Sherman County Historical Museum’s Sherman County Artist Series features Pat Jacobsen’s work, A Heart for Art, September 1-30.
Patricia Coats Jacobsen is an artist, mother, daughter, grandmother, mother-in-law, wife, sister, friend, patient, Baha’i, Sherman County native and world citizen – not necessarily in that order. Pat and her husband Erling live in Rufus now, but she grew up on a wheat farm east of Wasco. From an early age she was inspired by the beauty surrounding her, and has always expressed the love of that beauty through her art.
Pat studied art at the University of Oregon and Western Oregon University. Later she took hand-lettering classes at Portland Community College. Thus began her career as a sign artist, later practicing computerized sign-design and sign-making.
According to Myrna Melzer, the Museum’s exhibit team leader, visitors will see her work in exhibits and in vinyl lettering, in the Oregon Trail map and the overhead-quotes in the new exhibit, Sherman County Journal: Paper, Ink and Presses.
Over the years Pat has taken classes from various artists in the Mid-Columbia area. In ’06 she took a weekend class from pastel artist Judith Cunningham. She found her passion! Many of the paintings in this show stem from that period.
In recent years Pat has become interested in photography and has incorporated photos into her paintings. In this show, an example of that is the black and white painting of Celilo Falls.
Most recently, Pat’s art has taken an unusual direction, painting on old, corrugated metal roofing. These paintings are inspired by photographs taken by her late father, Chet Coats. The example in this show represents harvest at the Liberty Place, circa 1948, the year Pat was born. It was a “bumper crop.”
Most of Pat’s artwork reflects something in Sherman County. It’s in her heart and soul.
