Panola College students visited the R.L. Norton Gallery and Gardens in Shreveport recently.
April 3, 2019 - Panola College students and three faculty members toured the R.L. Norton Gallery and Gardens in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Thursday, March 28. The Panola College Foundation provided grant funds for the field trip.
“We appreciate the Foundation for recognizing the benefit to our students to visit a museum. The Norton Gallery showcases art from around the world, and includes important regional art,” said Dr. Kathy Watlington, professor of Spanish and the humanities.
Participating students included Nash Coultas, Joy Jekayinoluwa, Abigail Joseph, Lucy Eke, Vanessa Flores, Diana Kazo, Joy Latipat, Julianne Edge, Christy Corliss, Lucero Luna, Serena Rascoe, Jade Allen, Kacie Caserta, Sheli Caserta, Liberty Moser, Morgan Ray, Emilee Sellers, Brooklyn Killen, Shauna Aycock, Sam Fuller, Lynda Seidel and Kinsley Middlebrooks.
Nash Coultas and Emilee Sellers toured the gallery.
The R.W. Norton family of Shreveport created an art foundation that established the art gallery, which is open to the public, free of charge. More than 400 paintings and sculptures representing over 100 artists are on display in the gallery. The collection represents many styles from a variety of time periods. The R.L. Norton Botanical Gardens encompass 40 acres of landscaped grounds behind the gallery, exhibiting thousands of plants including introduced and native azaleas.
A follow-up survey revealed that many of the participating students had never visited a museum. “It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot of things. I’m so happy to be able to be a part of this trip,” one student wrote.
“A lot of college students do not go to museums these days so they only have access to online art. Taking a trip to the museum will help them see first-hand art and paintings. We should take school excursions more often,” said another student.
Vanessa Flores and Diana Kazo view sculptures and paintings in the Norton Gallery.
