Dr. Robin Cummings bestows Vivian Jacobson with Honorary Doctorate. Click on the image to watch the ceremonyPEMBROKE, NC – Vivian R. Jacobson has dedicated more than half of her life to researching, studying and lecturing on one of the 20th century’s most revered artists––Marc Chagall.  

   Her studies have taken her far beyond her home in Pinehurst and earned the vibrant 88-year-old international recognition. Jacobson, the author of Sharing Chagall: A Memoir, is a sought-after lecturer for art groups, museums, churches, synagogues, colleges and schools across the United States, Europe and Israel. And, she’s become a local celebrity as well, often drawing packed crowds to lecture halls and classrooms for a glimpse into the life and works of her dear friend Chagall.  
   Still, the rather modest Jacobson was surprised to learn she would be receiving her doctorate from the university where her life’s work is now on display.
   "This is an honor and a privilege," said Jacobson, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Winter Commencement on December 8 to recognize her humanitarian and philanthropic contributions.
   “In my mind, honorary degrees were awarded to ambassadors, diplomats or scientists who discovered the answer to an illness. I never put myself in the category of those people, so I am very honored.
"I've been researching and lecturing on Marc Chagall for 45 years. I'm interested in his art but, more importantly, in his messages of hope, peace, reconciliation and love. I never thought that anyone would honor me for something I love to do, which is to lecture," she said.
   Jacobson has given two Chagall lectures at UNCP, the most recent of which took place in October. Yet, her impact on the university extends well beyond her speaking engagements. In 2020, Jacobson and her late husband, Ralph, gifted the university with the Jacobson Chagall Art Research Collection––a vast 45-year collection of Vivian’s Chagall research that includes documents, catalogs, books, memorabilia and photographs. The collection has drawn a playwright, a novelist and art enthusiasts from as far as France to the UNCP campus.  
   The Jacobsons also established a scholars program at UNCP.  “Vivian’s unique collection and lectures have enriched our academic community and garnered international attention for our university,” Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings, M.D. said. “She is most deserving of this honorary doctorate, and we are very proud to recognize her extraordinary contributions to art and education in this way.”
   A Chicago native, Jacobson befriended Chagall in 1974 and worked closely with the renowned artist during the last decade of his life. She was a founding member of the American Friends of Chagall’s Biblical Message Museum in Nice, France and Chairman for the Chagall Tapestry Project at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
   From 2001 to 2020, Jacobson was appointed as a speaker on Chagall for the North Carolina Humanities Council Forum. Her most popular lectures include “Chagall and the Women in His Life” and “Elvis and Chagall.”
   Chagall’s artwork is often described as whimsical, playful and free and includes a mixture of styles from Cubism and Surrealism to Expressionism. He also worked in a variety of mediums — stained glass, tapestry, painting, ceramics and more.  
   “The Jacobson Chagall Art Research Collection is definitely a huge boost for our program, considering we offer a minor in art history as well as an art history track, so students have direct access to her research,” said Carla Rokes, a professor in the Art Department.   
   Plus, studio art majors can also find inspiration in the collection, she said. Rokes recently led an intermediate drawing class in an assignment where students researched the Chagall collection and completed Chagall-inspired drawings. Several of the student pieces were selected for display at Jacobson’s October lecture on campus.  
   Jacobson’s hope is the fantastical scenes depicted in Chagall’s art will continue to inspire optimism in new generations of Chagall fans in just such a way.  
   “Above all, Chagall didn’t paint with a just a paintbrush, he painted with his heart,” Jacobson wrote in her book. “He was passionate about every aspect of life, and he never ceased bringing joy to the world.”