LINDA Murray is the artistic director of Solas Nua, a contemporary Irish arts organization based in Washington, D.C., that brings the best new artistic talent from Ireland to audiences in America through unique programming which includes a full theater season, visual arts exhibitions, literary events including the D.C. Irish Writers Festival, Irish book day, and the Capital Irish Film Festival. A native of Dublin, Murray has degrees from Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Surrey and London Metropolitan University. She is currently awaiting conferral of a PhD.

Murray moved to the U.S. in 2004 for doctoral work. She is married to Dan Brick. “Heritage for me is a living thing instead of a fixed moment in the past. In fact, history shows that we have always been a nation in transition, and I believe that you can’t honestly connect with your Irish heritage until you embrace the complexities of being Irish now. That’s why I look to our artists — they articulate that connective tissue between our past and present,” Murray says.

“But whether reflecting on our past or looking toward our future, being Irish is something that I am immensely proud of for all that Irish identity represents —  creativity, intelligence, resourcefulness and resilience. And it brings me consistent joy to see all of those attributes so clearly out in force in the work of Ireland’s artistic community today.”

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