ROCKPORT — Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a gift of artwork by Maine Farmland Trust (MFT). The work, entitled Handel, is part of Joseph Fiore’s Rock series and hangs in the offices at the Bay Chamber Music School.The artwork was provided to MFT by the Falcon Foundation, a vehicle created by the estate of artist Joseph Fiore. During his lifetime, Fiore was a generous supporter of the Maine Farmland Trust.   

“We are so pleased to be able to provide this gift to Bay Chamber because they clearly share Joe Fiore’s love of nature, and works to instill this same appreciation in the next generation,” said Maine Farmland Trust’s Anna Abaldo in a press release. Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide membership organization that works to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance the future of farming.

Fiore was a contemporary of Lois Dodd and Alex Katz and a well-known avant-garde artist during the sixties. He divided his life between New York City and Jefferson, Maine. While Fiore is most known for his abstract compositions, his key inspiration was always the natural world, and this is where his heart lay.

During his lifetime, Joseph Fiore was an avid supporter of Maine Farmland Trust. Fiore’s family created a foundation after the artist passed, and due to the existing relationship with Maine Farmland Trust, the foundation gave a large collection of Fiore’s “Rock Paintings,” also known as the Geological Works, to Maine Farmland Trust. These works were to be re-distributed among organizations throughout Maine which appreciate Maine’s geology and natural environment. Bay Chamber was selected as one of the first recipients and took possession of this gift in the fall 2014.

For more information about Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School or to come visit and view the painting, please call (207)236-2823 or emailinfo@baychamberconcerts.org. The offices are located at 18 Central Street, Rockport.