Gene Kloss

Gene Kloss, born Alice Geneva "Gene" Glasier, was an American painter and printmaker born in Oakland, California. She learned etching while attending the University of California at Berkeley. She would use it to capture the life and beauty of the American Southwest for the remainder of her life. Kloss was first introduced to the region during her honeymoon in 1925, after which she and her husband would spend every summer in Taos, New Mexico until they settled there permanently in 1945. 

Kloss was particularly attracted to the Pueblo communities, where she spent a great deal of time observing and learning from the people. Her delicate etchings capture the tribes in a gentle and thoughtful manner, depicting elements that ranged from simple day-to-day tasks to seldom observed, sacred ceremonies. It was her compassion and love not just for the people, but for the land they lived upon that made her welcome in many of the communities. 

Kloss was a member of numerous art organizations across the country, including the ?Society of American Etchers, California Society of Etchers, Philadelphia Watercolor Club and the Prairie Print Makers. Her work was shown in numerous one-artist exhibitions and can be found in many major institutions, including the Smithsonian, D.C.; Library of Congress, D.C.; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; San Francisco Art Museum, California; Oakland Museum, California; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe.