A true artist creates what they feel for others to see; and a true empath cares that others feel successful at art. Ardis Jacobson embodies these qualities with a lifetime of accomplishment in art and teaching. In her house she still has a gorgeous collection of her artwork but it is only a fraction of what was a home full of color. Currently at the Taube Museum in Minot, Ardis has, on display, a vibrant and varied collection of 34 of her favorite works for everyone to see and purchase. Her style is as varied as her life has been, from traditional pencil portraits and oil on canvas to wet toilet paper paintings, magazine cutting collages and a famous painters chair covered in revisits of famous artworks.
At the Taube some of her favorite pieces are the “Chickadee in Blue” and her lovely dished tomato, accentuating the artist's ability to create reflection, but there are many more to see there. The Taube museum is celebrating the opening of the Dr. Andrea E.Donovan Library on January 26th from 5-7 pm and this would be the perfect opportunity to pop over to Ardis Jacobson’s gallery and take home your own artistic Williston keepsake reflecting a life of talent and grace. The collection will be on display January and February, Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 AM until 5:30 PM and 4:00 PM on Saturday.
This talent hasn’t only been used to serve herself. Through the years, Ardis has donated hours of her time and effort to making our shows and musicals glitter and shine. Stage set pieces and costumes, Ardis quickly became the go to lady for anything to make the show look and feel like it should. Her quick thinking and creativity has come in handy for many last minute costume snafus and her sewing skills have made plays look like the Theater in the Round.
Donating time and money to good causes is very important to Ardis. She passionately speaks of her belief in Bras for a Cause and has helped at shows to raise money. One piece was a game board themed bra from an auction in New Mexico where her bra took the highest bid. The game pieces read “Take Time to Self Exam”, something often overlooked in the fight against breast cancer.
At 89 years old and a former active member of the Williston Area Visual Artists, Ardis enjoys being challenged to think outside her creative box seen here in this drawing entitled “Soulless but Beautiful”. This simple yet stunning portrait of a numbered nosferatu-like creature truly captures how versatile and beautifully explosive Ardis’s real talent can be with even the slightest push to think in a new way. This show may be the art taken off the walls of her loving home, made with care and precision and yes, a lot of fun, but this is clearly not the last art we’ll be seeing from her. Art, after all, makes us immortal in the homes of those who appreciate it and creating it is half the fun. Williston Area Visual Artists are always talking to new people and inviting newcomers to the art world to sample a class and see what sticks to the wall. Ardis highly recommends that you join the group or take a class and see where the art world can take you.