Margaret E. Jacobs is a Native American artist and member of the

Akwesasne Mohawk The Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne ( ; french: Nation Mohawk à Akwesasne; moh, Ahkwesáhsne) is a Mohawk Nation (''Kanienʼkehá:ka'') territory that straddles the intersection of international (United States and Canada) borders and provincial (Ont ...

tribe, known for her steel sculptures, powdercoated jewelry, and drawings. She draws inspiration from her culture and upbringing. She values natural and synthetic objects and is inspired by buildings in the United States; they are a reminder of Mohawk ironworkers who left their tribes and communities to help build structures. Most of Jacobs' work has been based on the history of the Mohawks, her cultural heritage, and stories.

Early life and education

Margaret E. Jacobs was born into the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe on September 10, 1986, in

Ogdensburg, New York Ogdensburg ( moh, Kaniatarahòn:tsi) is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 10,436 at the 2019 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and de ...

. Her family was "hands on" and she began to make things at an early age. She attended the

Ogdensburg Free Academy Ogdensburg Free Academy is a public high school in Ogdensburg, New York. It consists of around 750 or more students in the 7th through 12th grade. The famous Golden Dome is located on State Street and attracts residents from across the North Coun ...

, from which she graduated in 2004. She then attended

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

, where she received her bachelor's degree in Visual Arts and received the school's Perspectives design award. Jacobs is inspired by the artist

Sandy Skoglund Sandy Skoglund (born September 11, 1946) is an American photographer and installation artist. Skoglund creates surrealist images by building elaborate sets or tableaux, furnishing them with carefully selected colored furniture and other objects, ...

Artworks

''Steel Medicine''

''Steel Medicine'' was an exhibition of steel sculptures on display from June 8, 2019, to April 26, 2020, in the

Boise Art Museum The Boise Art Museum (BAM) is located at 670 Julia Davis Drive in Boise, Idaho, and is part of a series of public museums and cultural attractions in Julia Davis Park. It is the permanent home of a growing collection of contemporary realism, moder ...

, in Boise Idaho. Jacobs mentions it speaks on adaptation and cultural identity.

''Old Growth Series 2019''

In 2019 Jacobs had designed the ''Old Growth series.'' It references medicinal plants and Mohawk tools. These sculptures contain elements from traditional Mohawk stories.

''Shedding Armor''

A steel sculpture resembling a turtle shell. Jacobs' use of base metals to prevent chips and scratches and the use of powder coating to provide raw natural colors to the shell.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

* 2024 Botanic, Salem Art Works, NY * 2024 Kinship, Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT * 2015 Fact and Fiction. Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT * 2016 Lost & Found, Scavenger Gallery, White River Jct, VT * 2018 New York, Hirschey Family Gallery, Frederic Remington Art Museum * 2019 Steel Medicine,

, Boise, ID

Group exhibitions

* 2009 NHAA College Show, Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH * 2009 Chautauqua: A Continuum of Creativity, Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY * 2009 A Necessary Thaw, Perspectives on Design, Jaffe-Friede Gallery, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH * 2010 Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT * 2016 SculptureFest 2016, Woodstock VT * 2017 25th Annual Indian Market and Festival, Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN * 2018 Smithsonian NMAI Native Art Market, Washington, DC * 2019 SWAIA, Santa Fe Railyard Park, NM

Honors and awards

*2024 Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship (RTAF), New York State Council on the Arts and the Arts Council for Wyoming County *2023 ICI (Independent Curators International) Curatorial Research Fellow, New York, NY *2023 UCROSS Artist Residency, Clearmont, WY * 2018 Rebecca Blunk Fund Award, New England Foundations for the Arts (NEFA) * 2019 First Peoples Fund, Artist in Business Leadership * 2019 Special Projects Grant, New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) * 2019 Innovate Grant, Spring Cycle * 2015 Native American Residency Fellowship

Publications

Jacobs' artwork is included in multiple outlets including

Society of North American Goldsmiths Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) is an organization of jewelers and metal artists in North America. It is located in Eugene, Oregon. Foundation The Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) was founded in Chicago in 1969. It was f ...

's Jewelry and Metals Survey and ''Rare Luxury Living''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Margaret Akwesasne American Mohawk people Dartmouth College alumni 1963 births Living people 20th-century Native American women 20th-century American women sculptors 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century Native American artists 21st-century Native American women 21st-century American women sculptors 21st-century Native American artists 21st-century American sculptors Native American women artists