Joy Jacobs (1932-2007) was a well-known abstract expressionist artist.

Born and raised in Youngstown, Ms. Jacobs lived in New York City and Cleveland. She began her career as an illustrator for American Greetings Co. in the mid-1950s. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and began to paint. Her creative work was largely inspired by the exciting Post-War period in New York City. The Second World War had brought many leading European artists to the city in exile from Europe, leading to a noteworthy pooling of talent and ideas, providing inspiration for many important American artists.

Her artwork was exhibited in many galleries and museums, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Butler Institute in Youngstown and The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. She taught art to underprivileged children in schools and to individuals in prisons.