Martha Jackson Jarvis (born 1952) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

artist known for her

mixed-media In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed. Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art inc ...

installations that explore aspects of African, African American, and Native American spirituality, ecological concerns, and the role of women in preserving indigenous cultures. Her installations are composed using a variety of natural materials including

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

, sand, copper, recycled stone, glass, wood, and coal. Her sculptures and installations are often site-specific, designed to interact with their surroundings and create a sense of place. Her works often focus on the history and culture of African Americans in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. In her exhibition at the Corcoran, Jarvis featured over 100 big collard green leaves, numerous

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

, and a live Potomac

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

. Among other awards, Jackson Jarvis has received a

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

Fellowship and has been inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Martha Jackson Jarvis was born in 1952 in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner and Abolitionism, abolitionist John Lynch (1740–1820), J ...

, and engaged with the arts from an early age. During her early childhood in the 1950s and 1960s, Jackson Jarvis lived in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, an experience she describes as "very segregated". Jackson Jarvis credits her interest in art to a childhood experience of accompanying her grandmother to a local spring to gather white clay and later making dolls and other objects with the material.Farris, Phoebe. ''Women Artists of Color: A Bio-critical Sourcebook to 20th Century Artists in the Americas''. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999. Print. The family moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

when Jackson Jarvis was thirteen. Jackson Jarvis pursued a formal education in fine arts. Jackson Jarvis obtained a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

degree from

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

in 1974 and later completed a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

degree from the

Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, it is regarded as one of ...

in 1984. Her first year at

in 1970 was very influential due to the active presence of artists including

Lois Mailou Jones Lois Mailou Jones (1905–1998) was an artist and Teacher, educator. Her work can be found in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the ...

, Ed Love, Jeff Donaldson, and

Elizabeth Catlett Elizabeth Catlett, born as Alice Elizabeth Catlett, also known as Elizabeth Catlett Mora (April 15, 1915 – April 2, 2012) was an American and Mexican sculptor and graphic artist best known for her depictions of the Black-American experience i ...

. Jackson Jarvis transferred to Temple University's

Tyler School of Art The Tyler School of Art and Architecture is part of Temple University, a large, urban, public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Tyler currently enrolls about 1,350 undergraduate students and about 200 graduate st ...

in Philadelphia to study

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

. Jackson married Bernard Jarvis, the cousin of Bebe Moore Campbell. While her children Njena and Bernard Jr. were young, Jackson Jarvis continued her studio work.

Career and artistic style

Jackson Jarvis is best known for her outdoor public installations, including a mosaic, "River Spirits of the Anacostia", located at the Anacostia Metro station in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and sculptures, "Music of the Spheres, at Fannie Mae Plaza in Washington, D.C., and "Crossroads/Trickster I," at the

North Carolina Museum of Art The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is an art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It opened in 1956 as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding. Since the initial 1947 appropriation that ...

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

. Jackson Jarvis also worked as a designer on the set of

Julie Dash Julie Ethel Dash (born October 22, 1952) is an American filmmaker, music video and commercial director, author, and website producer. Dash received her Master of Fine Arts, MFA in 1985 at the UCLA Film School and is one of the graduates and filmm ...

's 1991 film, ''

Daughters of the Dust ''Daughters of the Dust'' is a 1991 independent drama film written, directed, and produced by Julie Dash. It is the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to receive a theatrical release in the United States.Michel, Martin (No ...

''. Jackson Jarvis is well-known for her work "Signs of the Times," which is a series of sculptures on a large scale that examine the history and culture of the African American community. Another significant work by the artist is the "Ancestors' Bones: Free Spirits" series, which consists of large-scale drawings that depict the relationship between nature and the human spirit through improvisational imprints of brush strokes and drips. This work serves as a meaningful tribute to the rich heritage of the community, and it has been displayed in numerous galleries and museums worldwide, such as the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

, the

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corco ...

, and the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...

. Jackson Jarvis's artwork can be observed in several public places throughout

, including metro stations, courthouses, and the upcoming 11th Street Bridge Park. For instance, Jackson Jarvis produced the mosaic mural " River Spirits of the Anacostia" for the Anacostia metro station. Additionally, Jackson Jarvis and her daughter Njena Surae Jarvis created the "Anacostia's Sunrise/Sunset Portals" sculpture for the 11th Street Bridge Park, which is made of aluminum steel and glass mosaic and features 11 multi-colored arches that respond to the surroundings and replicate the color scheme of a sunrise or sunset. The "Contemporary Visual Expressions" was an exhibition at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum showcasing works by artists:

Sam Gilliam Sam Gilliam ( ; November 30, 1933 – June 25, 2022) was an American abstract Painting, painter, Sculpture, sculptor, and Visual arts education, arts educator. Born in Mississippi, and raised in Kentucky, Gilliam spent his entire adult life in ...

, Martha Jackson Jarvis,

Keith Morrison Keith Morrison (born July 2, 1947) is a Canadian broadcast journalist. Since 1995, he has been a correspondent for ''Dateline NBC''. Career Beginning his career in the 1960s, Morrison was a reporter and anchor at local stations in Saskatchew ...

, and William T. Williams. The exhibit demonstrated the new gallery's versatility and included an installation created by artist and art historian

David Driskell David C. Driskell (June 7, 1931 – April 1, 2020) was an American artist, scholar and curator recognized for his work in establishing African-American Art as a distinct field of study. In his lifetime, Driskell was cited as one of the world's ...

, who also served as guest curator for the show. The exhibit's highlight was Jackson-Jarvis' "Path of the Avatar", a pinwheel structure that adds energy to the space. In addition to her artistic contributions, Jackson Jarvis has been an educator and mentor. Jackson Jarvis has taught at Howard University and the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her contributions to education and mentorship have earned her recognition, such as the Distinguished Alumni Award from the

Cleveland Institute of Art The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio. History The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at f ...

Exhibitions

* 1977 - African American Historical Museum,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

* 1979 - Brooks Memorial Museum –

Memphis, TN Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Tennessee, the fifth-most p ...

* 1980 - Washington Project for the Arts (WPA),

* 1980 - National Sculpture Conference –

Baltimore, MD Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-larges ...

* 1981 -

, Gallery of Art,

* 1983 - Maryland Art Place – Baltimore, MD * 1983 - Franz Bader Gallery – Washington, DC * 1984 -

California African American Museum The California African American Museum (CAAM) is a museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, next to the California Science Center. The museum focuses on enrichment and education on the cultural heritage and history of African Americans w ...

– Los Angeles, CA * 1984 - Georgetown Court Artist Space – Washington, DC * 1985 - Nexus Foundation for Contemporary Art –

Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

* 1985 - Dade County Public Library – Miami, FL * 1986 - Chicago Museum of Science and Industry – Chicago, IL * 1986 - The Everson Museum – Syracuse, NY * 1987 - Smithsonian Institution, Anacostia Museum – Washington, DC * 1988 - Maryland Art Institute, Myerhoff Gallery – Baltimore, MD * 1988 - University of Delaware Museum Gallery – Newark, DE * 1989 - BR Kornblatt Gallery – Washington, DC * 1989 -

Washington Project for the Arts Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is an American non-profit arts organization founded in 1975, dedicated to the support and aid of artists in the Washington, D.C. area. Early history Alice Denney, a contemporary art collector active on the W ...

– Washington, DC * 1989 -

– Los Angeles, CA * 1990 - New Jersey Center for Visual Arts – Summit, NJ * 1990 - SUNY College at Brockport Tower – Brockport, NY * 1990 -

Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is a multimedia contemporary art gallery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. SECCA has no permanent collection but offers exhibitions of works by artists with regional, national, and international ...

(SECCA) – Winston-Salem, NC * 1990 - Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art – New York, NY * 1991 -

Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

– Moscow * 1991 - BR Kornblatt Gallery – Washington, DC * 1991 -

– Washington, DC * 1992 - The Fern Bank, Museum of Natural History – Atlanta, GA * 1992 - Peninsula Fine Arts Center – Newport News, VA * 1993 - Studio Museum of Harlem – New York, NY * 1993 - Philadelphia African American Historical Museum – Philadelphia, PA * 1994 -

Art Museum of the Americas Art Museum of the Americas (AMA), located in Washington, D.C., is the first art museum in the United States primarily devoted to exhibiting works of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. The museum was formally establis ...

, Organization of American States – Washington, DC * 1994 - University of Maryland Art Gallery – College Park, MD * 1995 - Snug Harbor Cultural Center – Staten Island, NY * 1996 -

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...

– Swarthmore, PA * 1996 - Maryland Art Place – Baltimore, MD * 1996 - "Structuring Energy" at the Corcoran Gallery – Washington, DC * 1996 - FSU Museum of Fine Arts – Tallahassee, FL * 1996 - African-American Museum – Dallas, TX * 1996 - Main Line Art Center – Haverford, PA * 1997 -

Spoleto Festival USA Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of America's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due ...

– Charleston, SC * 1999–2000 - Society for Contemporary Craft – Pittsburgh, PA * 2000 - Baley Museum – Richmond/Orange, VA * 2000 - South Carolina Botanical Garden Clemson, SC * 2000 - Addison-Ripley Fine Art – Washington, DC * 2007 -

American University Museum The American University Museum is located within the Katzen Arts Center at the American University in Washington, DC. History and description The American University Museum consists of a three-story, museum and sculpture garden. The region’s ...

– Washington, DC * 2007 - Manchester Craftsmen's Guild – Pittsburgh, PA * 2008 - Bactria Art Center Dushanbe, Tajikistan * 2008 - Galerie Myrtis – Baltimore, MD * 2010 - The Kreeger Museum – Washington, DC * 2010 -

University of Maryland University College The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is a public university in College Park, Maryland, and the largest institution in the University System of Maryland. Established in 1947 as the College of Special and Continuation Studies of the U ...

– Adelphi, MD * 2010 -

– Washington, DC * 2011 - Gateway Art Center / Prince George's African American Museum – Brentwood, MD * 2011 - Reginald F. Lewis Museum – Baltimore, MD * 2011 - Museum of the Americas, Organization of American States – Washington, DC * 2013 - "Martha Jackson Jarvis: Ancestor's Bones" at the Williams Center Gallery,

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...

- Easton, PA * 2018 - Dumbarton Oaks Museum
Outside/IN
Washington, DC *2023 - African American Museum in Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA

Recognition and awards

Jackson Jarvis has received several awards and honors for her artistic contributions, including a

Fellowship. Additionally, Jackson Jarvis was inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame, which is a notable recognition of her impact and influence in the region. Julie McGee, an art historian at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

, stated, "The work of Jackson Jarvis operates in two worlds—that of large-scale public commissions and the more intimate space of the gallery. Very few artists are able to finesse both, and certainly not with her acumen and sensitivity." * 1986 - National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in sculpture * 1977–1978 - Crafts Artist Grant * 1979–1980 - Individual Artist Grant in Sculpture, DC, Commission on the Arts and Humanities * 1982 - Emerging Artist Award, Washington DC, Mayor's Art Award * 1986 - Individual Artist Grant in Sculpture, DC, Commission on the Arts * 1988 - Penny McCall Foundation Grant Award in Sculpture * 1992 - Virginia Groot Fellowship Grant in Sculpture * 1992 - Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Travel Grant to Italy,

The American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome, Italy. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History 19th century In 1893, a group of American architect ...

* 1994 - Study Grant,

Pilchuck Glass School Pilchuck Glass School is an international center for glass art education. The school was founded in 1971 by Dale Chihuly, Ruth Tamura, Anne Gould Hauberg (1917-2016), and John H. Hauberg (1916-2002). The campus is located on a former tree farm in ...

* 2000 - Creative Capital Award in visual arts * 2007 - Artist in Residence,

, Blackburn/Tague Experimental Printmaking Institute * 2011 - United States Artists Project * 2011 - Nominated for Anonymous Was a Woman Award * Distinguished Alumni Award

Works

* ''Gathering'', 1988;

Farris, Phoebe (ed.) ''Women Artists of Color: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook to Artists in the Americas''. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999. * ''Ochun: Earth Mounds'', 1999-2000; South Carolina Botanical Garden,

Clemson University Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...

* ''Music of the Spheres'', 2003; Van Ness Metro Station, Washington, DC * ''Crossroads/Trickster I'', 2005, Commissioned by the

* ''Signs of the Times'' * ''River Spirits of the Anacostia'' * ''Anacostia's Sunrise/Sunset Portals'' * ''Ancestors' Bones: Free Spirits''

Public Art Spaces (Public and Corporate Commissions)

* United States Embassy (Freetown, Sierra Leone) * New York Transit Authority (Metro NYC) *

(Charleston, SC) * Arco Chemical Co. ( Newton, PA) * Cleveland Public Art (OH) * Philip Morris Corp. (Washington, DC) *

(Raleigh, NC) * Johns Hopkins State Health Laboratory (Baltimore, MD) * Merck Company (PA) * Lenkin Company – (Washington, DC) * KPMG Peat Marwick – (Washington, DC) * Howery and Simon Law Firm – (Washington, DC) * RST Development – (Silver Spring, MD) * Arlington County – (Arlington, VA) * New York Percent for Art – (Bronx, NY) * Fannie Mae Corporation – (Washington, DC) * Washington Metro Transit Authority – (Washington, DC) * South Carolina Botanical Garden – (Clemson, SC) * Prince George's Co. Courthouse – (Upper Marlboro, MD) *

LaGuardia Community College LaGuardia Community College is a Public college, public Community colleges in the United States, community college in New York City. It is in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens in and part of the City University of New York. LaGuardia i ...

– (Long Island, NY)

References

External links

* * Glover, Jeanette (2013). "Public Art by Martha Jackson Jarvis." YouTube nterview with the artist* * * * *

YouTube videos

Conversations with Artists: Martha Jackson Jarvis

Artist Martha Jackson-Jarvis Describes Her "PurpleLine MD" Work

Outside/IN: Martha Jackson Jarvis at Dumbarton Oaks

Public Art by Martha Jackson-Jarvis

Martha Jackson Jarvis - Material Girls: Contemporary Back Women Artists

Martha Jackson Jarvis: Our Common Bond Artists Talk

Martha Jackson Jarvis on "Scent of Magnolia I, II and III"

The Artist at Work: Martha Jackson Jarvis

Material Girls: Contemporary Black Women Artists (Media Preview)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson Jarvis, Martha 1952 births Living people 20th-century American women artists People from Lynchburg, Virginia Artists from Philadelphia Artists from Washington, D.C. Howard University alumni Temple University Tyler School of Art alumni Antioch University alumni 21st-century American women