Joseph (Joe) Rimini was an American painter associated with the Rockport and Cape Ann art colony in Massachusetts, known for impressionistic oil paintings of street scenes, cityscapes, harbor views, especially Gloucester Harbor, coastal landscapes, Rockport streets and houses, and figure studies and nudes. He was born in 1920 in East Boston to immigrant parents, along with his older brother John. Their father died when the boys were young, and they lived with their mother's family within the city limits throughout their teenage years. Their mother, Josephine, was an exceptional woman - warm, loving, impressionable - she operated a grocery/breakfast/lunch shop for many years, providing for the boys and all their needs. Joe was exempt from enlisting in the service due to a hearing problem. He attended Northeastern University studying engineering and began working at the General Electric plant in Lynn, Massachusetts, as a co-op student and continued working there until he was forty years old, when he decided to "retire". His mother had recently passed away, and being single with no responsibilities, Joe was able to pursue his musical and artistic careers.

Joe moved to Cape Ann, where he spent the next forty years enjoying life, studying art and music. Initially, he made his living with music, playing classical and electric guitar in different bands. His passion became art, and he studied and painted constantly, mostly on Cape Ann. Early in his art career, Joe won many ribbons for his portrait paintings. However, over time, he preferred to paint ocean scenes and landscapes. He was a member of the Rockport Art Association and a familiar figure in the local art community. He spent some time in Vermont painting landscapes and mountain scenes, Mount Mansfield in particular. Joe also travelled to New York regularly, where he studied and displayed his art in Greenwich Village. Over the years, Joe had become known for setting up his easel and painting the streets and marshes throughout the Cape Ann area, sometimes with his brother John. Joe had taught John to paint in the early 1960's. They had always been close, and Joe spent a lot of time visiting his sister-in-law and nieces throughout the years. Painting gave the brothers something special to share as they grew older.

He signed works “Rimini” or sometimes “Joe Rimini” and he is remembered locally as an enthusiastic, colorful presence in the Rockport art scene rather than a nationally prominent professional, yet his dedication and distinctive color experiments left a mark on those who knew him. He primarily worked in oil on canvas or board, and watercolors. With an approach of soft, luminous, impressionistic handling with bold, experimental color and heavy paint application that gives many works a textured, three-dimensional quality. Rimini studied with painters from the earlier generation that helped establish Rockport as an art colony. His work shows an interest in color theory: he often underpainted in unexpected or opposite colors, then layered the “correct” hues on top, used a broken or divisionist color, and built up thick impasto. Fellow artist Stapleton Kearns recalled Rimini’s enthusiasm, distinctive personality, and willingness to share color ideas with younger painters. Both Joe and John passed away in the year 2000, having lived happy and productive lives. Joe made many friends in his lifetime, and this was evident at a gathering at the Rockport Art Association held in his memory.