Reflections On Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- What do a President's rider-less horse saddle, Rosa Parks' quiet act of defiance, and Abraham Lincoln's casket have in common? They're all part of Reflections: The American Funeral, an exhibit that is drawing crowds with its educational exploration of funeral customs and commemoration of veterans and others who serve our country in a 53' mobile museum.

The mobile museum is appearing in association with the National Funeral Directors Association Advocacy Summit, a three-day event attracting hundreds of funeral directors from across the country who meet with congressional representatives to voice their concerns about issues impacting funeral service, small business and the families they serve. Reflections will be open Tuesday, March 9, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be parked on Capitol Hill at Maryland Ave. SW near Garfield Circle. The exhibit is free, open to the public and handicapped-accessible.

Reflections is spread out across 1,000 sq. ft. of thoughtful display areas:

• "Arlington National Cemetery" honors our veterans and the more than three million Americans buried in our national cemeteries.

• "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" showcases President John F. Kennedy's rider-less horse – empty boots reversed in the saddle – trotting briskly in his funeral procession and civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who was the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda.

• "The Lord is My Shepherd" is a poignant tribute to fallen public safety officers killed in the line of duty.  

Other moving exhibits include a display on Abraham Lincoln featuring a reproduction of his casket and tracing the near 3-week funeral procession and "The Final Curtain," which pays homage to celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, Dale Earnhardt, and Elvis.

From the cross-country funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln to the national outpouring of grief for Elvis Presley, America has a rich history of mourning the dead.  Reflections: The American Funeral explores these traditions, beginning with Native American burial mounds and ending with the diverse rituals practiced across the country today. Produced by Michigan-based MRA, it's earning praise from everyone who experiences it. "Awesome!" "Great educational tool!" "Amazing! Brings out a lot of things we don't think about."

"There are intriguing stories of funeral practices throughout the centuries and this exhibit educates people on those stories and enables them to connect to the universal human experience of death," says Harry Kurtz, President of MRA, a leading mobile exhibit and event producer. "The displays on Arlington and fallen public safety officers move people to tears."

Reflections: The American Funeral has been touring across the United States since Summer 2008, stopping at state capitols, universities, veteran events, and mortuary schools, funeral homes and industry conventions. During January 2009 Inauguration celebrations, both Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, MD, hosted it.

Reflections receives support from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA); the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE); the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP); Federated Funeral Directors of America (FFDA); Get-Etched, a manufacturer of distinctive, custom memorial products; and Kates-Boylston Publications, the parent company of American Funeral Director magazine, a leading independent trade magazine for funeral directors and other funeral service professionals.

Sponsorship and appearance inquires are welcome and can be submitted to Abigail Van Gelder. High resolution images available upon request.

ABOUT MRA

MRA, Inc. is a leader in experiential mobile marketing, specializing in the custom design, build, vehicle sales and leasing, tour equipment and logistics management services for the experiential marketing and exhibiting needs of museums and many Fortune 1000 firms either directly or in association with leading agencies and exhibit builders worldwide. Contact Heidi Korte of MRA, Inc. at 800.676.3520 or visit www.goMRA.com.

SOURCE MRA, Inc.