Chagall historian Vivian R. Jacobson creates $500,000 endowment
UNC Pembroke students and faculty will now have the opportunity to explore art beyond
the classroom thanks to a generous gift from Vivian R. Jacobson to support art-related
travel.
Jacobson, an internationally recognized expert on 20th century artist Marc Chagall,
has traveled to art galleries and museums around the world, dedicating more than half
of her life to researching, studying and lecturing on Chagall’s artistic feats.
During a special ceremony on July 10, Jacobson joined UNCP Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings
on campus to announce the Vivian R. and Ralph Jacobson Art Travel Endowment.
“Dr. Jacobson’s passion and dedication to the arts have profoundly impacted UNC Pembroke,”
Cummings said. “This endowment will open doors for our students and faculty, allowing
them to experience art and culture in ways that were previously beyond their reach.
We are deeply grateful for her continued support and her investment in enriching the
educational journey of our students.”
The $500,000 endowment will provide funding for UNCP art students and faculty members
to travel domestically and internationally each year to pursue art-related study and
research. Multiple trips to different locations will be supported during the same
year, expanding the number of students and faculty who can participate.
“I want to provide art students and teachers with the same opportunities I had to
travel, do research and visit exhibitions,” Jacobson said. “Exhibitions feature some
of the world’s great works of art, so it’s important for the students to travel and
see these works in person. I am thrilled that these funds will be there in perpetuity
for art faculty and students at UNCP.”
The July 10 ceremony served as the official opening of The Vivian R. & Ralph Jacobson
Special Collections at UNCP’s Mary Livermore Library. Because of a generous donation
by Jacobson, the space was named in the couple’s honor in 2022, and recently underwent
a $1.7 million transformation. The Special Collections houses the university’s most
treasured documents, books, and archives.
Jacobson was joined by more than 120 friends, family and UNCP dignitaries to celebrate
the occasion, which included a special performance by concert pianist, conductor and
composer, Seth Weinstein. During her remarks, Jacobson paid a heartfelt tribute to
her late husband, Ralph, acknowledging his unwavering support and encouragement to
pursue her passion for art. She noted his investment in her dreams was a significant
motivation behind the endowed gift, aiming to continue his legacy and inspire others
through the same support she experienced.
Jacobson has devoted a significant portion of her life to the study, research and
preservation of Chagall’s work. In 1974, she co-founded the American Friends of Chagall’s
Biblical Message Museum in Nice, France, and served as president from 1978 to 1982.
Jacobson worked closely with Chagall for the last 11 years of his life and wrote Sharing
Chagall: A Memoir. She began lecturing on Chagall in 1978 and has presented in the
United States, Europe and Israel. Jacobson was a Chagall speaker for the North Carolina
Humanities Council from 2001 to 2020.
Over the course of 40 years, Jacobson gathered a significant collection of books,
catalogs, special letters, articles and media representing Chagall’s life and work.
The Jacobsons donated the Jacobson Chagall Art Research Collection to the university
in 2021. The collection is accessible to scholars, students and the public. Researchers
from around the world have accessed the collection and some have traveled to UNCP
to learn more about Chagall’s message of hope, peace, reconciliation and love.
The Jacobsons have been steadfast supporters of UNCP, establishing a scholars program
in 2016. Since then, Vivian Jacobson has remained active on campus. She has presented
several Chagall lectures, was a featured speaker at UNCP’s annual Women’s Empowerment
Summit and has accompanied numerous groups of UNCP students and faculty on international
trips dedicated to art research, including a trip in spring of 2024 to Madrid, Spain,
to study Chagall and visit some of the city’s top art museums. In December 2023, the
university awarded Jacobson an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
“Being immersed in Chagall’s art and other similar works was phenomenal,” said Monika
Czartoszewski, a studio art major with a concentration in drawing and digital art.
“There is such a difference between looking at an artist’s work on a screen and seeing
in person the paint as it has been moved. It’s not flat; there is texture, there are
lumps. It’s incredible to see.”
Czartoszewski, who traveled to Spain with UNCP in spring, said one of the biggest
highlights of her trip was the opportunity to learn from Jacobson.
“It’s so rare to meet someone who worked directly with a famous artist like she did,”
she said. “I learned so much from her about Chagall’s life and what influenced his
work. She is a remarkable woman!”
