Yimardoowarra: Artist of the River.

In City Kids, we believe that exposing young children to different cultures is one of the most important learning experiences we can offer them. With our World Cultures and Arts Exploration programs, we have created a unique, cohesive learning experience that helps the kids access different cultures, in part, through their wonderful artwork.

This past week, our kids finished two weeks of activities related to the culture of the Aboriginal people of Australia, and we wanted the kids to have a chance to view art by Aboriginal artists. Aboriginal art work is not as easy to find as art from some other cultures; nevertheless, in D.C., where so many cultural institutions, museums, and embassies are free to the public, we have found exciting and various ways to expose our kids to different cultures across the world, including the ones that are not as widely represented as others.

Last week, we took the kids to see the exhibit, "Yimardoowarra: Artist of the River, the art of Loongkoonan," and it is currently being shown at the Australian Embassy here in D.C. Loongkoonan has received national acclaim in Australia for her depictions of "bush tucker," and her exhibit will be at the Embassy for a limited time. If you have a chance to go see the exhibit before it leaves, it may spark your interest in a culture that gets little attention in the United States, but is very much worth knowing.