November 19, 2025 | 5:30–7:00 PM ET
In-Person at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (5th Floor – East Gallery),
901 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Co-hosted by Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL) and the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE). This program accompanies the exhibition Peace by Design: Posters, Poems, and the Spirit of the Peace Corps presented in partnership with the DC Public Library.
About the Event
How does Peace Corps service shape creative lives and cultural leadership? Join us for an evening conversation with writers, artists, curators, and educators whose careers in the arts and culture were catalyzed by their service. We’ll explore how storytelling, design, and community practice fuel innovation—and how the habits of empathy, curiosity, and collaboration travel from service into creative work. The program opens with brief welcomes from co-hosts, followed by a moderated panel and audience Q&A.
Registration
This event is free and open to the public. A suggested donation of $25 supports future programs and exhibitions from the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience.
Program
- 5:00 PM – Doors open; arrive early to explore the exhibition
- 5:30 PM – Welcome remarks and introductions
- 5:40 PM – Panel: The Power of Culture in a Strong Society
- 6:40 PM – Audience Q&A
7:00 PM – Closing thanks & upcoming events; visit the exhibit
(Approx. 90 minutes; light refreshments; seating in East Gallery.)
Speakers
A cross-section of Peace Corps alumni and cultural professionals including but not limited to (final lineup subject to confirmation):
Sarah Erdman – Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Côte d’Ivoire
The daughter of a Foreign Service Officer, Sarah Erdman grew up between the Mediterranean and Washington, D.C. After earning a history degree from Middlebury College, she served as a Peace Corps health volunteer in northern Côte d’Ivoire. Her acclaimed memoir Nine Hills to Nambonkaha (2003) won the Paul Cowan Nonfiction Award and was featured in Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers” program. For over two decades, Sarah has worked in educational travel, writing and leading programs for National Geographic and the Smithsonian. Her essays have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, the Smithsonian magazine blog, and WorldView magazine.
Lisa Martin – Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Estonia
Lisa Martin has served as Executive Director of Silver Spring Town Center Inc. since 2011, producing more than 100 arts and cultural events each year—including the Silver Spring Blues Festival—to foster community engagement through the arts. With over 30 years of experience in cultural programming, she has worked with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Galway International Arts Festival, and San Diego Opera. A Peace Corps Volunteer in Estonia (1996–1998), Lisa has earned two Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards for Volunteer Service and the 2025 Civic Circle’s Art of Service Award. She also leads NoVA RPCVs and founded RPCVs for the Arts.
Molly Fitzgerald – Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Togo
Molly Fitzgerald is a public health professional and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges global health, creativity, and social change. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, she draws inspiration from her service and international health career to explore resilience, color, and hope through her art. Based in Washington, D.C., Molly is the founder of ColorTellaVisions, where she creates abstract paintings and upcycled wearable art that transform discarded materials—including those from her health work—into expressions of optimism and renewal. Her mission is to “Tell-a-Vision” that uplifts, inspires imagination, and promotes positive change through creativity and compassion.
About the Exhibition
Peace by Design: Posters, Poems, and the Spirit of the Peace Corps reveals how peace takes shape—in bold recruitment posters of the 1960s–70s, in small acts of service, and in the words of poets—transporting visitors into the early years of the Peace Corps where idealism met design, citizen diplomacy, and the enduring power of art. Learn more about the exhibit here.
Questions, Great Ideas, Interested in Volunteering?
Contact the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience at info@peacecorpsmuseum.org.
