Kathleen Jackson's Shared Story
What is Your Background with UNG?
At North Georgia College, I was an Art Education major with enough studio credits for an Art Studio major as well. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Art Education in 1979 and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) Art Education in 1988. I earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Art from the University of Georgia, Athens, in 2014.
Prior to teaching part time at UNG, I taught art in rural, urban and suburban public high schools for 30 years and retired in 2017. I taught art in Hall County, worked as Executive Director of a regional visual arts education center during the Cultural Olympiad and taught art in in the Atlanta area.
Following retirement, I moved to the mountains to establish my studio and began teaching Foundation Drawing and Life Drawing part time at UNG for three years. I made the decision to not teach during the pandemic.
What is a Memorable Story About the Department You Would like to Share?
I entered NGC at 17 years old at the end of the Vietnam War and the month that President Nixon resigned. The U.S. was withdrawing troops from Vietnam and it was the year before the fall of Saigon. Many war vets were taking classes in the art department and I heard many stories about the war and their experiences. It was a different time.
It was the year after Picasso died, the World Trade Center was completed, gold leaf was applied to the steeple at Price Memorial in celebration of the college’s 100th anniversary, and three years after the Fine Arts Department was founded.
There were three visual art instructors in the Fine Arts Department: Department Chair Bob Owens, Win Crannell, and Tommye McClure-Scanlin.
Art Education and Art Studio were the two degree programs when I started. A senior exit exhibition in the student center gallery was required of all art majors. The gallery was much larger than the current space. The synergy at the critiques made for great dialogue.
All three instructors were influential but it was Bob Owens who changed the trajectory of my life in the arts forever. He was chair for 26 years from 1971 to 1997 and continued to be a mentor to me for the remainder of his life.
Why Did You Choose to Donate to Student Scholarships for the Department?
There were no art scholarships available at the time. The fine arts department was only three years old when I started. As a junior I was awarded most valuable board member for my work as Cultural Affairs Chair of the College Union Board. My role was to bring plays, concerts and art exhibitions for the students. The experience made me aware of opportunities in the arts and how to manage the budget for such programs. NGC tuition including room and board was $499 per quarter and I worked in the kitchen at the Smith House afternoons and weekends.
Following Bob Owen’s death in 2004, I started the Bob Owens Art Scholarship in order to honor the beloved artist and art educator who was so instrumental in the career paths of so many students. The scholarship is awarded annually to an art major. My gift is distributed through the UNG Foundation in order to supplement tuition during the student’s junior or senior year.