Tucson Plein Air Painters (TPAPS)
and Sonoran Plein Air Painters (SPAP}

In 1998, Gwen Dean met some Tucson painters at a Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) workshop. She then set up “Painting Days” for a few artists to meet and paint. By 2002, she and Jinou Naval had organized a Founder group, which eventually became the Board of Directors. On April 5, the group had been incorporated officially as the Tucson Plein Air Painters Society, Inc. (TPAPS).

While President, she worked with the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum to produce a show and have the “Tucson Seven” judge the show: Harley Brown, Duane Bryers, Don Crowley, Tom Hill, Bob Kuhn, Ken Riley and Howard Terpning, who Gwen called “perhaps the most famous of all living artists who work with Western American and traditional artistic imagery. “

Gwen concludes, “We do have members whose careers were launched through TPAPS which is rewarding to me personally.”

Original TPAPS Mission Statement

The mission of the TPAPS is to encourage and support artists who work primarily outdoors, directly from nature. They seek to raise public interest in plein air painting and offer a forum for established, young, and developing artists to continue and expand the traditions of working “en plein air.” 

Gwen Dean, who had studied with Sergei Bongart in California, had a vision for TPAPS: to become on par with the California Art Club. She says, “At one point, the CAC recognized us (TPAPS) as an elite organization.”

Original Founding Members
Mark Daniels
Gwen Dean
Robert Goldman
Chauncey Homer
Robert Kembel (deceased)
Jinou Naval
Brenda Semanick (deceased)
Connie West
Robert Wilson

Honorary Members
Ken Auster (deceased)
Ken Backhaus
Mary DeLoyht-Arendt (deceased)
Michael Gibbons (deceased)
Joan Marron LaRue
Kevin Macpherson
Wanda Macpherson
Chuck Mardosz
Camille Prezewodek (deceased)
Jean Perry
Peggy Kroll-Roberts
Ray Roberts
Jason Situ
Matt Smith
Phil Starke
George Strickland
Jove Wang

PAST PRESIDENTS, TPAPS

Jack Wahl, 2012-2015
Barbara Mullineaux, 2011-12
Janine Manemann, 2008-2010
Chris Rightmer, 2006-07
Roger Alderman, 2004-2006 (deceased) 
Jinou Naval 2003 (pro tem)
Gwen Dean, 2001-2002

TPAPS disbanded and reorganized as Sonoran Plein Air Painters in 2017.

PAST PRESIDENTS and CURRENT, SPAP

Greg Wallace, 2025-
Denyse Fenelon, 2020-2025
Janice Mackenzie, 2018-2020
Russ Recchion, 2016-2018