FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 26, 2011

PAPA President Frank LaLumia recently announced that Gerald Fritzler has been voted into Signature Membership in the Plein-Air Painters of America. “Jerry has exhibited with PAPA on five occasions, including on Catalina Island, at Lake Tahoe, and most recently in our 23rd exhibition and sale at The Haggin Museum,” LaLumia says, adding, “Jerry brings a lot to our group. He is a plein-air painter who has found his own voice in the art world—something rare in this day and age. His work will add a wonderful diversity to our shows, and his spirit blends nicely with the personality of our group.”

Mr. Fritzler, who is included on the PAPA website, lives in Mesa, Colorado, and brings PAPA’s Signature Membership to 31 artists. He was born in 1953 and raised in Chicago, where he attended the American Academy of Art and studied under Irving Shapiro and Bill Parks. In 2001, his paintings were the focus of a major retrospective at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts in Grand Junction. He has shown for more than two decades with the Western Rendezvous of Art, Helena, MT, and served as president of the Northwest Rendezvous Group.  His national affiliations include the American, National and Transparent watercolor societies. Regional affiliations include the Colorado Watercolor Society and Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society. He has been profiled in major art periodicals, including 1991 and 2001 features in Southwest Art and a 2004 feature in Watercolor Magazine.

“My watercolors are a ‘slice of my life.’ They are a very personal view of the world that I experience in my travels, both at home and abroad. Painting on location has helped me approach my watercolors in a spontaneous, colorful way, responding to every subject with emotion. Capturing the ever-changing quality of light is the greatest challenge and reward,” Fritzler noted. “I’m proud to join PAPA, a group whose members are recognized for excellence and expertise by other artists, the museum community, and discerning art collectors throughout the country.”

Mr. Fritzler is represented at Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO; Grapevine Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK, and Insight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX. His paintings are on view through January 22, 2012, in PAPA’s The Allure of Water exhibition at The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA.