ROCKPORT - Maine Coast Heritage Trust will host the 15th annual Aldermere Farm Art Show and Sale Saturday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the historic Aldermere farmhouse at 20 Russell Ave. The show features work by local artists who capture the beauty of Maine’s coastal lands through original paintings and prints of coastal and pastoral vistas, Aldermere Farm and its world-renowned Belted Galloway cattle. There also will be Aldermere beef and Beltie-themed items for sale. Funds raised from the sales help support the many agricultural programs at Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields Preserve.

The theme of the art show honors the coastal landscapes and islands that Maine Coast Heritage Trust has worked to preserve since 1970. MCHT has preserved Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields as working farms in Rockport that produce fresh local food for the community; offer many agriculturally related programs and events; and help visitors gain a better appreciation for land conservation and sustainable agriculture.

This year's show will feature three original oil paintings by George Van Hook, an artist from Philadelphia nationally known for his impressionistic, en plein art works. All proceeds from the sales of these three paintings will benefit MCHT’s agricultural programs in Rockport. George and his wife, Sue Van Hook, have a history with Aldermere Farm going back over 30 years. In the early 1980s, while Sue was MCHT’s director of land conservation and stewardship, she helped Aldermere owners Albert Chatfield Jr. and Marion Chatfield establish easements to protect their property. The Chatfields invited George to use a small artist's studio on the farm’s property; since then, George has periodically returned to the farm for artistic inspiration.

To learn more about the art show, as well as the other year-round educational and recreational activities at both Aldermere and Erickson Fields Preserve, visit aldermere.org or call 207-236-2739.