Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Bass.
Hi Felicia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Felicia Bass, Photographer and Director of Operations at Don’t Miss A Beat, Inc.
Born in Jacksonville, I graduated from William M. Raines Senior High School, after which I headed to Maryland to attend College and play basketball while pursuing an undergrad in Business Administration. After graduation and while pursuing an MBA at the same time, I worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Specialist in Grants Management and Technology Transfer. My successful time at the NIH ended after eighteen years of service. I found myself in New York City for a few years working with artists and as a General Manager on Off-Broadway. Still, my love for Jacksonville and the youth arts organization I helped to start with my Godbrother Grammy-award-winning drummer, Ulysses Owens Jr, in 2008, pulled me back to Duval County in 2013. I’ve served as Director of Operations for Don’t Miss A Beat (DMAB) since 2014.
My time at Don’t Miss A Beat has helped catapult my photography career. At its inception, the organization had no archivist, and I stepped in to fill the role. Beginning with only the use of an iPhone and later with equipment secured via an in-kind gift. I have enthusiastically preserved the organization’s major milestones—from its journey to Paris, France, in 2014, its tour of New York City, and performance at The Juilliard School in 2017 to the opening of its first dance studio in 2020, various community events. I’ve made several gear upgrades since I started, but the mission has always remained steady: use my camera to archive joy.
As a student and a professional, I’ve taken a circuitous path to my first major exhibit, with extended stints in Maryland and Washington, D.C. My knack for angle, lighting, and subject turn moments into the eternal, forever serving as a source of inspiration. The debut of my exhibit, The Jazz Jam Photography Exhibit, took place in June at Wildcrafters Jacksonville, Florida’s first nonalcoholic bar. During the height of the pandemic, and as safety measures allowed, I took a series of photos of the Wildcrafters Jazz Jam, which took place on Sunday evenings during the summer of 2021 and was led by jazz drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. The Jazz Jam existed at the moment, as many musicians gathered there were unsure when they would have a chance to play live again. Express that immediacy and uncertainty about the future in their music and faces. I was there to capture those instances of pure enjoyment. My images from the Jazz Jam have appeared in RadX Magazine 2021. A selection of my pictures for DMAB has appeared in Arbus Magazine 2016.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Challenges and struggles are a part of life, and I have had my share. A few years after I arrived back in Jacksonville, my mom suffered two strokes in six months, with the second stroke being major. She spent four months at a rehab facility trying to rebuild her body and life. Seeing my mom so weak and unable to care for herself jolted my sister and me, but we were determined not to let her spend one day alone. We were her support every step of the way. My mom is healthy and thriving again. However, her life and my family’s life are so different now. The role of caregiver is one I don’t take lightly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am proud of my work and the journey that led me to this craft. When I initially started capturing photos, it was to fulfill an unmet need. It has been through self-direction and experiential learning that I have developed and honed my skills as a photographer. It’s been a beautiful journey to build relationships and diversify visual narratives through my work. It is truly something I never imagined. Now with a new studio in Riverside, my first exhibit under my belt, and a new photo book in the works, it’s exciting to explore new possibilities.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Life has a way of unfolding possibilities that you couldn’t even imagine. Allow yourself to be open to new possibilities.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.feliciarbass.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feliciarbass/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feliciarbass
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FeliciarBass
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHbl2TJ20Z30S85YafHpUXA
- Other: www.dontmissabeat.org
Image Credits
All images by Felicia Bass
