Sam Bass, NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist, has been attending races since he was six years old.  While attending his very first race at Southside Speedway in Richmond, Va., Bass met NASCAR legend Bobby Allison.  This chance meeting influenced Bass to choose his career path of one day becoming a motorsports artist.  From early childhood, Bass’ passion for the excitement and color of racing fueled his desire to excel in a field that was not yet defined by any job description!

While still a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, Bass attended a race at Talladega and waited for hours in the Alabama heat at the garage gate to present an original painting to Bobby Allison.  The wait was worth it...Bass came away with three commissions.

After graduating from college in 1984, Bass started to write that job description, contact-by-contact, project-by-project, while maintaining a fulltime job with the U.S. government.  Nights, weekends and vacations were spent painting and traveling to races.

Bass’ motorsports art career was in high gear and within a few short years, it had grown to the point where Bass make the move from his home state of Virginia to Concord, N.C., to set up shop.  Being close to the NASCAR teams was important if Bass wanted to continue growing his profession.  By the mid-1990s, Bass was creating 50 original illustrations in a single race season and designing for NASCAR’s top teams.

By the late 1990s, Bass began to outgrow his first gallery, which was housed in a unique nostalgic building on the Charlotte Motor Speedway grounds.  He then took another major step in his career and decided it was time to showcase his artwork and racing collectibles in a public place.  The current Sam Bass Gallery opened its doors on Oct. 4, 2000.  It is convenient for corporate clients within the racing community, race fans visiting the region and is in close proximity to the teams with whom Bass works so closely.

Bass’ numerous original paintings and limited edition prints on display in the gallery document key moments in our sport, as seen through the artist’s eyes.  Also on display is a sizeable collection of sheet metal, driver uniforms and helmets that Bass has designed.  Cases are overflowing with examples of Bass’ work – whether it be his paint schemes on diecast replicas, sports collectible, track mascots, souvenir programs, or unique trophies.

Contact Sam Bass: sambass@legacytalentllc.com