Kathy Jakobsen painted her memories of growing up in Deerborn Township, Michigan, but some of her strongest memories are views of New York, where she moved in 1978, and of patriotic images that express her strong love of country.
The daughter of an artist, Jakobsen was interested in art, and in the mid-1970s was executing fraktur (calligraphic watercolors). Robert Bishop, former director of the American Folk Art Museum, who was then associated with the Henry Ford Museum in Deerborn, Michigan, discovered Jakobsen. Bishop encouraged her to come to New York, which she did, and arranged gallery representation for her.
Jakobsen works in oils on canvas from photographed scenes. Her works present an optimistic life view. “I paint the way I would like it to be….” Of her 600 or more paintings, many were commissioned and numerous were sold in print editions. In 1991 Jakobsen had a twenty-five year retrospective at the Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her paintings are in the American Folk Art Museum, New York City, and the American Museum, Bath, England.
Prepared by Lee Kogan
Director Folk Art Institute
Curator of Special Projects for the Contemporary Center
10/21/05
