Barbara Jakobson

Barbara Joan Jakobson (; January 31, 1933 – August 25, 2025) was an American art collector. She was a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from 1974 until her death in 2025.

Early life and education Born on January 31, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, According to Jakobson, both of her parents were born in the United States and "came from very solid Brooklyn families". She stated that her ancestors "only wanted to be Americans" and did not talk about where they were from, though she said she "knew they were from Russia, probably somewhere near the Polish–Russian border". Her mother introduced her to art collecting, being herself interested in collecting furniture and art. where she studied art and architectural history.

Career In the 1960s, she joined the Junior Council at the MoMA. While on the Junior Council, Jakobson became a founding member of the Studio Museum in Harlem, which opened in 1968. She later became head of the Junior Council in 1971, and was elected as a MoMA board member in 1974. The couple divorced in 1983. Another of their children, John Paul, died in 2004. She also installed a stair lift in her townhouse after suffering a fall on her stairs that caused a broken leg.