Boorai - The Children's Art Gallery

Coming Closer : Sharing stories through painting, drawing and dancing.
An exhibition of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children’s art

• Gallery 1: By the children from The University of Melbourne's Early Learning Centre, Melbourne Australia
• Gallery 2: By the children from Yappera Kindergarten, Children Services Cooperative, Thornbury, Victoria Australia
• Gallery 3: By the children from The Aboriginal Outreach Program, Mareeba, Northern Queensland, Australia

Coming Closer brings together the works of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children collected from three early childhood programs including:

• Yappera Kindergarten, Children Services Cooperative, Thornbury, Victoria (a preschool for Aboriginal children)
• The Aboriginal Outreach Program, Mareeba, Northern Queensland
• The University of Melbourne’s Early Learning Centre

• George Jillimablu: Aboriginal Story-teller/Artist
• Boori Pryor: Aboriginal Story-teller/Performer and writer
• Meme McDonald: Children’s book writer and a co-writer with Boori Pryor
• Donna Wright: Coordinator of Yappera Children’s Services Cooperative
• Lillian Fourmile: Artist and facilitator at the Mareeba Aboriginal Outreach Program
• Gerry Fourmile: Facilitator of the Mareeba Aboriginal Outreach Program
• Joy Murphy: Wurundjeri Elder
• Mark Williams: Koorie Liaison Officer for the Northern Region, Melbourne

• A traditional dance given by the Mossman Dancers performed publically during NAIDOC week
• A traditonal story about the Wanjin spirit told by Boori Pryor
• Australian wildlife and traditional indigenous symbols introduced by Lilian Fourmile
  

Gallery 1: By the children from The University of Melbourne's Early Learning Centre, Melbourne Australia

Tessa 4 yrs The river is flooded and there are crocodiles in it.	Olivia 4 yrs That's the Kangaroo's footprints. They are leading to the river. The kangaroo is going to get a drink.	Ben 4 yrs This is when he (George) was holding onto the tree in the water.
Harriet 5 yrs That's George. It's raining so they are in the tent. George's cousins are there too.	Rachel 5 yrs There is the didgeridoo. There is the river and in the river is the tree. George is hanging onto the tree. This is the kangaroo. It's looking to the side so you can see it and the bones.	Declan 5 yrs That's George hanging onto a tree in the middle of the river.

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Gallery 2: By the children from Yappera Kindergarten, Children Services Cooperative, Thornbury, Victoria Australia

Marley 4 yrs My snake is sleeping.	Kalaya 5 yrs That's the area where the people go, and when they walk on the sun they get burnt feet.	Kalaya 5 yrs This is the burning. If you run off the line you get cut. The trees around are burning.
Toni 4 yrs The river.	Jaiden 5 yrs These are all the babies around here. She is looking for her babies and she can't find them. All these striped people are taking her babies.	Renee 4 yrs The Koories live here. That's a river.

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Gallery 3: By the children from The Aboriginal Outreach Program, Mareeba, Northern Queensland, Australia

Karlene 10 yrs People throwing spears and a corroboree. All the people are watching cars outside. There are eggs on the table.	Kathleen 10 yrs Cassawary	Natty 8 yrs Goanna
Telith 7 yrs Lizard	Karlene 10 yrs A little boy who always runs away.	Lucy 9 yrs Wunjin: He didn't listen to his parents and the sun went down and his leg come off.

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