Born in 1882 in Westervik, Sweden, Oscar Brousse Jacobson migrated to Kansas with his family. In 1904 he was a supervisor of the Swedish exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The young artist fell in love with the American west and, 1915, was named director of the University of Oklahoma's School of Art and the OU Museum. Immediately following commencement each year, Jacobson loaded his family in the car and headed to his Rocky Mountain retreat -- a cabin he had built near Allenspark, Colorado. Here, Jacobson captured the rugged landscape on canvas. As well, Jacobson used his Allenspark cabin as a base for forays into the Southwest. Here he became acquainted with Native Americans, traders, and fellow artists, all the while finding more inspiration for his vivid landscape paintings. The National Register nomination for the Jacobson cabin was completed in early 2004.

Download full nomination.
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), 732 kb

Note: This nomination does not represent an official listing in or determinination of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. It is provided here for its historical and architectural infromation only.

The Jacobson House Native Art Center is Native American art museum housed in Oscar Jacobson's former Norman, Oklahoma, residence.

With a commitment to preserving the property and the legacy of Oscar Jacobson and his wife, Jeanne d'Ucel, while honoring the courage, talent, and achievement of the "Kiowa Five" and all the Native American art students, the Jacobson Foundation was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. In 1986, the foundation succeeded by seeing the House placed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its unique architecture and role in the evolution and success of art in Oklahoma. It is on the Oklahoma Historical Society's Landmarks List and is documented with a State Historical marker. The House stands as a living symbol of the recognition of Native American art as a medium speaking to the spirit of every person. Arrell Morgan Gibson, the Oklahoma Historian, referred to the Oscar Jacobson legacy as "a preservation imperative."

The Foundation operates the Jacobson House Native Art Center in the former residence of the Jacobsons. By bringing art exhibits, cultural activites, lectures, workshops and educational events to the public, the Jacobson House continues a tradtion begun by the Jacobsons and their Native American student artists.

For more information, click here.