Nov 27, 2018
An independent study
project at a local high school fueled Jennifer's passion for
photography. Frequent trips to protest and social justice meetings
in NYC with her older sister had her snapping photos of the likes
of Abbie Hoffman. A gifted musician, Jennifer put her camera down,
picked up the alto sax and flute and was playing alongside jazz
greats in NYC. While at Leonard Davis Center for Performing Arts,
Jennifer met her husband, also a musician. They moved out to Los
Angeles, initially staying with family. In this episode, Jennifer
describes they racism they faced as a mixed raced couple in search
of housing. Eventually, they had three children and Jennifer needed
to step away from the music career and rekindled her love of
photography. It was something creative she could still do while
raising the kids.
Sometime in the 1990's, while the kids were in
school, Jennifer, a single mom of three, took a day trip out to
Joshua Tree. She describes it as a spiritual awakening as she gazed
at the beauty and reveled in the silence. She continued to visit,
each time a little bit longer, staying at the 29 Palms Inn, among
other places. During an Art Tour weekend, Jennifer found herself in
Wonder Valley, eventually purchasing a cabin that would be her
go-to get-away from LA for nearly 12 years.
With
the kids out of school and on their own, Jennifer made the decision
to move to the desert full-time. Through the connections she made
during those 12 years as a part time resident, she is now very
involved in the hi-desert art scene, curating shows for the Morongo
Basin Cultural Arts Council, 'Art in Public Places' and the 29
Palms Inn. She is currently putting together a show called
'Deconstruct/Reconstruct' that will open in April 2019 at Gallery
62 in Joshua Tree.
Photo:
Jennifer Ruggiero - Self Portrait
Take a
look at some of Jennifer's work on her website or follow one or both
of her Instagram accounts: