Margaret Jacobs (artist) facts for kids
Margaret E. Jacobs is a talented Native American artist. She is a member of the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe. Margaret is famous for her cool steel sculptures, shiny jewelry, and drawings. Her art is inspired by her Mohawk culture and her life growing up. She loves both natural things and man-made objects. Buildings in the United States also inspire her. They remind her of the brave Mohawk ironworkers. These workers left their homes to help build many big structures. Much of Margaret's art tells stories about Mohawk history and her family's heritage.
Meet Margaret E. Jacobs: Mohawk Artist
Margaret's Early Life and Learning
Margaret E. Jacobs was born on September 10, 1986. Her birthplace was Ogdensburg, New York. She is part of the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe. Her family loved to make things with their hands. Because of this, Margaret started creating art when she was very young. She went to Ogdensburg Free Academy and finished school there in 2004. After that, she studied at Dartmouth College. She earned her bachelor's degree in Visual Arts. She also won the school's Perspectives design award. Margaret gets ideas from the artist Sandy Skoglund.
Exploring Margaret's Artworks
"Steel Medicine": Art About Change
Steel Medicine was a special art show. It featured steel sculptures. The exhibition was open from June 8, 2019, to April 26, 2020. You could see it at the Boise Art Museum in Boise, Idaho. Margaret says this art talks about how people adapt. It also explores cultural identity.
"Old Growth Series": Nature and Stories
In 2019, Margaret designed the Old Growth series. This art uses ideas from medicinal plants. It also shows traditional Mohawk tools. These sculptures include parts from old Mohawk stories.
"Shedding Armor": A Turtle's Strength
Shedding Armor is a steel sculpture. It looks like a turtle shell. Margaret uses strong metals for this piece. This helps stop chips and scratches. She also uses a special coating. This gives the shell natural, raw colors.
Where Margaret's Art Has Been Shown
Solo Art Shows
- 2024 Botanic, Salem Art Works, NY
- 2024 Kinship, Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT
- 2019 Steel Medicine, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
- 2018 New York, Hirschey Family Gallery, Frederic Remington Art Museum
- 2016 Lost & Found, Scavenger Gallery, White River Jct, VT
- 2015 Fact and Fiction. Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT
Group Art Shows
- 2025-26 Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology, Autry Museum of the Southwest, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019 SWAIA, Santa Fe Railyard Park, NM
- 2018 Smithsonian NMAI Native Art Market, Washington, DC
- 2017 25th Annual Indian Market and Festival, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN
- 2016 SculptureFest 2016, Woodstock VT
- 2010 Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
- 2009 A Necessary Thaw, Perspectives on Design, Jaffe-Friede Gallery, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
- 2009 Chautauqua: A Continuum of Creativity, Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY
- 2009 NHAA College Show, Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
Awards and Special Recognitions
- 2024 Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship (RTAF)
- 2023 ICI (Independent Curators International) Curatorial Research Fellow
- 2023 UCROSS Artist Residency
- 2019 Innovate Grant, Spring Cycle
- 2019 Special Projects Grant, New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)
- 2019 First Peoples Fund, Artist in Business Leadership
- 2018 Rebecca Blunk Fund Award, New England Foundations for the Arts (NEFA)
- 2015 Native American Residency Fellowship
