By Aaron Cordy
ART is for everyone. The Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) have embraced that concept and Greater Shepparton’s multicultural community by having Mandarin and Dari language tours of the nationally touring exhibition Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio.
The Mandarin tour was led by Stella Sun, a young Chinese arts practitioner currently living in Shepparton on a working holiday visa, on Saturday, August 23. More than 40 Mandarin-speaking locals enjoyed the experience, including working holiday fruit pickers, new migrants and local families, many of them visiting an art gallery for the very first time.
Stella charmed the audience, bringing warmth, confidence to the tour by blending professional art knowledge with personal interpretation.
“It was an experience I never imagined — introducing Australian art in my mother tongue. Seeing people listening intently and connecting with the works moved me deeply,” Stella said.
Local Mandarin presenter on ONE FM Community Radio, Jimmy Li welcomed the events like this as barrier breakers of multicultural communities.
“Events like this show how art can transcend language barriers and build multicultural connections. It reflects positively on SAM’s efforts as a leading regional gallery, making arts and culture more inclusive, and celebrates the contribution of Shepparton’s growing Mandarin-speaking community,” said Jimmy Li.
