Son of late Clydebank art teacher reveals plans to carry on her legacy

Jackie Marno-McGoldrick sadly died on March 28 last year after battling cancer.

Jackie Marno-McGoldrick (Image: Clydebank High School)The 61-year-old had been an art teacher at Clydebank High School (CHS) for nearly two decades and strived to ensure that all of her pupils were given equal opportunities.

Callum Stewart, Jackie’s son, told the Glasgow Times that this passion was his main inspiration for the creation of the ‘Jackie Marno-McGoldrick Prize’, an art competition open to school pupils across West Dunbartonshire.

Callum said: “Mum was really good at giving kids a voice and making sure that everyone had the same opportunities so I wanted to make sure that keeps going.

“In August I spoke to Jacqui Lynam, who is the headteacher at CHS, and Stuart Borland, who is the head of art, about creating a legacy art competition.

“Anyone under the age of 18 can enter and submit any medium so that way it doesn’t just have to be painted on paper it could be product design or ceramics.

“I thought the broader it is the more creative people can be.”

The competition will be run annually and finalists will have the opportunity to have their work put on display at an exhibition in Glasgow.

Entries for the first-ever round of the competition will officially open on May 1, 2024, and will close on August 30. They should be sent to the art department at CHS.

Callum explained this time frame was chosen as pupils sitting their SQA exams will have finished their submissions by this stage. The competition will remain open to students who are in their sixth year and will have left school before August.

The winners will be announced at the opening night of the exhibition on October 31 and there are hundreds of pounds of art vouchers up for grabs.

The first prize will be £200 worth of art store vouchers, the second will be £100, and the third £50.

Callum, who now lives in London, explained that his mum’s job became “the love of her life” and he hopes her legacy will continue to inspire students to believe in themselves "for generations to come".

He said: “Mum studied art and graphic design at Cardonald College and went on to place first in an International Fine Art Awards for Woman Artists in the 1990s.

“She then studied at Jordanhill College where she became a teacher. From there she went on to work full-time in Clydebank.

“The job became the love of her life. Some of the children didn’t have much but she gave them a voice and let them be heard.

“She was so passionate about teaching art and made sure her students had the correct tools to do the best they could.

“My step-dad David recalls going shopping with her and the trolley would just be full of the best paint brushes, paper, and pens that she would take to school and give to her students.

“She received an award from her students in 2019 for best teacher which she was really emotional about.

“The tributes that poured in from old and current pupils, parents, and teachers after her death were heartwarming.

"This competition is a way of keeping her legacy going and making sure creative boundaries continue to be pushed and explored in generations to come.”

For further information contact Callum at callum_jstewart@hotmail.com.