Last May, Margo Smith, Director and Curator of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, was appointed an honorary member of the Order of Australia for her significant work promoting Australian indigenous art and culture in the United States. The Order of Australia is the foremost way the Australian government honors individuals who have contributed outstanding service to their field. The rare honor for Dr. Smith was made even more special by the fact that appointments are normally conferred only to Australian citizens. The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, located on Pantops Mountain and opened to the public in 1999, is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the exhibition of Australian Aboriginal Art. Smith will receive her medal in a special ceremony hosted by the Honorable Kim Beazley AC, Australian Ambassador to the USA, in Washington D.C. later this year.

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