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Scattered thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. High 71F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
A widely scattered shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Then cloudy skies overnight. Low 48F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Jenna Bass' journey back to her ancestral homelands has not been one devoid of trial and tribulation.
Bass grew up under the guidance of her father, Rio Rancho sculptor Allan Bass.
Today, her father is not only her mentor but an advisor as she navigates Taos’ art community.
Jenna Bass' journey back to her ancestral homelands has not been one devoid of trial and tribulation.
Bass grew up under the guidance of her father, Rio Rancho sculptor Allan Bass.
Today, her father is not only her mentor but an advisor as she navigates Taos’ art community.
Jenna Bass once heard it said, “You go to New York City to get rich, you go to L.A. to become famous, you come to Taos to be yourself.”
Though she has been visiting Taos and Taos Pueblo since she was born, the Rio Rancho raised artist regards this valley as home. Upon taking permanent residence here, Bass immediately immersed herself into the fabric of Taos life. Her journey home was not an overnight decision and, like many Taoseños, was the answer to a calling from deep within.
Bass is a self-taught artist who specializes in acrylic and watercolor mediums, but is by no means a novice to the craft. She grew up under the guidance of her father, Rio Rancho sculptor Allan Bass.
“My dad had a studio, a workshop, where we would spend all night. I’d be drawing on the walls while he was sculpting. Eventually, I went on to draw things he would sculpt for shows,” she said. Today, her father is not only her mentor but an advisor as she navigates Taos’s art community.
The artist's journey hasn’t been all creativity and inspiration. She had her son at an early age, which thrust her into the working class. She took to the tech sector to make ends meet. Working computer job after computer job, Bass eventually ended up working for Human Services, a position that the artist could only describe as “soul sucking.”
She first moved to Taos in January of 2019, taking on a role as a career development specialist with the local TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] program and residing at Taos Pueblo. The artist quickly found that work in human services was not the Taos experience her heart craved.
Likewise, she did not want her art to become a job in itself, which again, would suck the soul from the artist’s passion.
“I wanted to set things up in a particular way where I wasn’t worried about the business side of things, because if I was worried about making money there would be too much pressure and it would suck the joy out of it. So I got a part time job,” said Bass.
This minimalist approach to the business side of her artwork was inspired by the people of Taos.
“I don’t need a lot and there are people in Taos like that, that I really look up to in that way. My second painting here was one entitled 'Don’t Need Much' and was inspired by a guy named Jim, who doesn’t need much but is one of the happiest people I know,” she said.
Meeting people from all walks of life is a regular thing on Taos Plaza and also one of the reasons Jenna Bass has her artwork on display there.
“I love meeting the people coming through Taos because even on my worst days they remind me of what a beautiful place I live in,” said Bass. The other reason is the people of the plaza themselves.
“People around here really want to know how you’re doing. They say hello. You go to the coffee shop and overhear people talking about the universe and about really meaningful stuff, that’s what made me fall in love with Taos,” said Bass. It’s all about authenticity in our little desert mountain town and her realness helps her fit right in.
Jenna Bass' journey back to her ancestral homelands has not been one devoid of trial and tribulation. The hardships she has had to endure have brought her to her calling, a calling from home that now has her feeling steady on the sacred ground beneath.
Bass understands substances that alter perception never allow one to really connect with the world and people and experiences around them. It was upon severing ties to such things like alcohol that she was able to finally embrace her true self.
“Being able to connect with people on a raw level without all this substance controlling the way connections are made, I feel, opens up, for me, a way to get to know humanity in such a different way,” said Bass.
And after spending the last three and a half years getting to know Taos, what is Jenna Bass’s take on Taos? “What’s so precious to me about Taos is that everybody is supporting each other.”
She threw herself into the service of Taos’s less fortunate upon her arrival, and now through her artwork is painting Taos in a brand new light — through the eyes of one who has the roots to grow strong within our well-blended community and the appreciation of one unaccustomed to the timeless beauty of our surroundings — it’s villages, and their people.
“The people of Taos that are so unapologetically themselves, it’s made me unapologetically be myself and really fall into who I am. That’s what has made me fall in love with Taos. I've been looking for that my whole life,” said Bass.
Jenna Bass' work can be seen and purchased at The Charles Collins Gallery, Casa Benavidez, The Hotel La Fonda and the Harwood Museum Gift Shop. You can also check out her website jennabassfineart.com, where you can also commission one of Jenna’s exquisite portraits or, the Tempo favorite, personalized etched aspens.
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