Primarily a plein air landscape painter, Joe Baker PSA, CPS works in oils and pastels with occasional pieces in watercolors, acrylics, conte, charcoal and sculpture. Recent paintings exhibited include subjects from the Berkshires and other sections of New England, the Adirondacks, and travels to Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona. He taught pastel classes at IS183, Art School of the Berkshires, in Stockbridge, MA (www.is183.org) from 2013 through 2021.

Joe Baker, fall 2008Joe designed and created the online art entry system ShowSubmit (www.showsubmit.com). He has retired from this and other computer programming work of custom software and websites. Prior to that career, he was for many years an instrument-maker. His violins, violas da gamba, and Hardanger fiddles are owned and played by musicians on three continents, as well as being included in university and museum collections. Joe is also a musician, playing guitar and calling dances in the longstanding contradance band Mountain Laurel. He has a BA in biology from Princeton University and worked for five years as a cowboy in Wyoming before moving to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts in 1974.

Joe Baker has earned membership in the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), is a Signature member of The Pastel Society of America (PSA) and the Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS), and was an active member in the former Housatonic Valley Art League (HVAL). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of IAPS where he is Treasurer and IT Chair.

Teachers: Joan Griswold (oil studio); classes & workshops with others including Frank Federico, Dennis Sheehan, Richard McKinley, Larry Zingale.

Selected Shows and Exhibitions:
   2023: IAPS 43rd Juried Exhibition, online at www.iapspastel.org
   2022: IAPS 40th Juried Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM
   2021: Pastel Society of America 49th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2020: Connecticut Pastel Society Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Norwich, CT
   2020: Pastel Society of America 48th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2020: IAPS 36th Juried Exhibition, Dunedin, FL
   2019: Connecticut Pastel Society Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Norwich, CT
   2019: Pastel Society of America 47th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2019: Adirondack Pastel Society Annual National Exhibition, Glens Falls, NY
   2019: IAPS 34th Juried Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM
   2019: Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
   2018: Connecticut Pastel Society Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Stamford, CT
   2018: Pastel Society of America 46th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2017-21: CPS Member Show, Southington, CT
   2017-21: HVAL Summer & Member Shows, Great Barrington, MA
   2017: Pastel Society of America 45th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2017: CPS Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Vernon, CT
   2017: Pastel Society of New Hampshire National Exhibition, Portsmouth, NH
   2017: Academic Artists Association, 67th Annual National Exhibition, Vernon, CT
   2016: CPS Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Norwich, CT
   2016: Pastel Society of America 44th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY
   2016: Solo Show "Moments", Sandisfield Arts Center, Sandisfield, MA
   2016: Pastel Show (5 person) "Capturing Color", Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY
   2014: Solo Show "In our World", Whitney Center for the Arts, Pittsfield, MA
   2014-15: CPS Pastel Purely Pastel Show, Old Lyme, CT
   2013: Solo Show "Chasing Light", Sandisfield Arts Center, Sandisfield, MA
   2013: CPS Renaissance in Pastel Show, Norwich, CT
   2013: CPS Purely Pastel Show, East Hartford, CT
   2012-13: Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, VIEW, Old Forge, NY
   2012: CPS Signature Member Show, Old Lyme, CT
   2011: CPS Signature Member Show, East Hartford, CT
   2011: Solo Show "Recent Paintings", Knox Gallery, Monterey, MA
   2010: CPS Signature Member Show, Old Lyme, CT
   2010-11: Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, "For Pastels Only", S. Yarmouth, MA
   2009-12: CPS Renaissance in Pastel Show, Waterbury, CT
   2009: Solo Show "Close to Home", Sandisfield Arts Center, Sandisfield, MA
   2008-16: CPS Member Shows, Meriden, CT
   2006-10: KAA Members, Spring, President's & EAI Shows, Kent, CT
   2006-15: HVAL Summer & Member Shows, Sheffield, MA

Selected Awards:
   October 2023: IAPS 43rd Juried Exhibition; Award of Merit
  March 2021: CPS Member Show; UART Pastel Paper Award
  November 2020: HVAL End-of-Year Member Show; Honorable Mention
  October 2020: CPS Renaissance in Pastel National Show; Richeson Award
  March 2018: CPS Member Show; UART Pastel Paper Award
  October 2017: PSNH National Exhibition; Guerrilla Painter/Pastel Journal Award
  March 2017: CPS Member Show; UART Pastel Paper Award
  March 2016: CPS Member Show; Wholesale Frames Award
  June 2013: CPS Purely Pastel Show; Silver Award of Excellence
  March 2013: CPS Member Show; Dakota Art Pastels Award
  October 2011: PPSCC FPO National Exhibition; My Art Tutor Award
  March 2011: CPS Member Show; Rembrandt Pastel Award
  Aug 2010: HVAL Member Show; Award of Excellence
  July 2010: HVAL Juried Show; Honorable Mention
  Jan 2009: CPS Member Show; Diane Townsend Pastel Award

Publications:
   Sanctuary, The Journal of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Nov/Dec 1996.