The local art scene matters to Jennifer.

LITTLE ROCK — One of the best things about living in Little Rock are all of the cultural venues. There's the Arkansas Arts Center, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and The Rep, just to name the big ones. As a parent, one of the things I strive to do is expand my children's horizons and Little Rock is a great place to do that.

If you're looking to develop your kids' appreciation of art, the Arts Center Museum School is a great place to start. The center has parent-and-child classes for those as young as 2 and that's where we started our son's art education. He learned to work in different mediums and how express himself through art. Also, the various classes he has taken there usually include a tour of gallery works that relate to the class. By taking these teacher-guided tours, children are able to draw similarities between works of art and their own efforts. They also learn to show respect for the artists by practicing appropriate behavior for a gallery.

The ACAC also sometimes has classes for kids, and even events like last weekend's THEA Paves the Way show kids that art can be anything. They can also see that by touring galleries during 2nd Friday Art Night downtown.

There are several art exhibits going on in this city at any given time. Just this month, the Clinton Center has Art of the Chopper; UALR and Pulaski Tech have various works on exhibit; and there will be a sculpture show in the River Market. That's just a sample; I could probably take up half this column listing just the art work on display in the capital city.

Another favorite at our house is the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. A few years ago, the ASO offered the Crayon Concert Series. It was a perfect introduction to the symphony for little ears. The one-hour concerts were just the right length, and included pre-concert activities designed to draw in their pint-sized audience. Also, because they were aimed at kids, nobody frowned at you when your child made a little noise.

Unfortunately, the ASO lost their funding for the series and discontinued it. So for now, we have to be content with taking our kids to the family-friendly, but much longer, Christmas concert. I'm hopeful they will start the series up again one of these days.

As they get older, I hope to introduce my kids to the opera by taking them to a concert at Wildwood Park for the Arts.

Even making the annual trip to Riverfest offers a chance to introduce kids to a variety of music.

No matter your politics, you must admit that the Clinton School of Public Service has been a boon to the intellectual scene in Little Rock. They are able to bring in a wide spectrum of speakers including current and former heads of state, prominent journalists and best-selling authors. Also, in the last few years, Philander Smith College has grown their Bless the Mic series into another great venue to see speakers that most likely wouldn't have bothered to come to Arkansas in the past. The great thing about it is that the lectures are free and open to anyone who wants to go.

For me, one of the most important parts of raising my kids is making sure I open their little minds whenever I can. I want them to be immersed in art and history and culture so that when they venture into the wider world, they will have a framework for how to interpret it. I count myself lucky to live somewhere that offers its children such great opportunities. I hope you do, too.