Primarily a plein air landscape painter, Joe Baker 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, and Arizona. He teaches pastels at IS183, Art School of the Berkshires, in Stockbridge, MA (www.is183.org).

Joe designed, created and maintains the online art entry system ShowSubmit (www.showsubmit.com). He has retired from his 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 (www.mountainlaurelband.com). 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 active membership in: The Pastel Society of America (PSA), the Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS) [Signature member], and the Housatonic Valley Art League (HVAL).

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

Selected Awards:
  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
  Oct 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
  Aug 2007: HVAL Member Show; 3rd Prize
  Aug 2006: HVAL Member Show; Honorable Mention
  Sep 2005: KAA Fall Show; John T. Mott Award for Marine Painting
  Aug 2005: HVAL Member Show; 3rd Prize
  July 2005 HVAL Juried Summer Show; 3rd Prize.

Selected Shows and Exhibitions:
   2017: Academic Artists Association, 67th Annual National Exhibition, Vernon, CT
   2017: CPS Member Show, Southington, CT
   2016: CPS Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, Norwich, CT
   2016: Pastel Society of America 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
Publications:
   Sanctuary, The Journal of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Nov/Dec 1996.