One of More Than 2,000 Museums Across America to Offer Free Admission to Military Personnel and Their Families This Summer in Collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense
DALLAS, TX, May 16, 2017— Today the Dallas Museum of Art announced its participation for the eighth year in a row in Blue Star Museums, the annual collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families. The program provides families with an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their community, especially after a military move. Beginning Friday, May 26, 2017, in observance of Memorial Day the following Monday, through Sunday, September 3, 2017, in observance of Labor Day, the DMA will offer free admission to México 1900–1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, and the Avant-Garde (on view through July 16), Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion (on view through August 20) and Visions of America: Three Centuries of Prints from the National Gallery of Art (on view May 28 through September 3) to all active military personnel and their families. The complete list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
“The DMA is proud to continue its participation in the Blue Star Museum program,” said Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art. “The Museum is a place for the entire community to come together and learn about the cultures of the world and those represented in North Texas. While we offer year round free admission to the collection galleries, this summer we are pleased to provide our military families in DFW with free access to our ticketed special exhibitions too.”
“The Blue Star Museums program is a great opportunity for the NEA to team up with local museums in every state in the nation to support our service members and their families," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “It means a lot to offer these families access to high-quality, budget-friendly opportunities to spend time together.”
This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums but also science museums, history museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums, including these newly participating museums: the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia; The Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame Museum in Memphis, Tennessee; the Hagerman Fossil 3 Beds National Monument in Hagerman, Idaho; and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer.
“Whether they want to blast off at a science museum, take a walk through nature or encounter animals at the aquarium, Blue Star Museums will help service members and their families create memories this summer,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “This fantastic collaboration with the NEA brings our local military and civilian communities together, and offers families fun and enriching activities in their home towns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”
About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, through Labor Day, September 4, 2017.
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps—and up to five family members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find participating museums and plan your trip, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
All summer long, Blue Star Museums will share stories through social media. Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums, and on Facebook, and read the NEA Art Works blog for weekly stories on participating museums and exhibits.
Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or Wendy Clark NEA Director of Museums, at clarkw@arts.gov.
This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans and their families. Other NEA programs for the military include the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is a national nonprofit network of military spouses, children, parents and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families leverages data-driven insights to curate resources for military families, including career development tools, local community events for families and caregiver support. Each summer since 2010, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and served more than 4 million military family members. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. Visit bluestarfam.org for more information.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.
About the Dallas Museum of Art
Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is among the 10 largest art museums in the country and is distinguished by its commitment to research, innovation and public engagement. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 23,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the Museum acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. Since the Museum’s return to free general admission in 2013, the DMA has welcomed more than two and a half million visitors. For more information, visit DMA.org.
The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Members and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.