Walking along First Street or Cascade Avenue in Langley recently, passersby may have noticed a colorful new 150-foot-long art installation.

The Northwest Language Academy recently teamed up with the city of Langley to promote what Josette Hendrix, Northwest Language Academy founder and director, is referring to as a “global friendship art project.”

When the Northwest Language Academy was preparing to attend a cultural fair at Seattle Center, Hendrix said she felt the need to create a kids project that would promote creativity, connectivity and knowledge.

Inspired in part by the philosophy of Tibetan prayer flags — when the wind blows through the cloth, it takes with it the intentions of the people — she decided to invite children to decorate muslin flags, writing the word “friend” in any one of several languages, such as Arabic, French, Russian, Japanese or Dutch.

“Our central mission here is to nurture intercultural understanding so we are really about [asking the question]  ‘How do we understand and appreciate and get along around the world through what we now realize as a pretty significant cultural divide?’ Even within our own culture, there are many strata, let alone between nations,” said Hendrix.

She explained that learning another language is significant because it allows a person to see the world through a “different view of reality,” or a different “cultural lens.” Each language, she said, incorporates different patterns in thought and expression.

Hendrix added that artistic activity provides a vehicle for language and cultural education.

Hendrix said that the project was a hit with kids, who were able to enjoy themselves while learning a familiar word in an unfamiliar language. It is her hope that the project will also inspire adults to reflect upon its message, and maybe learn something new about a culture other than their own.

“It’s kind of a simple but potent way to bring attention to how important it is to understand that culture really has a role to play in our work, no matter what work we are involved in,” said Hendrix. “It is one world we’re involved in. We can’t afford to continue these artificial lines and separation.”

The flags will be on display through September. To learn more about the Northwest Language Academy, visit www.nwlanguageacademy.com.