmund Tarbell, Willard Metcalf, Whistler and Chase. They would funnel down the Impressionists techniques, colors and influence to the rest of America in their own schools and ateliers. Impressionism had spread from these first schools on the East coast all the way to the West by 1910 and lasted till about 1935 creating legendary California Impressionists artists such Edgar Payne, William Wendt and of course Guy Rose who had painted alongside Monet himself.

    The American Impressionist Society defines American Impressionism as “The concern for light on form, color, and brushstrokes. Allowing equal latitude between these attributes, and recognizing not a single definitive element, but several factors–including light and hue, visual breakdown of detail, concern for contemporary life, and cultivation of direct and spontaneous approaches to a subject.”

    AIS is very proud to have grown to be one of the most respected national art organizations in America. Rooted in this rich history, we aim to continue the tradition. AIS preserves the Impressionist values and endeavors to bring you new works from artists working in the tradition today each year in our annual exhibitions. We thank you for your continued support.

    Author: Vanessa Françoise Rothe, AIS

     

    Best of Show

    5th Annual AIS Small Works 

    Valerie Craig AIS   Now and Then Oil 10 x 12

    Best of Show

    21st Annual National Juried Exhibition

    Brent Jensen AIS Paris Houseboats Oil 24 x 36

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