The Gibbes is 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
CHARLESTON, S.C. May 25, 2018 — Today, the Gibbes Museum of Art announced its participation in the ninth annual Blue Star Museums, a 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 and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. A list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
“The Gibbes Museum of Art has been a proud member of the Blue Star Museum program for years, but we are especially excited to participate this year as we welcome military personnel and their families to our newly renovated museum,” said Angela Mack, Executive Director of the Gibbes Museum of Art.
“Visiting a museum is a great way to get to know a community—whether it’s in your hometown or a stop on a road trip,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “We appreciate the enthusiasm of museums all across the country who open their doors for military and their families to spend time together and have new arts experiences.”
This year’s participating Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, zoos, nature centers, and children’s museums. Museums are welcome to sign up for Blue Star Museums throughout the summer by emailing [email protected]..
“As many military families spend the summer months moving from one duty station to another, or reconnecting with a parent who has returned from deployment, Blue Star Museums helps service members and their families create memories,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Blue Star Families has great appreciation for the generosity of the museums across the country who roll out the red carpet for the families who serve alongside their service members. 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 the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 26, 2018 through Labor Day, September 3, 2018.
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as Active Duty and Reservists, National Guardsman (regardless of status), U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums.
About The Gibbes Museum of Art
Home to the Carolina Art Association, established in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art is recognized among the oldest arts organizations in the United States. Housing one of the foremost collections of American Art from the 18th century to the present, the museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality and by providing opportunities to learn, to discover, to enjoy, and to be inspired by the creative process. For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.
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 art 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 the NEA.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. Visit bluestarfam.org for more information.
###
Media Contact
Hannah Nuccio | Wendi Ammons
Lou Hammond Group | The Gibbes Museum of Art
[email protected] | [email protected]
(843) 410-5306 | (843) 722-2706 x222
Top Image: The South View of Fort Mechanic, Charleston, July 4th 1796, from untitled sketchbook, 1796 – 1805, 1796, by Charles Fraser (American, 1782 – 1860); Ink and watercolor on paper; 7 1/4 x 5 1/8 inches; Gift of Alice Ravenel Huger Smith; 1938.036.0013