Dear Californian:

I am pleased to welcome you to The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts webpage. This Museum will tell California's history in a clear, moving and innovative way and will attract, fascinate and educate visitors about our state's history and the contributions of all of its people. In my travels throughout the state, everywhere I looked women were largely absent from the California history story.

We will be the first California Museum to permanently devote gallery space to the story of the California woman. This new Museum will be a plus for everybody. We will draw upon the vast knowledge of our best historians, academics, cultural experts, teachers and people interested in our state's history to ensure no one will feel left out of the California story. This new California Museum will educate millions about our rich history. Here, California's remarkable women finally become a visible and prominent part of California's history, and the California archives will be displayed in a creative and visible manner.

I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Your First Lady,

Maria Shriver