March 2005 Newsletter

On February 7, 2005 Marsha Ralls was officially sworn in as a new officer of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The Mission of the DCCAH is to provide grants, programs and educational activities that encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities so that all District of Columbia residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of this city. Marsha’s vision is to ensure that art becomes an integral part of people’s daily lives for all residents of the District of Columbia. She believes that we have to work harder to make our programs more accessible to families, simultaneously building awareness of the wonderful programs that already exist. Furthermore, we must continue to develop new ideas which will promote the importance of the arts and humanities.

Marsha was a recent participant in the Socrates Program on Understanding Democracy: Ancient, Modern, and Contemporary Views at the Aspen Institute. The Socrates Program focuses on some of the most fundamental issues that leaders face today, ranging from globalization and the underlying clash of ideas in the world to education and the arts. For more information please visit the program’s website at www.aspeninstitute.org/socrates.

Please stay tuned for upcoming photos of Opening Receptions in our new bi-monthly newsletter. Above is a photo of Marsha with artists Rebecca Cross and Mira Hecht from their opening in December 2004 and other guests.