Our History

The Mariposa Museum owes its existence and much of its vision to its co-founders, Linda Marsella and David Blair, and to the entire Blair family.

Teachers and linguists, with a passion for travel and the world's many cultures, Linda and David made Mariposa a home for their collection of folk art and breathed life into an idea for a museum based not only on artifacts but on empathy and the possibility of a peaceful, multicultural world.

While David still serves on the Mariposa board, after serving as Executive Director from 2007 - 2012, Linda Marsella passed away in 2007. Her original vision for a museum named after the Spanish word for butterfly, a symbol of transformation in many cultures, and her tenure as the Mariposa's first Executive Director from 2002 - 2007, set the Mariposa on its course and still guides us today!

Linda Marsella