Remarkable women unite!

Not only did California first lady Maria Shriver help the California State History Museum organize the yearlong exhibit California’s Remarkable Women, but she also gave the shirt off her back to support it. Well, technically, she gave the suit she wore to her husband’s gubernatorial-inauguration ceremony. Until May 2005, it will be on display alongside one of Julia Roberts’ Golden Globe gowns, Sally Ride’s flight suit and a dress from 1860 that belonged to Jane Lathrop Stanford.

Don’t get the wrong idea about California’s Remarkable Women; it’s not just a fashion show. Nearly 200 women are honored by the displays, including athletes like Venus and Serena Williams, Peggy Flemming and Kristi Yamaguchi. There are real-life Rosie the Riveters and suffragettes, California’s first ladies, physicians, politicians, scientists and artists. The exhibit holds a diverse collection of Barbies; the millionth item auctioned on eBay (donated by eBay President Meg Whitman); Elizabeth Taylor’s Academy Awards; U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s whip; and original art by Lita Albuquerque, Ruth Asawa and Susan Shelton. Whether your interest lies with the political career of March Fong Eu, the first Asian-American to hold a statewide office in California; or the marketing empire of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the exhibit will leave you with something to talk about. (You can leave the exhibit something as well, by honoring the remarkable women in your life at the museum’s interactive stations.)

Invite all the remarkable women you know to join you at the California State History Museum, located at 1020 O Street. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3.50 for children. For more information, visit www.castatehistory.org or call (916) 653-7524.