STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / March 24, 1999

RESERVE – New Orleans Museum of Art’s Van Go, the “Museum on Wheels” made a pit stop at St. Peter’s Parochial School Wednesday, delivering toits students a taste of various cultures, art, history and more.

American Indian, Japanese and animal art samples were displayed and discussed during three 45-minute presentations hosted by Warren Irwin, the museum’s coordinator of outreach programs.

The presentations were conducted in a relaxed, informal atmosphere, encouraging children to share their knowledge and curiosity regarding the subjects. Some of the artifacts were passed around so students could seeand feel the art pieces directly.

Helena Cupit, principal of St. Peter’s, said Irwin did an outstanding job ofrelating to the children and maintaining their attention while educating them.

“He really interacted well with the students and did a great job of responding to their answers and comments,” Cupit said.

Irwin is originally from Metairie and holds a degree in art from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He volunteered at the New OrleansMuseum of Art for more than a year prior to being hired by the institution and plans to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree of art and education.

Van Go, one of the museum’s most popular outreach programs, visits schools located within a 60-mile radius of New Orleans upon request, Irwin said. The program is free of charge and underwritten by Shell andWWL-Channel 4.

Cupit said the students had recently studied American Indian history and culture, and Van Go enabled them to experience hands-on what they had learned in the classroom.

“The students were very knowledgeable about the indians and were able to give a lot of feedback,” Cupit said. “I was surprised at how much theyknew.”Back to Top

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