‘Jazz’ to benefit Assurance Home
Ryan Stark, Record Staff Writer
Roswell Daily Record

If you have been to the Roswell Convention and Civic Center recently, you may have noticed one very hip horse who has taken up residence in the lobby.

“Jazz on a Hot Tin Roof,” or Jazz, as he is being called, is part of the Trail of Painted Ponies project.He has been put at the Civic Center by the Assurance Home for Children of New Mexico.The Assurance Home, which has been trying unsuccessfully to auction off the artful horse to benefit its work, is a private, nonprofit organization that assists abused and neglected children by bringing them into a safe, homelike environment.

In their 23 years of operation, the Assurance Home has helped more than 1000 at-risk children.The Trail of Painted Ponies project was begun by HorsePower, which conceived the project as a way to help nonprofit organizations such as Assurance Home to raise money by auctioning off the art.Jazz was created by internationally renowned artist and current Roswell resident Kim Wiggins.

“I, of course, was very excited,” said Wiggins on the opportunity to create Jazz for Assurance Home.Before being tapped to create Jazz, Wiggins had been commissioned for projects such as a mural at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, home of the NBA’s Clippers and Lakers, and the NHL’s Kings.

Assurance Home Executive Director Ron Malone said, “We were excited about the possibility (of having a painted pony), especially if we could locate a superb artist.”Finding sponsors to cover the $5,000 cost of the pony mold was the next step.

That was when John and Nolana Bassett of Roswell stepped up to provide the money.“We just thought it would be a great way to help raise some much-needed funds for Assurance Home,” said Nolana Bassett, who sits on the home’s board of directors.As Wiggins was in the process of creating Jazz, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington occurred.

To honor the fallen of that day, Wiggins painted the New York skyline, complete with the twin towers of the World Trade Center and a sunrise behind them.

The other side of the horse features a northern New Mexico landscape.With the New York tie, Wiggins said one place he would like to see Jazz go is a proposed World Trade Center memorial. But he added, “It would work great in a corporate collection or it could go in a private collection in a home.”

The artist’s priority, however, is to see the financial benefit Assurance Home would receive from Jazz finally finding a home.Malone said the Assurance Home is hoping to receive $85,000 or more for the horse in an auction.

The groovy horse has been well-travelled, having been displayed in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Dallas over the past year.During its run at the Albuquerque International Sunport, displayed alongside other ponies, Jazz was voted by those attending as the favorite piece of the exhibition.

Wiggins added that creating Jazz was partly a collaborative effort, with residents at Assurance Home creating the dancing mice and cats with which Jazz is seen.“I want them to be really blessed and for (Jazz) to be something that can help Assurance Home,” Wiggins said.

But not all is well for Jazz and his admirers.“The auction never happened,” said Malone, also saying that the nation’s economic downturn over the last year has made it difficult for many a philanthropic effort.

Jazz, as well as many other of his as-yet-unadopted painted pony cousins, will be on display at the Chile-Cheese and Quilt Festival at the Civic Center this weekend.For more information on Jazz or the work done by the Assurance Home, call Ron Malone at 624-1780.